Foundation Provides Grants of $12,571 to Local Charities

Posted by Joseph R. Mazzola 
on Nov 03, 2011
 
 
   Evening Broomfield Rotary’s foundation has donated $5000.00 to Broomfield Community Foundation Special Needs fund.  Separate from the BCF general fund, this fund is used to address critical needs of  Broomfield citizens. Special needs may include one or more persons unemployed through no personal fault who suffer severe health issues, injury, or death.  Left without funds, these folks require financial assistance to provide the bare essentials.  This Special Needs Fund does not have any fees, management or otherwise, every penny donated goes back to help Broomfield residents in need.  Organized in 1998 F.R.I.E.N.D.S., has always stayed true to their mission; to enrich the lives of our friends with development disabilities, and their families, by creating opportunities for participation in every aspect of community life.  F.R.I.E.N.D.S. offers field trips to participants using a vehicles to transport school participants to and from their residences throughout the community for  scheduled activities four days a week.   F.R.I.E.N.D.S’  vehicles have reached retirement age. The Broomfield Rotary Charitable Foundation granted $6,071.00 to Broomfield F.R.I.E.N.D.S.  to assist in the purchase of a 2011 Ford E450 Diamond Coach Bus,  14 passenger, 12 seated and room for  2 wheelchairs. Replacing the passenger van with a bus type vehicle provides greater safety for  staff and participants. Staff members will no longer have to lift  participants into the vehicle since the bus has a mechanical lift.  Impact on Education—Crayons to Calculators Project applied for, and was granted, $1,500.00 to provide 100 scientific calculators for students at Broomfield High School. It may be hard to believe there is financial need in Broomfield, but here are the staggering numbers. There are 894 students who qualify for free and reduced lunch program. The basic cost for school supplies can be as much as $70.00 per student, and is a huge financial burden for many of those kids’ families.   When students are properly prepared for classroom work, they have increased academic success leading to higher graduation rates.   Over 200 people from  collaborating agencies, Rotary Clubs and other service organizations, and community volunteers, devote over 400 hours in July and August to make this project the huge success it has been since its beginning many years ago. Broomfield Rotary Charitable Foundation awards grants that further BRCF’s charitable and educational goals. Generally, those goals include: providing and promoting  community service including  assistance to the poor and underprivileged, humanitarian aid to improve healthy living, education and intergenerational understanding, goodwill and peace; both in Broomfield, Colorado and internationally.  From its birth, in 2007, through August 2011, the Broomfield Rotary Charitable Foundation, using the grant process, has distributed approximately $230,817.17 to worthy charities.  78.00% of this money   remained in our Broomfield Community, and 22% of the monies helped to fund International Clean Water Projects as part of the Rotary International Matching Grant program