JCCF awards over $41,800 in grants

     The Jones County Community Foundation (JCCF) celebrated a successful year of community impact with donors, non-profit leaders, and community partners at its annual “Grants and Gifts” celebration on Dec. 5 at the Jones County Youth Development Center in Monticello.

     Jones County donors, non-profits, and businesses have created funds at JCCF, growing total assets to more than $1.7 million. Payouts from these funds will support the needs of Jones County non-profits for years to come.

     This year, grants totaling $41,890 were awarded to the following non-profits and programs:

     Anamosa School District Athletic and Music Boosters, $12,500. Accepting the grant were Laura Secrist, president of the Music Boosters; Holly Niernberger, president of the Athletic Boosters; and Mary Curtis, past president of the Music Boosters. The money will go toward improvements associated with the football concession stand.

     Secrist said all of the proceeds they raise in the concession stand go directly to the Anamosa students’ extra curricular activities.

     “This is a joint venture between our two separate entities that have come together,” explained Secrist. She said because all of the money goes back to the students, they have not made improvements to the stand since it was built in 2008.

     Curtis said with much of the equipment and appliances inside being donated, they are in need of upgrades.

     “We are so grateful that we can now remodel the concession stand and continue to work and give back to the kids of the Anamosa School District,” added Secrist.

     Jones County Historical Society, $12,000. Accepting the grant were President Jim Christianson, and historical museum (Edinburgh Museum/Village) curators Steve and Sharon Hanken. The money will go toward replacing the roof on the 40-year-old machine shed, which houses equipment that dates back to the 1860s.

     “This money is going to solve a problem we’ve had for quite some time,” said Steve. This will enable us to finally fix the roof to keep our materials together and in good condition.”

     Little Lions Learning Center (Olin Daycare), $7,500. Accepting the grant were Director Kayla Rhum and board member Jodi Ahrendsen. The money will go toward replacing the vinyl flooring inside the facility.

     “The vinyl flooring has been there since we opened in November 1999. It is in desperate need of replacement,” shared Rhum.

     Grant Wood Scenic Byway, $4,000. Accepting the grant were board members Bob Hatcher, Brad Hatcher, and Wayne Yanda. The money will go toward the $10,000 match for art to be placed on the Grant Wood Byway in Anamosa.

     Art on the Byways is a statewide project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Anamosa will be one of only a handful of cities to display an original piece of art on the byway, with NEA gifting $5,000 toward the project as well. An artist from Marion was commissioned by the committee to design and build a stainless steel American Gothic-inspired 14-by-9-foot window on the corner of Main St. and Elm St. The window will offer glimpses of parks, rivers, motorcycles, “everything Jones County really represents,” said Bob Hatcher. The window will stand on a pedestal built out of Stone City stone, another pillar of the Jones County community.

     “It will be a beautiful thing,” said Bob.

     Cascade FFA, $2,250. Accepting the grant were President John Trumm, Marie Knepper, Ashley Kurt, Rebecca Trumm, Holly Beringer, and Mitchell Redmond. The money will help the FFA chapter purchase a riding lawn mower and trailer.

     “Throughout the year we do a lot of community service activities,” said John Trumm.

     One of those involves mowing three Cascade-area substations six to seven times a year and a Jones County Pioneer Cemetery near Onslow 12 times a year.

     “This will enable us to be more flexible with our schedule and focus on neatly trimming the cemetery,” concluded Trumm.

     The Crisis Center of Johnson County, $2,000. Accepting the grant was Sara Sedlacek, communications and development director with the Crisis Center. The money will help expand the Center’s outreach into Jones County.

     Sedlacek said the work with the East Central Mental Health Region, of which Jones County is a member. The Crisis Center has been in operation in Iowa City since 1970. They are just one of the seven care providers of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the entire country.

     “There are not enough crisis centers operating right now in the country to handle even a fraction of the need,” shared Sedlacek. “We’re handling about 9 percent of the need right now. All of you, whether you know it or not, are touched by mental health.”

     Oxford Junction Foundation, Inc., $1,000. Accepting the grant were Editor of the Oxford Junction Post Kristina Stevensen and reporter Marlene Flory. The money is going to help the Foundation with their new community newspaper, the OJ Post.

     Stevensen said they’re picking up where former owner and reporter for the Midland Times (Shirley Jones) left off after 33 years. Earlier this summer, Jones passed away and the Midland Times closed shop.

     “Shirley Jones was a much loved and respected member of our lower Jones County communities,” said Stevensen. “Her unobtrusive, friendly style and commitment to reporting the news most important to our local communities made Jones a staple in many households. The loss of the Midland Times left a void in our communities for local news and events. Because of this, a small group of local volunteers decided to try and fill that void.”

     The OJ Post is mailed to every mail route and PO Box holder in Oxford Junction at no cost. They maintain their funding through donations, paid advertisements, and fundraising.

     Jones County Senior Dining, $640. Accepting the grant was Jones County Senior Dining Director Lisa Tallman. The money will go toward installing cabinetry at the Monticello Senior Dining site at 818 W. First St., Suite 108.

     Aside from providing meals at various sites throughout the county, Senior Dining also delivers meals to people’s homes.

     “Cabinets will help with organization and sanitation, so this will greatly help,” said Tallman.

     “It’s so rewarding to see all of the money that we’ve given out over the years and the impact that’s had across the county,” commented Patty Manuel, president of the JCCF Board of Directors. “We want Jones County to continue to thrive.”

     These grants are supported by Iowa’s County Endowment Fund Program. This initiative, unique to Iowa, makes grants to create a strong community foundation infrastructure in 84 counties like Jones that do not hold state-issued gaming licenses. The JCCF grants out 75 percent of these funds and invests the remaining 25 percent in a permanent endowment that generates interest to be distributed in future years.

     “We really don’t know how lucky we are to live here with so many different great things going on,” said JCCF Coordinator Sherri Hunt. “Jones County also has so many philanthropic, caring individuals who really make a difference for our community. That’s something that we can all be proud of.”

     Gifts to the endowment funds are eligible for the Endow Iowa 25 Percent State Tax Credit. Community members can contribute to more than 20 endowment funds established by non-profits throughout Jones County, which provide sustainable sources of income for these essential community service organizations.

     For more information, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/JCCF or contact Hunt at jccf@dbqfoundation.org.