Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County Announces Grants Awarded

Waukesha, Wis. -- April 7, 2010 -- The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County has selected ten area charitable organizations to be the recipients of $42,000 in grants this year, according to Kay Lettenberger, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County. Organizations were selected by the volunteer grants review committee of the Women and Girls Fund in a competitive review of proposals submitted by 25 area nonprofit organizations.

The grants will be presented Tuesday, May 11 at the Women of Distinction Awards luncheon, to be held at the Country Springs Hotel. The grants are supported by the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County, including proceeds from the Women of Distinction Awards luncheon. Programs receiving funding are all directed toward helping women and girls overcome obstacles to achieve success.

The following grants were awarded to programs serving women and girls in Waukesha County:

ARCh (Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps), Waukesha $5,000 for "eSPECIALly Safe," a 24-week safety education program for daughters (age 13-18) with disabilities and their mothers.

Children's Service Society, Milwaukee $2,500 for the Girls Circle Program, an after-school program for 100 Waukesha low-income/at-risk girls age 8-18 to teach self-esteem and build confidence.

Family Service of Waukesha County, Waukesha $4,000 for Child Trauma Programs at Children's Place, to partner with Waukesha School District to provide training and consultation regarding child trauma for administrators, educators and counselors.

Healthy Families of Waukesha County, Waukesha $4,000 for Prevent Child Abuse America program support, to provide home-based services to teach child development, age appropriate expectations and how to interact with their baby to parents with newborns.

Interfaith Senior Programs, Waukesha $2,500 for the Transportation Collaborative, to provide money or gas cards, taxi rides and bus passes for transportation to services throughout Waukesha County to low-income women and families in collaboration with numerous agencies.

Lake Area Free Clinic, Oconomowoc   $5,000 for the Patient Assistance Program to provide staff support for coordinator of pharmaceutical medications for women and girls. 

Parents Place, Waukesha $5,000 for Parenting through Depression, a program to educate and counsel women experiencing depression or other mental illness.

Pregnancy Support Connection, Waukesha $2,500  for housing assistance through Linden Cherish Place and Transitional Living Programs for homeless, pregnant and parenting young women age 18-21 and their infants.

WCTC Foundation, Pewaukee $4,000 for Certified Nursing Assistant Program for scholarships for women in CNA technical diploma program over 2 years.

The Women's Center, Waukesha $7,500 for staff support for a community educator who will educate young people about sexual assault and abuse and dating violence.

Women of Distinction 2010 honorees recommended $5,000 in additional grants to charitable organizations serving Waukesha County.  They are:

Menomonee Falls Scholarship Foundation in honor of Linda Kons;

Scholastic Fund for Students of Hispanic Descent  in honor of Brenda Ness;

Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition in honor of Karen Dalessandro;

Kettle Moraine Education Foundation/KM Fine Arts Fund Endowment in honor of Stacey Lynn Bjorgaard;

Menomonee Falls Food Pantry in honor of the Etzel Family.

In addition to grant awards, Women of Distinction, Family of Women of Distinction and Young Woman of Tomorrow awards will be made at the luncheon.

The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County, a permanent fund within the Waukesha County Community Foundation, has contributed about $250,000 in total cumulative gifts since the first awards in 2005.  The Women and Girls Fund recently reached its initial fundraising target of $1 million for the fund.  

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