9 Bucks County Nonprofits Awarded $36K In Foundation Grants

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Nine nonprofits serving children, young adults, and families in Bucks County have been awarded spring Partnership in Youth Services grants by the Foundations Community Partnership.

Collectively, these organizations will help address the behavioral health and human service needs of 1,072 Bucks County residents, according to Foundations.

“This was the second year we specifically encouraged nonprofits that never received funding from us to share their innovative ideas and impactful programs,” said Tracy Pasternak Willis, chair of FCP’s board of directors. “Learning about their missions and people they serve and figuring out how we can best support their efforts has been at the core of our grant-making since 2007.”

PYS Grants totaling $36,000 were awarded to the following non-profit organizations:

• Barn Nature Center Foundation ($4,500) – to provide at-risk youth with the opportunity to fulfill court-ordered community service while developing empathy through animal care.

At an Arbor Day event in Newtown, Reilly Lees, the education coordinator at the Barns Nature Center in Doylestown, shows off Lizzy, a green iguana.

• Bucks County Center for Independent Living ($4,500) – to host an independent living conference and post-secondary education fair that will focus on providing information and workshops for young adults with disabilities.
• Bucks Learning Cooperative ($4,000) – to build an outdoor learning space, enabling hands-on learning in woodworking, gardening, and sustainability.
• Delaware Valley University ($4,000) – to provide kids ages 5 to 18 with scholarships to attend Kids U! and Inspire U! summer programs.

• Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries ($2,500) – to keep families together and children out of the foster care system by providing support focused on preservation and/or reunification.
• Fostering Hope Lower Bucks ($4,500) – to expand its Foster-Share Closet, serving more local foster families with free clothing and gear.
• Friends of Washington Crossing Park ($4,500) – to develop a multi-sensory interpretive experience at Washington Crossing Park for blind/visually impaired visitors of all ages in collaboration with Philly Touch Tours and Bucks Association for the Blind.
• LIZ’s Birthday Closet ($3,000) – to enhance accounting and inventory tracking capabilities through technology upgrades.
• Trenton Circus Squad ($4,500) - to introduce circus arts as an intervention tool and way for children and teens to obtain life skills in partnership with Snipes Farm & Education Center.