By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The Heartland Community Foundation is preparing for their next round of awarding grants to area organizations.
Applications will be open until Nov. 15, according to executive director Sarah Meitner.
"It is open to any nonprofit church, municipality, in Ellis, Rooks or Trego County for any charitable cause," she said "And you can come to us and you don't have to have matched funds. But you know, we certainly like to see them, so come bring your idea and you can go to our website to find that application."
The foundation's website is heartlandcommunityfoundation.org.
Meitner said grants are awarded to a variety of causes.
"It's really anything, you know, charitable, a charitable community cause," she said. "So I was out at Cedar Bluff last week to meet with an Eagle Scout who applied through Cedar Bluff State Park, and he had applied for money to do a new picnic area."
She said they granted him $12,500 to do that project, and he replaced 30 picnic tables.
"Yeah, and he did it all on his own," Meitner said. He's a sophomore over at Hays High. So we were certainly excited. The committee was definitely excited to see interest from a young person, you know, with an idea."
But she said that example is just one out of many.
"We have funded lots of things for our schools," Meitner said. "There was a new GaGa pit that went in at a church in Stockton, there was, a hearing device, one of those machines that helps check the hearing of a young person at Hays Area Children's Center, that's one we've done."
And those that are not sure if their idea would qualify for a grant, are free to call the foundation and discuss the idea.
"I get calls all the time," Meitner said. "Teachers especially like to call. ... I think that there's room for lots of lots of really cool projects, and we want to be a part of it."
In this cycle between $60,000 and $70,000 will be available.
For more information about the grants or the foundation, visit heartlandcommunityfoundation.org.