Contributed by Patricia Chesbro, Palmer Community Foundation Vice Chair
The Palmer Community Foundation (PCF), an affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), is pleased to announce that five grants, totaling $6500, were awarded through its 2020 annual competitive grant cycle.
• Alaska Family Services will use $2000 to build a community garden at 403 S Alaska Street in Palmer. The 22 garden beds will be built and managed in partnership with Grow Palmer. AFS will reserve two garden beds for the use of Family Contact Center families to provide a safe, therapeutic parent-child activity.
• Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center will use $2000 to purchase a drone to provide professional, high quality, and cutting-edge avalanche forecasting in Hatcher Pass. Over the past decade, HPAC has issued detailed avalanche forecasting for the general public, and the new drone will add a valuable tool for providing life-saving information for professionals and recreationalists.
• The Palmer High School Sandwich Project provides food to students in need on weekends during the school year. With a grant of $750, they will continue to serve approximately 80 students throughout the Palmer area. The Sandwich Project works to ensure that all students can focus on learning, getting a valuable education, and becoming valued productive citizens of our community.
• The Palmer United Methodist Church received a $750 grant for their Supplemental Weekend Nutrition program. They believe no student should go hungry. In partnership with the Families in Transition program and three local schools, the program has delivered more than 785 bags in the last year to homeless and in-transition elementary and junior high students.
• Radio Free Palmer is upgrading their website with a $1000 grant. The all-volunteer community radio station broadcasts diverse music, local news, and public affairs to listeners in Palmer and beyond. Updates will include making the website mobile-friendly, improving the navigation, updating the landing page, and making podcasts easier to access.
For more information visit the Palmer Community Foundation at www.palmercf.org
About the Palmer Community Foundation:
The Palmer Community Foundation (PCF) is a permanent charitable fund for the Greater Palmer area and one of 11affiliate community foundations under the umbrella of The Alaska Community Foundation. PCF is committed to growing an endowment to strengthen the charitable nonprofits serving greater Palmer. Gifts to PCF help continue to foster philanthropy in Palmer by supporting non-profits through grant distributions, working with local donors to help them support the causes they care about, and partnering with other organizations to improve the quality of life in Palmer. For more information, visit www.palmercf.org.
About The Alaska Community Foundation:
Established in 1995, The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) is a statewide platform for philanthropy that connects people who care with causes that matter. Managing more than $110 million in assets and over 550 funds for the benefit of Alaskans, ACF and their affiliates grant $6 million each year to charitable projects and nonprofit organizations across the state. ACF’s mission is to inspire the spirit of giving and connect people, organizations, and causes to strengthen Alaska’s communities now and forever. For more information, visit www.alaskacf.org or call 907-334-6700.
