ThisWeek CW 11/18/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/applications-due-nov–30-for-city-grant-program.html

Local organizations interested in obtaining what used to be called bed tax grants have until Nov. 30 to submit applications.

The program is now known as transient occupancy tax grants, but still splits awards among Destination: Canal Winchester and organizations that apply and are then selected by Canal Winchester City Council.

The city can distribute as much as about $20,000 each year in revenue derived from hotel and motel taxes collected by the city, which according to Finance Director Amanda Jackson, has never exceeded the originally anticipated $60,000. Historically, Destination: Canal Winchester, which acts as the city’s convention and visitors bureau, is given $30,000 out of the revenue for the purpose of bringing in tourists and driving outside investment in the community. The rest of the funds are then available for disbursement.

The grant program is open to any public agency, nonprofit or private organization located in Canal Winchester which will use the money for projects aimed at enhancing the city for residents and visitors.

For 2015, city council members approved $13,000 in grants to the Canal Winchester Area Historical Society, the National Barber Museum and Hall of Fame, the Canal Winchester After Prom Committee, Canal Winchester Relay For Life, the Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Food Pantry, the Canal Winchester Senior Citizens Club and the Rotary Club of Canal Winchester.

In total $18,000 in grants were requested in 2015 with only two organizations being denied funding outright.

According to Jackson, all applications will be competitively reviewed and awards will be made to projects that meet the requirements and the intent of the program, as determined by city council in December.

Jackson said award checks will be drawn in early 2016 and all funds must be used in 2016 or returned to the city.

Grant applications are available at the Municipal Building, 36 S. High St. For more information, call Jackson at 614-837-6937 or email her at ajackson@canalwinchesterohio.gov.

ThisWeek CW 11/18/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/shop-hop-basketball-games-support-help-for-those-in-need.html

Thanksgiving is only a week away and Canal Winchester Human Services is hoping a pair of fundraisers will help drive donations to provide for area families in need.

First up is the Moonlight Market Shop Hop from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in downtown Canal Winchester. Participating businesses collecting donations for the Community Food Pantry include Wagon Wheel Wines, Georgie Emerson Vintage, Sticks and Stones Studio, Cornersmiths, Fantasy Cupcake, Shaw’s Jewelers, Jilian Renee Photography, Studio 7.5, Thrifty Chic, Old School Chiropractic and Thelma and Louise Photography.

Santa will be at Thelma and Louise Photography, where refreshments will be served.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Canal Winchester boys basketball squads will take on teams from Teays Valley for their annual Foundation Games fundraiser, this year benefitting the Adopt-a-Family program.

“We’re really excited that these boys are giving back like this by fundraising for us,” Human Services Administrator Penny Miller said. “All the proceeds from the evening will benefit the Adopt-a-Family program, which assists families that are struggling during the holiday season.”

The freshman game tips off at 4:30 p.m., followed by the junior varsity game at 6 p.m. The varsity game will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the Canal Winchester High School gymnasium. Admission to the games is $6 for adults and $4 for children.

For more information about either of these events or to donate directly to the Adopt-a-Family program, email Miller at penny.cwhs@gmail.com.

ThisWeek CW 11/18/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/meeting-community-needs-more-requests-expected-for-adopt-a-family-program.html

With the holiday season fast approaching, many families in need will turn to Canal Winchester Human Services Adopt-a-Family program to help bring a little cheer to what otherwise could be a stressful time.

The annual program administered by Human Services assisted 320 people last year. Administrator Penny Miller anticipates an even greater need this year, based on the increased number of families requesting help from the Community Food Pantry.

“Requests for emergency assistance have increased and the number of people using the Community Food Pantry keeps growing,” Miller said. “Many of the folks we are serving are employed, but there is not enough in their paychecks to cover all of the basic needs of their families. The holidays add additional stress and they turn to Human Services to help get them through.”

The Adopt-A-Family Program provides a variety of assistance, including food, winter clothing and Christmas gifts, she said.

“Certainly, the fun of Christmas is providing toys, but our program is much more,” Miller said. “If a child has new toys but returns to school wearing clothes that don’t fit, shoes with holes, and has no winter coat, we have failed that child.

“Our program is much more than just what Santa might put under the tree.”

All children in the program will receive new clothes and shoes, as well as a few wishes from their list.

Everyone seeking assistance will be able to take good, used coats for all members of their family, along with hats and mittens. Each family will also receive a food basket to help them through the holidays.

To meet the goals of the Adopt-A-Family program, Human Services is asking for community support and donations.

“We need everything,” Miller said. “We need children to be ‘adopted,’ contributions of toys — which can be given to Santa during Christmas in the Village — donations of food and household items for food baskets, and good used coats with new hats and mittens.

“We also need donations of gift cards and financial contributions to help support the 30 to 40 children we may not be able to find sponsors for,” she added. “This is the biggest seasonal project we coordinate each year and we need everything.”

Adopt-A-Family is available to residents of the Canal Winchester School District, Lithopolis and qualified, underserved Bloom Carroll families living in rural Fairfield County.

Applications to participate in the program are available on Human Services’ website, cwhumanservices.org, or can be picked up at the Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St., or at the Community Food Pantry, 360 W. Waterloo St. The deadline for submitting applications is Nov. 30.

Those who want to support the program should email Miller at penny.cwhs@gmail. com. Financial donations to Canal Winchester Human Services are tax-deductible.

ThisWeek CW 11/19/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/groveport-city-projects-bond-sale-will-raise-funds-to-demolish-water-plant.html

Following action by Groveport City Council on Nov. 9, residents can expect to see work on a few improvements they’ve been requesting.

Plans to tear down the old water plant and upgrade the recreation center parking lot were originally included in the city’s park master plan.

Thanks to council approval, City Administrator Marsha Hall said the city plans to sell bonds in 2016 for the demolition of the old water plant. That facility will be replaced with a new building to house the parks and transportation departments.

Council also gave Hall permission to seek an additional $450,000 for improvements to the lower parking lot at the recreation center.

If funded, Hall said, both projects will be completed in 2017.

The parking lot project, as laid out in the park master plan, includes paving the lower lot, creating a total of 108 parking spaces, with curbing and paved connections to the walking paths as well as additional lighting.

The city does not yet have an estimated budget for demolishing the water plant and building a new structure.

Playground grant

Council also approved emergency legislation allowing administrator Hall to apply for a matching grant through PlayCore Inc., doing business as GameTime, to install playground equipment in the Founders Bend neighborhood.

Over the summer neighborhood residents approached council to inquire when a 5.3-acre lot originally slated for a playground by the developer might actually become a playground.

Since that meeting, Hall found a grant opportunity through GameTime which would provide 50 percent of the cost of playground equipment purchased through the business, if the city qualifies.

Hall said the grant requires a project budget of at least $75,000 but the city would only be responsible for half that amount. She added that the grant application is due by the end of November and the equipment would have to be purchased before the end of the year.

“I’ve worked on this grant in the past and had success. We put money aside this year already as a placeholder for parks improvements that we can use if you approve it,” Hall told council. “The issue is if we can purchase that this year, it will save us a lot of money. If it works with the Founders Bend people, we’ll purchase it and store it over the winter and then install it in the spring.

“Our hope is that it will be installed by a combination of our staff and the neighbors, so there’s some ownership of it and it becomes a true community project.”

ThisWeek CW 11/12/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/09/work-with-food-pantry-earns-shirley-volunteer-award.html

Groveport resident Steven Shirley has won the 2015 Columbus Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award for his work with the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs and its summer lunch program.

The annual award is presented by Direct Energy and ThisWeek Community News and includes a donation to the organization associated with the winner.

Christine Boucher, executive director of the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs, said the summer lunch program wouldn’t be the success it is without Shirley’s efforts. Because of his work, the organization has received a much-needed $5,000 award from Direct Energy and ThisWeek.

“Steven put in countless hours months before the program started and many, many during the program. He was always hands-on where needed to make sure that the kids got food,” Boucher said.

Boucher said Shirley also was responsible for volunteer management and for applying for additional grant money that not only helped make almost 20,000 meals available to children during summer break over the last two years but also provided backpacks and other items.

“The service he has provided for this program over the last couple of years is extraordinary,” Boucher said.

Shirley said he got his start with the program a few years ago as a once-a-week volunteer, until a previous coordinator got sick and had to step down.

“I stepped in and took over the role just as many changes were being made,” Shirley said. “This program is very much needed. Our community has many children who do not know when their next meal will come and school is the only place they get food.

“When summer break comes around, these students are left without a consistent, nutritional source,” he said. “With this program, we deliver food to these students so they don’t have to worry about their next meal.”

Approximately 75 percent of the students in the Groveport Madison Local School District qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

According to Shirley, the time the children spend at the lunch program leads to new friendships, and is one of the perks of his efforts.

“The value of volunteering is that it’s a very rewarding experience, putting others first and knowing you are there to help someone regardless of who or what they may be going through. Seeing a happy kid with a big smile as you give them a meal is wonderful and so is making so many new friends.

“The summer lunch program takes a lot of volunteers to make it a success and I have had the good fortune of meeting some very outstanding people along this journey. Every year, the number of kids that need this program increases,” Shirley said.

Direct Energy U.S. North General Manager Cullen Hay said it was Shirley’s vision to grow the program and support more students that both greatly benefited the community and led to the decision to reward his efforts this year.

“Steven Shirley has been a driving force behind the success of the summer lunch program in the Groveport Madison school district,” Hay said. “His effort has left a positive impact on many lives.”