Reno County youth award $5,000 in grants

06 Mar Reno County youth award $5,000 in grants

Hutchinson Community Foundation’s 2023-2024 Youth Philanthropy Council members are, back row, from left, Libby Trumpp, Buhler High School; Tanner Weathers, Trinity Catholic High School; Ellie Foos, Hutchinson High School; Lee Harper and Kayla Rose, Haven High School; Mahleah Marshall-Guest, Hutchinson High School; and Aubrey Brown, Fairfield High School. Front row, from left, are Hollyn Neufeldt and Jaylee Harvey, Hutchinson High School; Claudia Taylor, Buhler High School; Mary Newboles, Trinity Catholic High School; Lucy Steen, Fairfield High School; and Haley McGill, Nickerson High School. Not pictured: Kaydence Hines, Hutchinson High School.

HUTCHINSON – The Youth Philanthropy Council of Hutchinson Community Foundation awarded $5,000 in grants to nine organizations at a ceremony Sunday at the Hutchinson Art Center.

Led by students from across Reno County, the Youth Philanthropy Council is a grantmaking program designed to involve area students in philanthropy: the practice of giving money, time and talents to help make life better for other people. The group began meeting in November to discuss local issues of concern to youth and the community, learn about grantmaking, and present grants to youth-serving organizations.

The grants were awarded from the Richard W. Dillon Memorial Fund, established by the Dillon family to honor Dick Dillon for his extensive philanthropic work in the community.

The 14 members of the 2023-2024 council are Claudia Taylor and Libby Trumpp, Buhler High School; Aubrey Brown and Lucy Steen, Fairfield High School; Lee Harper and Kayla Rose, Haven High School; Ellie Foos, Jaylee Harvey, Kaydence Hines, Mahleah Marshall-Guest and Hollyn Neufeldt, Hutchinson High School; Haley McGill, Nickerson High School; Mary Newboles and Tanner Weathers, Trinity Catholic High School.

The following awards were given:

• BrightHouse, $500: Funds will purchase curriculum and materials aimed at helping middle school students improve their interpersonal skills.
• Buhler Public Library, $300: Funds will purchase youth-friendly books and activities.
• Fairfield-USD 310, $450: Funds will purchase craft supplies and educational materials to enhance the quality of the district’s after-school care.
• Fairfield-USD 310, $450: Funds will assist with the purchase of audio books for the district’s preschool and kindergarten reading students.
• Family Community Theatre, $100: Funds will help the theater expand its reach and resources.
• Reins of Hope, $850: Funds will help purchase supplies for this collaboration between Reins of Hope and the Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy to construct an equine feed storage facility.
• Rise Up Reno Prevention Network, $600: Funds will assist with expenses for youth to attend a Substance Misuse Prevent Conference and Capitol Advocacy Day in Topeka.
• Spark United Church of the Nazarene, $1,000: Funds will be used to purchase cookbooks and workbooks for youth participating in the 2024 Kitchen Hero Academy, a program that teaches cooking skills to middle school students living in food deserts.
• Stage 9, $750: Funds will assist with set expenses for the theater’s youth-oriented end-of-summer show, “Androcles and the Lion.”