Update from the Executive Director
I was privileged to be able to visit the Seldovia community this month. I met with city administration leaders and Seldovia Village Tribe leadership, and we discussed community needs and local plans and efforts to improve the lives of their neighbors. Thank you all for making me feel welcome!
Seldovia faces issues similar to each of our communities: affordable housing, food security, transportation, broadband, and child care are all important concerns. While there, I was able to present a Quick Response grant to Heli Hanson and the Seldovia Community Preschool. They provide licensed childcare for preschoolers and are co-located in the Susan B. English school building. What a great partnership and model for using community resources to meet critical community child care needs! More on that grant below.
Mike
YAC is Back!
Homer Foundation Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is back for fall 2022. The YAC has begun meeting to formulate their grant program for this year. Each year this youth lead and youth focused program establishes their objectives for granting to youth related issues. This year the YAC will again have $10,000 to grant in the Foundation’s service area. Thank you to all of the funds which contribute to this award winning program. If you want be a part of youth focused philanthropy you can give to support the YAC Grants. please follow the link below and when asked “What is your donations for?” make sure you select “Youth Advisory Committee ” the or call the office at 907-235-0541.
Annual Meeting
Please join us at 5:30 pm on November 16th for the Homer Foundation’s Annual Meeting which will be at Islands and Oceans Visitor Center this year. In the meeting, we will unveil our annual report, share some successes of fiscal year 2022, and talk about the future. Of course, everyone who attends will be entered into a random drawing to give away one of three $500 People’s Choice grants to an area non-profit. Please join your friends and neighbors in celebrating meaningful investment in our communities!
Recent Grants
Homer Farmers Market- Homer Community Food Storage
The Homer Foundation awarded a $5,000 Quick Response Grant to create a new Homer Community Food Locker supporting everything from year-round storage capacity for local produce, to winter beehive storage.
A 2019 Homer Soil and Water Conservation District local food survey noted the #1 barrier to increased local food production is lack of cold storage in our area. A new insulated Conex – which can provide “warm” storage for winter bees, and “cold” storage for summer produce – goes a long way towards solving this problem. Dozens of local produce farmers, peony growers, and over 100 beekeepers are all partnering alongside the Farmer’s Market to make locally grown food storage a reality. Homer Foundation is proud to help!
Seldovia Community Preschool
We also awarded a $5,000 Quick Response Grant to support the Seldovia Community Preschool Student Tuition Assistance Program. This grant will assist families facing financial hardship in continuing their child’s education at the preschool.
Seldovia Community Preschool is the only educational program for Seldovia’s children ages 3 to 5. SCP offers a curriculum that nurtures a young learner’s natural curiosity by carefully planning lessons to explore, problem solve, and to develop social, emotional and life skills.
The Tuition Assistance Program will be made available to every student in need of assistance.
Philanthropy Fact of the Month
Giving by bequest in 2021 was $46.01 billion in the United States, down 7.3% from 2020