2021 Charitable Projects Recipients
Carol Provan and Sandy Holmes
Friends of Lower Lake
The final distribution of the 2020-2021 Charitable Projects Fund of $17,500 supported six northeast Ohio projects, highlighting numerous club interests: urban beautification, food gardening education, environmental education, restoration of native species, sustainable farming, historical horticulture recognition, and scholarships, to name a few.
Recipients and Projects:
Our largest grant to the Doan Brook Partnership with Friends of the Lower Lake –Ecological Restoration and Native Species to Plant in Cleared Areas
EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute – Establish an Urban Oasis Garden in the Buckeye Neighborhood
Western Reserve Land Conservancy- Continue Expansion of the Thriving Communities Program and Ground Work into 5 more urban neighborhoods
Metro Catholic School – Support for Green Coordinator Role and Environmental/Gardening Program
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes – Funding for Environmental Educator-in-Residence position at Michael R. White/Stonebrook Montessori School
Lake View Cemetery Foundation – Tree Markers for 220- year-old Moses Cleaveland trees
North Union Farmers Market – Partial funding of a Regenerative Soil Symposium for Farmers in Northeast Ohio
The member voting in April produced almost identical support for the top two projects, so both Friends of the Lower Lake and EDWINS will be invited to address the membership about their work and both received our largest grants.
Friends of the Lower Lake, a volunteer organization, has focused on restoring Lower Lake Park for the last four years, removing invasive plants. Now, they are ready to plant native species to beautify this previously overgrown and impassable area.
EDWINS, which continues to expand the education and retraining opportunities for formerly incarcerated adults, has purchased property to develop a vegetable and herb garden on their campus, offering expanded education in culinary arts.
Our committee found it gratifying to learn of the inspiring efforts, across the entire area, to recognize the joy and power of life amid growing greenery.
In addition, $1,200 in restricted gifts from members was forwarded to the CGA for support of the Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarships in Horticulture.
Our committee: Leigh Fabens, Mary Bruce Rae-Grant, Suzy Hartford, Kathy Malone, Cynthia Druckenbrod, Cathy Annable, Debbie Daberko, Lydia Oppmann, and Caroline Barrow carefully considered the merits of each proposal, choosing to offer encouragement and a portion of requested funds to these organizations whose activities reflect the mission of our club. Thank you, as well, to the members who acted as a liaison to organizations submitting proposals for their guidance and involvement.
And we are deeply grateful to the 105 members, 75% of the membership, who contributed to this year’s solicitation. Without your generosity and loyal concern for our community, SLGC could not impact so many residents of northeast Ohio so meaningfully.
Carol Provan and Sandy Holmes
(click here to see the complete donor list)