Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund Announces 2016 Grant Recipients

Belmont County Health Department and Harrison North Elementary School Receive Grants

Walnut Creek, OH – The April 29 Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA) annual meeting brought together organizations and individuals committed to improving quality of life in communities throughout eastern Ohio. The presentation of two grant awards from the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio, a fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), will help do just that.

“This year’s grantees represent projects that play a vital role to ensure that citizens throughout Appalachian Ohio benefit from programs that improve their quality of life,” said Eric Myers, a member of the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund committee and Don Myers’s son. “These grants to the Belmont County Health Department and Harrison North Elementary School exemplify my father’s commitment to creating educational opportunities and meeting the basic needs of our neighbors.”

This year’s grantees include the Belmont County Health Department and Harrison North Elementary School. Both organizations received $600 grants to make a difference in their communities by addressing basic and educational needs, respectively.

The Belmont County Health Department received a grant to expand its Cribs for Kids initiative. This project, conducted in collaboration with the Perry County Health Department, will provide portable cribs for WIC eligible parents in Belmont County who would not otherwise have a safe place to put their newborns to sleep. This grant will allow the Belmont County Health Department to have a supply of portable cribs on hand for new parents who need a crib quickly. Participating parents will also receive education on safe sleep practices to help give newborns a strong start to life.

Harrison North Elementary School, part of the Harrison Hills City School District in Harrison County, received a grant to support its Vocabulary through Music and Fun program. The grant will support the purchase of two website subscriptions and student workbooks that use music and song to encourage students to focus on increased understanding of word meanings as well as reading fluency and comprehension. The program will target students in fourth through sixth grade students who have difficulty reading. By using music to make reading fun for students, the program will help students master the skills necessary to be successful readers throughout life.

The Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio was created to honor the legacy of Don Myers in 2008. The Fund recognizes the service of Mr. Myers as the longtime executive director of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Alliance (OMEGA) and president of EODA. The Fund is a permanent source of funding to encourage and support Appalachian Ohio’s nonprofit and government organizations in collaborative activities that support quality of life. Open to organizations throughout the 32 Appalachian counties in Ohio, the Fund focuses on projects that improve quality of life with an emphasis on concerns that Mr. Myers worked so passionately to address, including education, regional networking opportunities, support for community leaders, and fulfillment of basic needs.

The Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio grant application is open annually in the winter. To learn more about the Fund and how it honors the legacy of Don Myers, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740.753.1111. Gifts to the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Appalachian Ohio are tax deductible and can be made in a number of ways, including cash, gifts in wills, and life insurance. To make your donation, please designate the Donald R. Myers Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764. Donations can also be made online by visiting our online giving page and selecting the Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio when making a donation.

About the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation creates opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. For more information about FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org.

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