Waterloo Community Foundation Awards Grants

The Waterloo Community Foundation (WCF) has achieved a significant milestone by awarding grants to five local non-profits in its first-ever grant cycle.

Each grant will benefit residents in Waterloo during 2017 within one of four areas: health and human services; arts and culture; education or economic development.

Recipients include:

• Northeast Iowa Food Bank – for support of a pilot program focused on purchasing food products from local producers for the Cedar Valley Food Pantry which serves food insecure individuals and families.

• Koats4Kids – for purchase of winter wear for low-income elementary-age students.

• Northstar – to provide adults with disabilities an opportunity to showcase their talents in a performance of “Pinocchio” at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on June 7, 2017.

• Black Hawk Children’s Theatre – to expose elementary-age school students to live performances by attending a daytime youth performance for $1 per child.

• Quota International of Waterloo – to promote literacy through the purchase of books distributed to elementary students by Waterloo Police officers in and out of school.

"We were pleased to receive over 53 grant applications, that represented a wide depth and breadth of our community,"  Grants Committee Chair Joe Vich stated. "We are overwhelmed by the community need, expressed in each application. It tells us that we have lots of work to do and that we are on the right tract in establishing a foundation that focuses solely on Waterloo and vicinity.”

A formal awards ceremony will be held after the first of the year.

Visit www.wloocommunityfoundation.org to learn more about the Waterloo Community Foundation.