Church fund supports groups that help youth
Parfreyville United Methodist Church Children and Youth Grant Program was made possible by a memorial donation received years ago to be used to help children and youth.
The fund has grown sufficiently to now help children and youth in the larger community, consistent with the intent of the donors.
The church grant committee began awarding grants in 2018.
2023 grant recipients
Waupaca County ARC Inc.: Awarded $400 to support Keller Lake Day Camp craft activity kits. The camp serves approximately 80 developmentally disabled and intellectually challenged individuals, ages 5 to 80, from Aug. 7-11. Approximately 100 volunteers from Waupaca County and the surrounding area assist with the activities during the week.
Waupaca Community Arts Hub: Awarded $1,000 to support a scholarship fund to offset tuition and help make art and music lessons more accessible to children. The Arts Hub vision is to nurture the creative potential in everyone, providing a place where creativity comes to grow. First United Methodist Church of Waupaca provides a space in their building for the Arts Hub programming.
Golden Sands Research Conservation and Development Council: Awarded $1,000 to support the Waupaca County Conservation Field Day, a full day of outdoor workshops run by volunteers for 300 to 500 fifth-grade students at Hartman Creek State Park. The event instills a conservation ethic through hands-on learning and has been hosted at no charge by Golden Sands RC & D Council, a non-profit organization, since 1990.
City of Waupaca Park and Recreation Department: Awarded $1,000 to support the Waupaca Area All-Stars Scholarship Fund created through the Friends of Waupaca Parks website and the Waupaca County Natural Resources Foundation. The fund will allow the new and inclusive recreational program for youth with disabilities to be accessible and affordable to all participants, including those who reside in rural communities surrounding the city of Waupaca.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace: Awarded $1,000 to support the WI-Waupaca chapter (established in 2021) that recruits community volunteers to build and deliver twin-size beds that can be bunked to children ages 3-17 who are sleeping on the floor or in other uncomfortable situations. The beds arrive fully furnished (frames, mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets) to those in need.
Waupaca County Suicide Prevention Coalition: Awarded $1,000 to support the WCSPC’s purchase of Anchor Boxes to provide throughout Waupaca County and with partnering organizations (www.findyouranchor.com). The primary goal is to continue to educate teens that there are many options other than suicide and give them tangible items as well as information. The WCSPC is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to promoting positive mental health, diminishing isolation and preventing suicides in Waupaca County.
For more information about the Children and Youth Grant Program, contact the church office at 715-258-8615 or email [email protected].
Parfreyville United Methodist Church, part of the Waupaca Area Regional Ministry (WARM), is located at N1979 County Trunk K in Waupaca.