The Ketchikan Community Foundation (KCF), an Affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), recently awarded more than $24,000 in grant awards this year to six local nonprofit organizations. This was the fifth year that KCF has provided grant funding to local nonprofits. A total of $106,000 has now been distributed by KCF in the Ketchikan area.
The 2020 grant recipients were:
- Ketchikan Boys and Girls Club — $4,850 for National Fine Arts Program
- Community Connections — $2,500 for sensory room equipment
- Ketchikan Indian Community — $6,720 for laser display projectors
- Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council — $3,909 for Rotary Beach music park
- RurAL CAP Headstart — $3,909 for building blocks
- Women in Safe Homes — $1,275 for the “Let Me Run” program
In addition to its annual awards cycle, KCF has collaborated in local efforts to fund COVID-19 pandemic response throughout the community. ACF requested that KCF lead local efforts in the distribution of $15,000 in “AK Can Do” COVID-19 response funds so far. This funding, with generous support from the Rasmuson Foundation, was provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. KCF board members were asked to recommend local organizations that could benefit from the funds.
The recipients were:
- PATH homeless shelter — $5,000 for services
- Catholic Community Services: Saxman-Ketchikan Senior Center — $2,000 for meals for seniors
- Ketchikan Indian Community — $2,000 for food and rent assistance
- Rendezvous Senior Day Services — $2,000 for food assistance
- Community Connections — $2,000 for personal protective equipment
- KRBD Rainbird Community Broadcast Corp. — $2,000 for emergency communications
Comments
Leila Kheiry, KRBD – $2,000 “AK Can Do Funding”
“A grant like this when fundraising has ground to a halt is a wonderful gift. We are facing a deficit directly related to the pandemic, and this funding from Ketchikan Community Foundation will help us to continue providing vital news and emergency information services to the community.”
Licha Kelley-King, Rendezvous Senior Day Services – $2,000 “AK Can Do Funding”
“We determined immediately… to continue to make restaurant quality meals for everyone living independently and deliver them daily. We do not leave the package at the door. Recipients are required to answer the door so, whle maintaining social distancing, we can have conversations with our friends and do a good wellness check every day… This very unexpected, very appreciated $2,000 will help us purchase products to pack lunches, keep our food quality standards high, and keep our seniors healthy. This extra money will allow us to purchase a number of masks and personal protective gear for our members to have at their homes.”