Our Voice: Three Rivers Community Foundation serves many
It’s the season when many of us donate to causes and organizations of our choosing.
The holidays bring out the philanthropist in all of us, no matter if it’s a few dollars in a red kettle or several thousand to a charity we connect with. As a practical matter, it’s also a time to be thinking about taxes and deductions.
The Three Rivers Community Foundation recently made for a merrier year for a host of regional charities, contributing $108,496 to their coffers.
The Three Rivers Community Foundation is a community endowment with a mission is to strengthen and improve the quality of life in the Three Rivers Community by supporting and enhancing philanthropy and charitable activities.
Since 2004, the foundation has given more than $2 million to the community.
This year’s recipients are a diverse mix, some familiar to many of us and others that we’re happy to know exist in our community.
The Lourdes Foundation received the largest grant. The foundation will receive $10,000 for its Children’s Summer Day Program at Lourdes Counseling Center. The program provides a therapeutic recreational experience for kids ages 8-18 disabilities related to behavioral, emotional or cognitive impairments.
My Friends Place, a haven for homeless teens that has struggled for funding, will receive $5,000 for on-site therapy for those with emotional and mental health needs who do not have access to insurance.
The YMCA, Boys and Girls Club of Benton & Franklin Counties and the Academy of Children’s Theatre are just some of the other youth-related charities receiving funding.
Pets and wildlife are also winners in the grant awards, with money going to Blue Mountain Wildlife and Pet Over Population Prevention. Therapeutic Riding of Tri-Ciites also receives $2,500 for its therapeutic horseback riding program.
Among the less well-known organizations benefiting from the gifts from the Three Rivers Community Foundation is Munden’s Rising Son Adventures Youth Fishing Program. Pasco fishing guide Jacob Munden provides at-risk youth with free fishing excursions for a positive experience in their troubled lives. The organization will receive $5,000 toward its mission.
Rebuilding Mid-Columbia will address critical home repair needs for those who lack resources or are part of a vulnerable population in the Tri-Cities with the $5,700 it receives. The dollars will support Rebuilding Days, semi-annual one-day blitzes where volunteers tackle home repairs and safety issues for low-income homeowners.
The newcomer Hands In for Hands On (HiHo) will get $500 toward its goal to bring a 3,000-square-foot interactive children’s exhibit to Tri-Cities for three months next year.
And we’ve only scratched the surface of programs being supported by the foundation’s generosity.
We hope we’ve inspired you to think about your own philanthropic plans. And if you don’t have a plan, the Three Rivers Community Foundation is a great place to start.
This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 4:51 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Three Rivers Community Foundation serves many."