By Doug LaRocque

The Granville Community Foundation (GCF) has announced its latest awards totaling $41,500 in grants for the second half of 2023.

“We received grant proposals for $92,090 worth of projects, with specific funding requests of $56,500 from the GCF. We’re able to support $41,500 of these requests and, coupled with our grants made last year for $84,660 and our April 2023 grants of 47,109, we have now made a total of 16 grants totaling $173,269 since starting in 2022”, said Michael Freed, chair of the Advisory Board.

Freed went on to say, “These latest grants are consistent with four of the five goals in that they address community development, art and culture, health and social needs of the greater community. We continue to be inspired by these nonprofit organizations and the many volunteers who work so hard on their behalf. We’re honored to try and assist however we can.”

The recipients of the latest round of grants are:

1. The Granville Area Food Pantry & Community Service, Inc. – $3,000 to upgrade the Food Pantry building’s electric service. The building is in relatively good condition, however it’s an older building with upkeep needs, both minor and major. The electrical service was recently evaluated by a local electrician and he recommended making these upgrades.
2. The Village of Granville, NY – $22,500 to help fund the placement of two pickleball courts in Mettowee Park, located on Church Street. The Village recently completed a master plan, through a Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) grant, which quantified five specific initiatives for developing recreational opportunities. One of those five initiatives is to expand access and use of the Mettowee River, which passes through Mettowee Park. The park has considerable land for a dog park, a community garden, a picnic area, fishing and swimming access as well as parking. In addition, the village would like to construct two pickleball courts there as this was an item that was most requested through public input into the master plan. The total project cost is expected to be $62,456, with funding coming from a variety of sources, $22,500 of which will be provided by the GCF.
3. Granville Lions Club Foundation, Inc. – $8,500 to help fund the restoration of a building mural painted on their warehouse wall facing Main Street, just off Lions Lane, which is expected to cost $12,840. The mural was painted by local artists in the summer of 1996, depicting life and the contributions of the working class to foster an American identity. The mural is the kind of art that urban designers refer to as “community fingerprints” in that it makes people feel represented and gives them a sense of ownership in their community. One of the other five initiatives identified in the RERC-funded master plan mentioned above was “Cultural and Historical Identity and Branding.” This restoration project is considered to be very consistent with this initiative in that it is a representation of Granville’s unique history, art and cultural traditions and is part of a promotional strategy for both internal and external audiences. It is visible from both the Rail Trail and Main Street.
4. Granville Youth Football – $7,500 to purchase helmets and pads. The Granville Youth Football program has approximately 200 kids and focuses on teaching kids the fundamentals of the game as well as sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and work ethic. Children who sign up to play only need to provide cleats and socks as the GYF provides all the protective gear they need. Some of the current gear is reaching the end of its useful life and this grant will help begin to replenish this gear.