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2024 Grant Recipients
A total of over $66,000 in grants were awarded by Operation Our Town for the 2024 grant cycle to the following prevention programs:
AASD Adult Education Program: HSE: Pathway to a Brighter Future
Funding awarded will be used to invest in the future of Blair County adults who lack a high school diploma by awarding HSE (High School Equivalency) scholarships to pay for the cost of GED subtest exams necessary to earning their High School Equivalency Credential.
AASD ELECT Program: ELECT (Education Leading to Employment & Career Training)
Funding awarded will be used to provide pregnant and parenting teens nutritious meals at special events, provide students with necessities for their household, and ensure students have safe and suitable strollers/safety items for their children.
Altoona Area School District Foundation: Project SOAR (Study, Overcome, Achieve, Reward)
Funding awarded will be used for supplies and program materials for students that have been identified to receive financial assistance to pursue a post-secondary education, given that they meet program guidelines and participate fully in the program.
ArtsAltoona: After School Arts Program (ASAP)
Funding awarded will be used to offer free, consistent arts programming for youth in Elementary and Middle school throughout each school year, enabling youth to make positive decisions and to discover and nurture their talents and passions.
Ben Blessed: Meal and Hygiene Outreach
Funding awarded will be used to provide transportation, meals, clothing, and hygiene items to the local homeless population, enabling an opportunity to offer further assistance and guidance regarding how to raise their standard of living and get back on their feet, despite any unfortunate circumstances they face or have faced.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Blair County: S.M.A.R.T. School-based Mentoring Program
Funding awarded will be used to help create and support matches between mentors and mentees in all of the SMART School/Site-based Mentoring Programs throughout Blair County; thus providing children with meaningful relationships to help reduce the likelihood of substance abuse, criminal mischief, school absenteeism, and violence.
Blair Emergency Services Chaplain Platoon: B.E.S.C.P.
Funding awarded will be used to provide special events: a First Responders Picnic and Children’s Christmas Party in support of serving and caring for the individuals (and their families) who serve our communities.
Blair Regional YMCA: Family Y-Nite
Funding awarded will be used to help low-income families attend family-based activities that bring families together in a fun, safe, affordable, and drug-free environment which provides food, resources, art, music, and crafts for all.
Center for Community Action: New Beginnings Baskets
Funding awarded will be used to provide basic household items to clients enrolled in Center for Community Action’s Blair County reentry programs, helping them to build a new life, free from drug abuse and crime.
Central Blair County Park & Recreation Commission: Veterans Memorial Field Pitching Machine
Funding awarded will be used to purchase a new pitching machine for Veterans Memorial Field for youth to use, further providing their goal of quality recreation, parks, and programming opportunities to the citizens of Central Blair County and the City of Altoona.
Evolution Expressions: Arts for Healing
Funding awarded will be used to provide quality, strength-based, preventative, therapeutic programming for youth with the purchase of art supplies for trauma-focused arts related activities to help at-risk youth combat the effects of trauma through the use of art techniques.
Families United for Change: C.C.’s Boutique
Funding awarded will be used to assist women with essential necessities, including clothing, coats, socks, shoes, and personal hygiene items after successful completion of a treatment program.
Home Nursing Agency Foundation: The Healing Patch Children’s Grief Program
Funding awarded will be used to assist with the supplies associated with peer support groups held twice monthly during the school year for Blair County children and their families who have suffered the death of a loved one, as well as supplies for their Blair County in-school groups, called Patch Clubs.
JMC Altoona: Rise Above Athletic Program
Funding awarded will be used to provide program supplies and equipment for youth athletics, aimed at engaging youth and strengthening community ties, as well as improving perceptions of law enforcement by hosting quarterly clinics featuring police and other role models’ participation.
Northern Blair County Recreation Commission: Youth Sponsorship Program
Funding awarded will be used to work with at risk students or those in need, by providing programming/activities that promote a healthy lifestyle while also being educated on drug and alcohol awareness.
Roaring Spring Community Library Association: Board in the Library
Funding awarded will be used to offer a collection of games that foster collaboration, critical and strategic thinking, as well as creativity during game days and events held by the library, leading to more supervised time for youth and building stronger families.
The R.O.C.K. at 2nd Avenue: The R.O.C.K. (Reaching Out to Community Kids)
Funding awarded will be used to purchase food and supplies for a program held on Wednesdays for youth in Pre-K to 12th grade, which provides a home-cooked meal, gym/physical activities, the arts, and age-appropriate small groups that encourage healthy living.
Tyrone-Snyder Public Library: Socialize Our Salute
Funding awarded will be used to support the Socialize Our Salute social group for veterans that will help foster a core support group in a substance-free environment for local veterans centered around the veteran experience, adding an opportunity for them to interact with support animals.
United Way of the Southern Alleghenies’ Family Resource Center: Parents as Teachers & Parent Education Classes
Funding awarded will be used for program supplies and educational materials for the parent education programs Parents as Teachers (evidence-based home visiting) and Parent Education Classes.
YES to Kids: Family Movie Night and Summer Drone Camp
Funding awarded will be used to promote and offer affordable, enriching opportunities for children and their families to enjoy together, fostering positive development and strengthening family bonds, decreasing the perpetuity of engaging in negative behaviors.
Young Life of Central Pennsylvania: Young Life Camp
Funding awarded will be used to help high school students attend Young Life Camp who financially cannot afford the cost of camp otherwise.
