Hello Foundation Friends,
This month seems to have flown by! So far, we have really only had one cold snap and one decent snow. It is hard to believe that February is next week. The finance committee will meet in February and make a recommendation about grant percentage payouts for 2023. At that time, we will know what our total for unrestricted grantmaking will be. These are the "Warren County Community Grants" that local organizations can apply for. We are also starting to plan some things in celebration of our 25th anniversary. A group of community minded individuals worked hard in 1998 to learn all about Community Foundations, and create the Warren County Community Foundation! We have grown so much over the years because of all the great people who care deeply about Warren County!
Michele Stucky
Director
Lights in the Park receives another grant.
The Foundation is pleased to announce that we have provided a $1,500 grant for 2023 purchases for Lights in the Park. Each of the three years, the Lights in the Park display has grown. In December 2022, there were 37 different businesses, groups, churches, or families that contributed to the display. We hope it grows each year!! We are planning a Christmas in July workday to paint some more plywood cut outs. The ones the high school seniors helped with for this past season were a big hit so we thought we would make some more!
Public Meeting for Williamsport Parks Plan set for February 1st
The weather changed this event from its original Feb. 25th date.
The Williamsport Park Board has been working on their 5-year park plan. They have submitted the first part to the DNR for review, but the second part which is due in April has additional components. Last year residents had the opportunity to fill out a survey pertaining to the new swimming pool. That information was very helpful to the park board and the pool committee. In early 2023 there will be two opportunities for Williamsport residents and other residents who use the Williamsport parks to let their voices be heard.
First, there will be a public meeting February 1st at 6:30 at the Learning Center. There will be opportunities for giving feedback on the priorities of the parks over the next five years. Then in early February, there will be a public survey that residents can take as well. Mark the calendar to attend the meeting if you want to have input for the 5-year park plan.
Women's Legacy Builders
Save the Date: March 8th
Watch for more information coming soon about the 8th annual Women's Legacy Builders Purse Bingo event. We are excited to host the event again this year and really love hearing from local organizations at this event. Tickets will be $40 and include your annual membership to Women's Legacy Builders as well as the bingo, snacks, and fun evening!
(Photo is of purses from a previous year- watch for new photos of this year's purses coming soon on facebook, instagram, and future e-newsletters.
My Community, My Vision group has been busy!
The My Community, My Vision group has been very busy over the past couple of weeks. First, they met the evening of January 18th. They worked on a packet of activities from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. They brainstormed all the assets available in our community and the amenities we have in our community that they really enjoy. Then, on January 19th, four members of the group presented their idea to the Williamsport Town Council. This was mostly to let the Council know they had been selected to participate in the My Community, My Vision program and they unveiled their idea for the first time in public. Their idea is......drum roll please..... a nonprofit Coffee Shop in Williamsport. There will be many, many more updates on this in the coming weeks, but the students are very excited about all the possibilities! Then the students went to Indianapolis on Saturday January 21st for an all-day workshop. We sent the largest group of students of the 7 communities selected! They learned a lot of helpful tips about placemaking and got to hear about the other communities and their project ideas. They participated in an activity where they designed their own town, had brainstorming sessions, listened to a panel from the IHCDA, and heard a speaker from Indiana Landmarks. Stay turned for more exciting updates from this awesome group of 14 students and 3 teachers!
Does your organization have an upcoming event?
If your organization has an upcoming public event, we want to know about it! We would love to help advertise for you. We send out the newsletter twice per month and can put your upcoming event in the Save the Date section.
