The Idyllwild Community Fund has awarded nearly $15,000 to eleven different local organizations. A reception honoring the recipients will be 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Rainbow Inn.
This year’s grantees include familiar and oft recognized organizations such as the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council’s Woodies contingent as well as the art program for Idyllwild School — smARTS.
In addition, several new recipients received grants. The Idyllwild Area Historical Society was awarded $1,000 to begin developing a digital archive of the early years of the Idyllwild Town Crier.
“One of the things which drives our agenda is inquiries we get from residents, museums, researchers and writers. Newspapers are very helpful and nothing compares to the Town Crier,” Bob Smith of the IAHS told the ICF board.
The first goal of the IAHS long-term project is to organize, digitize and post the first five years of the Town Crier online. Newsbank is helping with the project, Smith said. “It’s good community collaboration to help those of us interested in history.”
Another new recipient is the Youth Grantmakers Program. A contingent of Idyllwild Middle School students will be asked to review special grant applications target to their age group, according to ICF board member Trish Tuley.
“The County Community Fund has been doing this for several years with high schools and it’s been a great success,” she said. So the ICF is bringing the concept to the local community in an effort to develop and implement programs or activities for the pre-high school community.
The recipient of a third new grant is the Human Relations Council of the Greater Hemet San Jacinto Menifee. They received $100 to purchase books and films to promote tolerance with the Idyllwild community.
The Idyllwild HELP Center was again honored to receive a grant of nearly $2,800. The funds will be used for food vouchers for the Center’s clientele. “Putting food in people’s mouths is important for the community,” said Colleen Meyer, client services administrator at the HELP Center.
The Fire Safe Council and the Mountain Disaster Preparedness Group again received grants; both were larger than a year ago.
Most of the programs work and cooperate with other community groups, which David Pelham, ICF Chair, emphasized it one of its goals. “Involving your program with other community clients is important,” he told the recipients.
Bronwyn Jones, ICF board member and former chair, explained that the funding for the grants is derived only from the interest and income of the Fund’s endowment, currently about $300,000. The board plans to focus more on fund raising with a goal of creating a $500,000 fund and eventually $1 million to support the community.
“Every dollar you give to the fund is never touched,” she said. “It goes to the community forever.”
The reception honoring all the awardees will be Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Rainbow Inn and is free to the public.
2012 Idyllwild Community Fund Grant Recommendations
| Organization | Amount Awarded | Description |
| Friends of the San Jacinto Mountain County Parks | $500 | Purchase tools and native plants. |
| Human Relations Council of the Greater Hemet San Jacinto Menifee | $100 | Purchase used books and films to promote tolerance within our Idyllwild community. |
| Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends, Inc. | $500 | Ensure all dogs and cats that enter the ARF door will eventually exit spayed, neutered and healthy. |
| Idyllwild Garden Club | $800 | Completion of third and final phase of Historical Museum “Village Garden.” |
| Idyllwild Help Center | $2,790 | Give clients vouchers to take to Fairway to purchase perishable healthy food items. |
| Idylwild Area Historical Society | $1,000 | Archive early Idyllwild Town Criers and make available on-line and permits searching by keyword. |
| Isis Theatre Company | $900 | Purchase professional quality stage and lighting equipment for live theatre productions. |
| Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council | $1,500 | Support the Woodies service to the disabled, elderly and needy residents through creating defensible space and providing firewood. |
| Mountain Disaster Preparedness Group | $1,500 | Provide radios and equipment to members of the Core Medical team to facilitate medical communication during emergency. |
| Idyllwild School PTA | $3,000 | smARTS Project at the Idyllwild School. |
| Youth Grant | $2,000 | To be determined. |
Total Awards $14,590
