The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is pleased to announce that six nonprofit organizations were awarded grants of $25,000 each for a total of $150,000 under CFAAC’s Ladders to SUCCESS grants program. Ladders to SUCCESS promotes economic and self-sufficiency, life-skills development and academic advancement for county residents. Since the program began nine years ago, CFAAC donors have provided more than $1,000,000 for grants to 27 nonprofit organizations in Anne Arundel County through a competitive application and review process.
“We are pleased to award these grants to strong nonprofits that are providing important services to children, youth, and families,” said Melissa Curtin, executive director of CFAAC. “These grants wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of donors who care about and understand the value of these programs for all county residents.”
Two of the awardees this year were in the first class of Ladders to SUCCESS grantees in 2009. The Light House, Inc., a homeless prevention support center, once again received a grant to support its Building Employment Success Training (B.E.S.T.). The training program helps to prepare clients for jobs in the culinary arts and facilities maintenance sectors as a gateway to transitional employment with the Light House’s social enterprise ventures, The Light House Bistro and B.E.S.T. Catering. The B.E.S.T. program was first launched in 2009 with a Ladders to SUCCESS grant.
The Associated Catholic Charities’ Sarah’s House, assists homeless families with transportation, employment services, and child care. Sarah’s House received their first Ladders to SUCCESS grant in 2009 as well. The grant they received this year will support their Family First Focus Project, which offers safe and affordable childcare for parents while they are seeking employment and when they get a job. Access to affordable childcare is often a major obstacle for parents trying to find stable work. This program also helps families to become financially stable and ready for permanent housing.
Additional 2017 Ladders grantees include: The ARC Central Chesapeake Region which provides professional skills development and certification training for members of their employment services team to enhance their work with job seekers with developmental disabilities; Seeds 4 Success provides after-school tutoring and mentoring for middle and high school age girls as well as early reading interventions for elementary school boys; and, Start the Adventure in Reading (S.T.A.I.R. – Annapolis) provides early reading intervention tutoring for second graders who are not currently reading at grade level.
The final 2017 Ladders grantee is We Care and Friends to support their School on the Water summer camp program. “School on the Water provides kids in low-income, single parent households the opportunity to attend summer camp. “These are kids who would normally spend their summer on the streets. Instead, they get to have fun, learn and eat well, while on the water,” said Larry Griffin, executive director of We Care and Friends and a first-time Ladders to SUCCESS grantee. “We see tremendous changes in these kids over the summer. We teach them respect, manners, and responsibility.”