The Cayuga Community Fund, an affiliate fund of the Central New York Community Foundation, awarded $68,025 to 17 nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Cayuga County.
ARC of Seneca Cayuga received $4,380 to offer computer-assisted art labs at its day service sites, which provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities. The art and design labs will allow participants to develop art portfolios and participate in public art exhibits.
Auburn YMCA-WEIU received $3,208 to purchase and install new stairs for its warm water therapy pool, which will provide safe access to individuals participating in swim lessons, arthritis classes, pre/post physical therapy and recreational swim sessions.
Booker T. Washington Community Center received $900 to provide youth summer campers with ukuleles and music lessons. In addition, students will also learn music theory for multiple instruments including piano, guitar and drums.
Cayuga County Community Health Network received $3,250 to purchase tablets and mobile devices to encourage use of technology and online toolkits for health tracking purposes. This project is part of its free education program for diabetes prevention and chronic disease self-management for residents of Cayuga County.
Cayuga Museum of History and Art received $10,000 to support an original museum exhibition entitled Women’s Protest: Two Sides of the Fight for Suffrage in New York, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York State.
Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency received $7,500 to hire a third-party neutral facilitator to assist with development of the agency’s 2018-2020 strategic plan. The organization will utilize the plan in conjunction with its recently completed community needs assessment to define the agency’s role in addressing complex poverty issues within the community.
East Hill Family Medical received $4,300 to purchase a Pure Tone & Tympanometry (AutoTymp) screener for its Summit pediatric office. The portable diagnostic instrument will allow for quick and accurate hearing screenings for its pediatric patients.
Faculty Student Association of Cayuga Community College received $2,406 to renovate and expand four age-appropriate playgrounds at its childcare center.
Genoa Historical Association received $5,475 to help install a new HVAC system for the Rural Life Museum building complex, which includes a schoolhouse, meeting room and records room. The new system will ensure environmental comfort for community patrons and improve air quality for proper preservation of historical records and collections.
Howland Stone Store Museum received $10,000 to install a lift in the west wing of Opendore, Isabel Howland’s historic home. This will ensure full accessibility to the home’s second floor, particularly the Elsie Gutchess Room, which will house an extensive collection of donated women’s history materials.
Merry-Go-Round Playhouse received $500 to provide a certified sign language interpreter at a performance during its 2017 summer season.
National Audubon Society received $2,450 to help support Montezuma Audubon Center’s Explore Our Great Outdoors program, which creates opportunities for Cayuga County residents to engage in outdoor recreation while learning about the region’s natural history, migratory birds and habitat conservation.
Seymour Public Library District received $1,300 to purchase books in support of a community read about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The books will circulate freely among the nine public libraries in Cayuga County, in an effort to promote literacy and raise community awareness about the historical legacy of Harriet Tubman and other abolitionist leaders.
Transportation Project for Cayuga County received $3,500 for maintenance and repair work needed for three transport vans, which provide specialized, door-to-door service to senior and disabled residents of Cayuga County.
Unity House of Cayuga County received $1,450 to install an electric stove/oven unit in the mental health program kitchen facility for classroom use and skill building for daily living.
Weedsport Central School District received $5,000 to purchase makerbots for the Inspired Adaptions Initiative. Weedsport students and teachers will collaborate with ARISE staff members, adaptive design professionals and a multi-partner adaptive design coalition to create and produce assistive devices that make daily life easier for individuals with disabilities.
Westminster Manor received $2,406 to install a walking path and meditation garden for senior residents and visitors.
These grants were made possible with support from the Cayuga Community Fund, Cayuga Health Association Fund, Dr. Henry Romano Fund for Children, Evelyn B. & Emery S. Osborn Fund and Marie C. Bean Harris Fund.
The Cayuga Community Fund
The Cayuga Community Fund, created in 2008, is a geographically specific fund created to serve as a source of permanent charitable dollars available to nonprofits serving residents of Cayuga County. Grants are awarded from the endowment fund annually to aid vital programs in education, health, social services, the arts, civic and environmental concerns, as well as the preservation of historic resources in Cayuga County. The Cayuga Community Fund has granted more than $330,000 to nonprofit groups since 2010.
