On Friday, Feb. 24, the Vernon L. Odom Fund of Akron Community Foundation awarded $11,500 in grants to programs that promote diversity and enrich the quality of life within local minority communities.
A grant to BRAIN Inc. will introduce minority students at Buchtel CLC to STEM-related careers.
A $1,000 grant to Global Ties Akron will support the Know Your Community – Know Your World program, which introduces students to cultures from around the globe right in their classroom. Students will hear from a wide variety of speakers, including international students, refugees and immigrants living in Summit County. The program will specifically focus on world religions and the diversity of faith that exists in the students’ own communities.
“By sharing the cultural faith traditions present in our community, students and educators will have a better appreciation of local faith communities, their history and their presence in our neighborhoods,” said Michelle Wilson, executive director of Global Ties. Wilson said there are more than 30 different cultures and religions represented in Summit County, which has a rich history of welcoming immigrants and refugees from all over the world.
In addition to learning about the differences among world religions, Wilson said students will discuss the shared ethics and moral principles that unite these cultural groups. They will also tackle common stereotypes and learn about the importance of diversity, inclusion and respect.
Members of the Vernon L. Odom Fund Committee voted unanimously to recommend the grant to Global Ties, saying it’s critical for children to learn about religious and cultural diversity from a young age.
“This program helps students develop cultural competency and teaches them about the importance of respecting people from all different backgrounds,” said Charles Brown, Akron’s deputy mayor for public safety and a member of the fund’s advisory committee. “These kinds of lessons will impact students for the rest of their life.”
Other grants this year will prepare minority youth for college, introduce inner-city children to organic farming and gardening, and help African-American fathers develop closer relationships with their children.
The following is a full list of Vernon L. Odom Fund grants:
Akron Community Service Center and Urban League, to help children from low-income families attend the Akron Urban League Summer Enrichment Day Camp, which builds students’ skills in reading, math and the arts through educational programs and field trips, $1,000
Akron Inner City Soccer Club, for a year-round, after-school soccer program for inner-city youth, $1,000
Alchemy Inc., to support mentoring-based workshops for urban adolescents that use storytelling to develop critical thinking skills and self-esteem in at-risk youth, $500
Biostatistics and Research Awareness Initiatives Network Inc., to introduce minority students at Buchtel Community Learning Center to STEM-related careers through hands-on projects involving spatial statistics, data analysis, coding and geography, $1,000
Crown Point Ecology Center, to introduce low-income, minority youth to organic farming and gardening through the 2017 Summer Farm & Science Camp, $500
Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, to support diversity education programs in Summit County schools that empower students to combat bigotry and racism, $1,000
Fathers and Sons of Northeast Ohio, to train men in Summit County to become mentors for at-risk fathers who are facing challenges with substance abuse, homelessness and behavioral issues, $500
Global Ties Akron, to teach fifth- and sixth-grade students about religious diversity by bringing international speakers into the classroom, including refugees and immigrants living in Summit County, $1,000
Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, to support entrepreneurship and job readiness programs for students at Helen Arnold Community Learning Center, $1,000
Law and Leadership Institute, for a college preparatory program that helps at-risk and minority youth graduate from high school, get accepted into college, and choose a professional career path, $1,000
Let’s Grow Akron Inc., to support community gardens and beautification sites in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh food and green space, $500
Proyecto Raices, to support programming for Hispanic children in Greater Akron that celebrates their cultural traditions while engaging them in educational and artistic activities, $500
South Street Ministries, to support community engagement initiatives for residents in the Summit Lake neighborhood, $500
University of Akron Foundation, to support a workshop that introduces African-American middle school students in Akron Public Schools to STEM-related careers, $1,000
Williams Challenge, for a fatherhood education and mentoring program that gives at-risk and absent fathers the support they need to develop positive relationships with their children, $500
About the Vernon L. Odom Fund
The Vernon L. Odom Fund was established in 1993 in honor of the late Vernon L. Odom Sr., respected longtime leader of the Akron Urban League. Since its inception, the fund has grown to nearly $215,000 and awarded more than $165,000 in grants to innovative programs that promote ethnic and racial harmony and improve the quality of life within Greater Akron’s minority communities. For more information about the Vernon L. Odom Fund or to contribute, visit www.akroncf.org/Odom or call 330-376-8522.
About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 62 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. As of Dec. 31, 2016, it is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $196 million with a growing family of 560 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation’s funds have awarded nearly $138 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org.
