Lunch Lady Angels Hand Up Grants

Goal: $5,000.00

Specific Need

To replenish the funds so more HUG's can be awarded!

Mission

Mission: Provide flexible monies to improve the health and well-being of USD 113 families with limited resources who have immediate needs not met by traditional funding resources within the community

Profile

Four Lunch Lady Angels HUGS Awarded through GSCF

What is a HUG? It stands for “Hand Up Grant.”

In 2022, $6,976.40 in HUGs were awarded this week by the Lunch Lady Angels grant committee. Two families received HUG’s that will pay for school lunches. These grants totaled $3185.40.

In 2023, four more HUG's were awarded that totaled $3000.00. The latest grant was to a single mom for a carseat for her baby.

Two other grants were awarded for tuition costs. One recipient wrote to tell GSCF, "It is such a privilege to have been awarded a HUG grant by the Greater Sabetha Community Foundation. This grant allows me to continue my education in the business field and use my skills within our small community. It is with the help of our local community investments that many members and businesses thrive. To experience growth, we must encourage innovation and education. Thank you for investing in my future as well as the future of our local community."

The other grant will help a nontraditional student continue working toward a degree in education. The portion granted was not covered by the Pell grants received. Tuition HUGS grants totaled $3791.00 and all the recipients have students attending Sabetha schools.

The Lunch Lady Angels Fund came about from an original grant offered by Kansas Blue Cross Blue Shield to honor community involvement during the summer of 2020. The USD 113 Lunch program served thousands of school lunches even when the schools were closed down and a Facebook post of the lunch line was recognized by the Blue Cross selection committee in a contest the Greater Sabetha Community Foundation took part in. The initial $10,000 grant award has been added to by local donors and was recently the named memorial to honor the life of Mary Ann Spellmeier who served students many years in her role as a lunch lady. The Greater Sabetha Community Foundation will support the Lunch Lady Angels Fund and nearly 50 others during the 7th annual Give to Grow Match Days. This year Give to Grow will begin on November 18 and continue November 21. A celebration evening will follow at the annual Window Opening on November 25. Give to Grow Match Day is supported by GSCF, local businesses and individual donors who join together to give toward the matching dollars that allow these local nonprofits to raise money for their causes.

Who are Lunch Lady Angels? "A group of very dedicated women who care about the families of the children we serve. We are not funded by federal, state, or local agency dollars, LLA gets to make our own rules ourselves and adopt bylaws that give us the great flexibility.”

How do we help? Needs will be met by providing direct payment for car repairs, utility payments, etc.

How can people apply? An application will be developed. The HUG committee will be made up of two members of LLA and two members of the GSCF board or ambassadors. All applications will be reviewed and approved through the committee on a needs basis. The HUG committee will meet when needed and the applications will be based on the greatest need and the funds available. Due to the sensitive nature of the grant, awards will be made public without names given.

Hand Up Grant (HUG) A needs-based, one-time financial assistance grant (one-time renewal to be determined) providing assistance to an applicant in need of assistance.

As we know, hidden needs exist all around us – whether it be to pay for having a car fixed so a young woman can get to her job, or to provide dentures for an elderly woman, or to pay for the first class toward a degree at a technical college.