Foundation announces 2023 Arts and Community Grants

Foundation announces 2023 Arts and Community Grants

by | Nov 21, 2023 | Grants

Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met at Summa Health – Barberton Campus on Thursday, November 17, 2023, for a regular meeting of the board. The focus of the meeting was approving the last grant cycle of 2023, featuring arts and community programs. The Foundation approved funding $93,375 to five area organizations including the Barberton City School District and the City of Barberton Parks and Recreation.

Barberton City School District received funding for two programs totaling $33,375. Bringing Barberton History to Life received $19,375. Barberton 3rd-grade students receive local history lessons as part of their social studies class. The school is working to update their curriculum with a new book on Barberton history and aligning it with Ohio’s Learning Standards. Students also receive a bus tour of the city and a tour of O.C. Barber’s Piggery as part of their class.

The school’s second program, called Refining Music Skills, received $14,000. The program requests support for funding skilled performance musicians to work with student percussion instrumentalists and advanced ensemble students at Barberton Middle School and Barberton High School. Their goal is to provide additional expert instruction to music students to improve skills and performance at band competitions and to inspire middle school students to continue with the orchestra once they enter high school.

The City of Barberton’s Parks and Recreation department received $15,000 to provide support toward the city’s programming, festivals and events including: “Day at the Park” youth programs, the senior fair and senior van trips, movie nights in the park and summer concert series.

Magical Theatre Company received $25,000 for their program called PACT (Performing Arts Can Teach). PACT provides meaningful live theatre experiences for Barberton students in grades 1,3,5,7,9, and 12. Students in these grades will take field trips to Magical Theatre Company performances. The program provides Teacher-Student Study Guides that tie into their current curriculum. Additionally, all grades in Barberton Primary and Barberton Intermediate will have professional theatre experiences at their school via touring productions.

Habitat for Humanity received $10,000 toward their 2024 Neighborhood Reborn event, which works to clean up, revitalize and transform a neighborhood in Barberton over the course of two days. This program expects to work with 45 residents, who will see direct impact on their neighborhood through tangible home and yard improvements as well as increased civic pride, improved public amenities, and an improved neighborhood perception of safety.

Barberton Diamond Sports received $10,000 to overhaul one of their baseball/softball fields and to assist in scholarships for players to alleviate expenses for families. Barberton Diamond Sports offers spring and fall baseball and softball seasons with 7 baseball teams, 4 softball teams and 4 tee ball teams, serving Barberton youth 5-14 years old and their families.

Letter to Community Stakeholders

Letter to Community Stakeholders

by | Oct 5, 2023 | Announcements

Letter to Community Stakeholders

Pending legislation with City Council requesting $1.6 million for 25 years from Barberton Community Foundation. Legislation has its first reading at Barberton City Council Chambers on Monday, October 9, 2023.

>>Read our FAQ

Letter from the Interim Executive Director
October 5, 2023

Dear Community Stakeholders:

Over the last several months, our Board has been discussing the possibility of participating in the funding of a new Justice Center and City Hall for the City of Barberton. While a formal request has not been made of the Foundation, the Mayor has begun the process by filing legislation with Council for approval to do so. On Monday, October 2nd, City Council amended the legislation, and this will now be read at full Council to ask for $1.6 million per year for 25 years. For perspective, our 2023 budget for grants, scholarships and economic development is $1.2 million, and as you will read below, our ability to increase this in the near future is limited.

We have met with the mayor and his team regarding the capital stack for this project and what our participation could look like. As a Supporting Organization, we acknowledge that we exist to support the City of Barberton, its citizens, and Barberton City Schools in a fiscally responsible manner. Accordingly, we are committed to continuing our support by maintaining the Foundation’s spending power in perpetuity while navigating the downturn in markets and significant rises in costs nationwide.
Our original endowment in 1996 was $86 million and, in reality, our endowment remains at the same level 27 years later because of the sizeable community projects we have funded. Due to inflation, $1 goes half as far today as it did in 1996. Therefore, the endowment has half the spending power that it did upon formation.

The reality of funding a project of this size is that the Board will be faced with sacrificing economic development, grants, and scholarships.

  • In 2023 alone, 52 Barberton students received 83 annual or four-year scholarships from the Foundation totaling $370,575 in committed awards.
  • In 2022, the Foundation awarded $379,015 to 35 nonprofit partners working to do good in Barberton every day. This includes (but is not limited to) partners in education such as Barberton City Schools, Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, Red Oak Behavioral Health and Child Guidance and Family Solutions; partners focused on health initiatives like the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, AxessPointe, the Rape Crisis Center and IBH Addiction Recovery; as well as community partners such as the City of Barberton, Victim Assistance, Habitat for Humanity, Barberton Public Library, and many more.
  • Since its beginning in 2022, the Foundation’s Economic Development Assistance and Downtown Rehabilitation Programs have awarded $615,433 in grants to Barberton Community Development Corporation. This funding has helped grow 17 local businesses and facilitated improvements on 13 historic properties. We helped create 60 new full-time jobs with over $2.2 million in payroll, resulting in approximately $50,000 in new, annual income tax revenue for the City of Barberton.

These examples demonstrate how the Foundation fulfills its mission to improve the lives of Barberton residents, subject to the Foundation’s spending policy and the funds that are available to spend. The Board carefully considers the impact of inflation, the strategic goals of the Foundation and the status of the original endowment. This budget has been unable to grow significantly because of the Foundation’s commitment to the debt service on Barberton High School. If the Foundation is to commit to another large capital project, the impact that these programs have (and the primary role of the Foundation) will be diminished.

The Board has also considered that the lack of growth of the endowment coupled with the funding of this project may pose an existential threat to the Foundation itself.

In considering participating in the City’s capital stack, our Board also has front of mind their fiduciary responsibility. This not only means protecting the original $86 million endowment but ensuring that it continues to grow with the increasing costs of education, social services, special projects, and operating the Foundation. The endowment is, in essence, a machine that generates the dollars we spend each year in the community. As the demand for these funds will only continue to increase with rising costs, the machine needs to get bigger to accommodate that demand.

While we do not disagree with the necessity for updated City and court facilities, our Board must balance whether this is the best use of the Foundation’s spendable funds. The City Hall and Justice Center project cannot be compared to the original funding of Barberton High School due to the difference in public support. The Foundation committed to paying the high school debt if the citizens passed a levy to show clear, public support for using Foundation dollars for the project. In the absence of a community vote for the current project, such as a levy, the Board is left to make the difficult decision alone. The timing of the City’s request forces us to bargain the growth of the Foundation’s endowment, which will further affect the ability of the Foundation to provide funding for scholarships, grants and economic development in a way that remains impactful to the future residents of Barberton.

As a stakeholder and interested party, we wanted to make you aware of and keep you informed on the thought process and decision-making related to this project. Our Board does not take this decision lightly and has been incredibly thoughtful in their diligence. We respect and appreciate your perspective. If you wish to share your thoughts and concerns, please send an email to feedback@barbertoncf.org so that we can compile them and consider the community’s input in the decision-making process.

We are thankful for the trust you place in the Foundation and its Board. We commit to preserving this trust by looking at this project from all relevant angles and continuing to fund projects that will positively impact the economic development, education and health of the Barberton community.

Respectfully,

Tiffany Peters

Interim Executive Director/Director of Finance

Questions you may have on this project:

Q:  What is the impact on the fund I set up personally with the Foundation?  Is my scholarship or designated endowment safe?

A:  The request from the City is a request from our general endowment, not a specific, donor-designated fund.  If you set up a fund here at Barberton Community Foundation, or your organization is the beneficiary of a fund, it will not be used for this grant request.

Q:  Will grant partner funding be affected by this request in 2024?

A:  Not at this time.  If funded, the first payment on the project would not be until sometime in 2025.

Q:  What does this mean for the future spending of the Foundation?

A:  This remains to be determined by our Board, but the amount being requested would represent the majority, or all, of our granting budget for the short-term and will affect our ability to make impact in the long-term as well.

Q:  How much is the City requesting from the Foundation?

A:  As the legislation reads currently, the City will be requesting $1.6 million for 25 years

Q:  You funded the entire high school, so why is this such a difficult decision?

A:  Simply put, we have funded many significant projects over the years and our endowment has never kept up with inflation as a result.  Because of this, we are faced with a declining ability to make community impact, and our Board has been focused on making sure the endowment grows going forward, while still funding projects that benefit the wellbeing of the community as a whole.

Q:  You have $86 million, and you can clearly afford to fund this project, so why don’t you?

A:  The $86 million endowment is untouchable.  We are only allowed to spend from the money the endowment makes from being invested each year.

Q:  Do you believe that this project is unnecessary?

A:  Our board does not disagree that the current facilities need meaningful upgrades for safety and space purposes.

Q:  How can you use Barberton dollars for the courts that serve multiple communities?

A:  As part of our diligence, we would ensure that fair estimates of court usage are calculated so that we would only fund Barberton operations, as per our Code of Regulations.

Q:  Will there be a levy if the Foundation cannot fund the project?

A:  At this time, this is a question for the City and for City Council.

Q:  What are alternatives to the proposed, $30 million project?

A:  At this time, this is a question for the City and for City Council.

Meet Barberton Community Foundation’s 2023 Game Changers

Meet Barberton Community Foundation’s 2023 Game Changers

by | Aug 30, 2023 | 2023 Game Changer, Announcements, Game Changers

Meet the Foundation’s 2023 Game Changers

Each year Barberton Community Foundation honors an individual and an organization that have made a positive impact in Barberton. The Foundation is proud to announce our 2023 Game Changers are Brian Canale and Common Threads Closet.

Brian Canale said it was a shock to hear he had won the nomination. “I thought I overdrew a fund!” He said. “I’d like to thank those who nominated me. I never expected to be recognized.”

Common Threads Closet is located at 211 3rd Street NW in the lower level of Lakeview United Methodist Church. The organization provides clothing, shoes and small home goods to those in need. Director Cindy Bach couldn’t wait to tell her volunteers. “Everyone here is so excited. Our volunteers are absolutely game changers.”

The Game Changers will be celebrated at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner, held on Thursday, November 2, 2023. Get your tickets today!

Meet Brian Canale

Most of Barberton will recognize the name of third generation operator and owner Brian A. Canale, who runs two of Barberton’s beloved chicken houses: White House Chicken and DeVore’s Hopocan Gardens. Beyond his role as a restaurateur, Brian has been quietly donating to area school sports programs and supporting hunger initiatives for years. A fun fact, Brian is a founding member of the Barberton Sports Hall of Fame. He signed up the first year they offered memberships in 1979 and, more recently, he received their O.C. Barber Award in 2020.

Brian Canale sets a strong example as a community-focused businessman and servant leader. If you have ever participated in a Barberton sports team, chances are high he has sponsored, donated to, or fed your team. Brian has never shared much about his charitable giving because, as he says, “It’s just something you’re supposed to do.”

Brian says charity is a family value, but it really showed when he began working at Hopocan Gardens. He said, “My dad taught me the business, but my grandfather taught me the wisdom.” His grandfather, William DeVore, was the original owner of DeVore’s Hopocan Gardens. When Brian took over the business, William said something that has stayed with him. “We feed everybody.”

“He was referring to our employees and customers,” Brian said. “All I’ve done is take that message beyond the restaurant’s walls.”

That sense of community is the reason Brian is being recognized this year. Brian holds two funds at Barberton Community Foundation: the Barberton City Schools Synthetic Football Field Turf Fund and the Chicken Open Fund. He is chair of the Turf committee, the group responsible for the annual Turf Auction, the main fundraising event for the synthetic field at Barberton High School. The school’s turf project launched in 2018 and raised more than $250,000 in its first year toward upgrades to the stadium and to install synthetic turf on the field. His second fund, the Chicken Open, is an annual golf tournament supporting Barberton and Norton high school golf teams, Barberton All Sports Boosters, and food-based charities like Barberton Area Community Ministries (BACM) and the Akron-Canton Food Bank.

As an extension of his grandfather’s message, Brian wants to benefit the Ben Curtis Family Foundation and their Birdie Bag program with his Game Changer title. Bridie Bags are given to children who need extra meals over the weekend in Barberton City Schools. In 2022, Ben Curtis Family Foundation provided over 1,400 Bridie Bags each month. Each bag contains six meals and four snacks.

Those who want to celebrate Brian are invited to support Ben Curtis Family Foundation’s Birdie Bag program through the Foundation’s website.

Common Threads Closet Volunteers

Meet Common Threads Closet

Common Threads Closet is a Barberton nonprofit organization providing clothing of all sizes, shoes, home goods, and small appliances to those in need. Families and individuals pay $5 a year (which isn’t required up front) to have an account. Those in need can take up to 30 items per person each month. Anything chosen is tracked on a database and credited to their account. A team of volunteers processes each donation, organizes items and prepares hot meals. The closet is open twice a week, on Thursdays from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 10am-1pm.

Common Threads first opened on January 3, 2013. A decade later, they currently serve over 2800 families from multiple counties and process more than 80,000 items a year.

“The general thought at the beginning was, the economy was bad, and we could help people with clothing,” said director Cindy Bach. Common Threads stayed with that mission, to provide clothing to those in need, until COVID. “Then people needed more help, and they were coming in with different problems. We realized we needed to provide food and meals as well.”

COVID decidedly changed how Cindy sees the role of Common Threads in the broader network of agencies that provide social-support services. “One of the things I learned early on is that needs in this community differ greatly, and when you’re serving an at-risk population, you are always trying to lower barriers.”

Some barriers are higher than others, and Common Threads is taking aim at some of society’s most systemic issues. Cindy explained that many people she sees are grandparents on fixed incomes or are considered the working poor. Some are homeless or have health problems. Common Threads is growing toward meeting the needs of these most at-risk populations. “We are starting to offer more support for people by getting ID’s, and finding housing that is appropriate,” she said. They’re also looking at introducing mentors: volunteers helping homeless individuals through the system.

Cindy Bach opens Common Threads Closet Endowment Fund

The growth of this organization wouldn’t be possible without dedicated volunteers. Cindy credits extending and embracing a culture of “everyone is welcome” through her volunteers for the success of Common Threads. “We take everybody,” says Cindy. “We have folks who volunteer from home because they have limited mobility. If you want to help out, we will work with you. There’s a job for everyone.”

Common Thread’s history is tied to Lakeview United Methodist Church, where they’re located. “In the past you had to belong to the church to volunteer at the closet, but now our doors are wide open. We have every faith you can imagine volunteering here.” Cindy added, “We’re not religious, we’re faithful.”

Common Threads Closet recently established an endowment fund with the Foundation. The fund will support the continued growth of Common Threads and provide future resources. Readers are welcome to support Common Threads through their fund by visiting the Foundation’s website.

Annual Dinner

Both Brian Canale and Common Threads Closet will be recognized as Barberton Community Foundation’s 2023 Game Changers at our Annual Dinner on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at the Galaxy in Wadsworth. Tickets will go on sale online on Friday, September 1. Donations can be made to the Ben Curtis Family Foundation Birdie Bag Fund or to Common Threads Endowment Fund by visiting our donation page, or by mailing a check to 460 W. Paige Ave. Barberton, OH 44203. Call us at 330-745-5995 with donation or ticketing questions.

Foundation Announces 2023 Health and Wellness Grants

Foundation Announces 2023 Health and Wellness Grants

by | Aug 1, 2023 | Grants

 Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met on July 20, for their regular meeting. The board approved 14 grants to area nonprofits focusing on health and wellness initiatives for Barberton. Total funding for this cycle is $139,500.

Grants:

1. Victim Assistance Program was awarded $25,000 to support their 2024 Barberton Advocacy Program. This program supports 300 Barberton residents who have been personally impacted by crime, violence and trauma, as well as 300 additional clients from surrounding communities who utilize the Barberton Municipal Court.  

2.  AxessPointe Community Health Centers received $25,000 to update equipment at the Barberton location on Robinson Ave and in the mobile unit. Equipment includes an EKG, vitals machine, scale and an otoscope. The mobile unit will receive portable equipment including an HbA1c test to measure blood sugar.

3. Habitat for Humanity of Summit County received $15,000 for their 2023 Barberton New Home Build project, which will be used to construct a home on Norman Street.

4. Embracing Futures received $10,000 for their Orthodontic Care Program, which provides braces for children with low-income families.

5. CareStar Community Services received $10,000 for Community-Based Wraparound Services to Barberton students and families. CareStar Community Health Workers provide home visits, services and resources, including health screenings, as part of their wraparound program.

6. Humane Society of Summit County was awarded $10,000 to support the MABEL Mobile Veterinary Clinic visits to Barberton. The MABEL bus provides veterinary services such as spay and neuter for dogs and cats, as well as vaccines. Funding allows low-income Barberton residents to utilize the clinic for free. Funding is expected to cover spay/neuter services for 172 cats and dogs and vaccines for 80 cats and dogs.

7. Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received $7,500 the Barberton Direct Distribution program provides food and groceries monthly at Barberton’s Salvation Army on Wooster Rd. The program’s goal is to serve 85-100 families each month and distributing an average of 18,000 lbs. of food.

8. Greenleaf Family Center was awarded $7,000 for their Adolescent Suicide Prevention Program (ASPP) which will provide suicide prevention programming for Barberton Students from July 2023 to June 2024. The programming is for approximately 1800 Barberton Middle and High School students, along with training for school staff.

9. Ben Curtis Family Foundation was awarded $6,500 to support their Birdie Bag Program. Each bag contains six meals, four snacks and toiletries for students on long weekends.

10. Stewarts Caring Place received $5,000 for cancer wellness and support services. Stewart’s Caring Place provides wigs, fittings and supplies, family and legal counseling, and assists with advocacy.

11. Family and Community Services received $5,000 to support Mobile Meals which provides hot and frozen meals and supplements to elderly, disabled or low-income residents.

12. Rape Crisis Center received $5,000 to support 150 Barberton residents in 2023 with outreach and education, support groups, crisis intervention, advocacy, therapy and other services.

13. CASA Board Volunteer Association received $5,000 for Barberton volunteer recruitment. CASA, or court appointed special advocates, are trained community volunteers appointed by a juvenile court judge to speak for a child’s best interest.

14. United Way of Summit and Medina received $3,500 to support 2-1-1 Information and Referral Services. 2-1-1 is a free, 24/7 helpline and database for health and social services available in Summit County. The helpline serves about 2,500 Barberton residents each year.

Foundation Board Awards 2023 Education and Workforce & Economic Development Grants

Foundation Board Awards 2023 Education and Workforce & Economic Development Grants

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Grants

Foundation Board Approves First Grant Cycle of 2023, Awards $73,000 to Education and Workforce & Economic Development Programs

Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met for their regular meeting on Thursday, March 16, at the Active Adult Center. The board approved eight grants totaling $73,009.04. The board also approved Renea Macko and Rob Pursley as new Friends of the Foundation, and thanked Dr. Suzanne Allen, who is retiring from her role as executive director of Barberton Community Foundation on March 31. Tiffany Peters, director of finance, has been named as interim executive director.

Grants:

Barberton City School District was awarded $22,975.32 for their partnership with AMHA to expand support for families and students. The grant supports more on-site tutoring days, bussing to parent/teacher conferences, and bi-monthly resident meetings to educate parents about school services and opportunities. AMHA expects to serve 800 individuals through these programs.

National Inventors Hall of Fame received $15,000 for 2023 Camp Invention financial support for 120 students who would like to attend. Camp Invention is a summer enrichment program led by Barberton teachers with STEM-based curricula.

Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $10,000 for their Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding (TAPS) program. TAPS provides on-site training for preschool and childcare staff on how best to respond to challenging classroom behaviors and improve kindergarten readiness. Child Guidance anticipates serving 380 preschoolers with this funding.

Barberton City School District was awarded $6,533.72 to support the primary school’s Magical Reading program, which teaches parents how to read to their children in creative, educational and engaging ways. Funding supports the purchase of books for families to read together, crafts and operations for the event.

United Way of Summit & Medina received $5,000 to support Financial Empowerment Center services provided to Barberton residents. The Center estimates they will serve 215 residents through free financial empowerment programming, including financial coaching, tax preparation and banking assistance.

Junior Achievement was awarded $5,000 to provide programming within Barberton City Schools to 320 students in middle and high school. Programs include JA Personal Finance, JA Inspire, JA Company Program and JA Economics for Success.

The International Soap Box Derby received $5,000 for programs and field trips for Barberton City School students, including their popular Gravity Racing Challenge program. Funding supports the purchase of derby car parts, supplies and program books for 180 students.

SCORE Akron received $3,500 for their Barberton Community Workforce Development programs which include mentoring and workshop programs for entrepreneurs interested in starting their own business or expanding their existing business.