FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Medina County Community Fund surpasses $300,000 grant-making milestone Fund directs majority of grants to meet health and human services needs  

MEDINA, Ohio (June 15, 2010) – The Medina County Community Fund is celebrating $300,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations. The fund, a permanent public philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation, surpassed the milestone after awarding $30,000 to 10 Medina County nonprofits last Friday. In total, the Medina County Community Fund has invested more than $309,000 into the community to improve the lives of local residents. During its most recent cycle of grants, the fund concentrated approximately 70 percent of its grants on programs that meet people’s basic needs, including emergency medical care, and food assistance.

The following 10 nonprofit organizations received grants:

American Red Cross, Medina County Chapter, to purchase mannequins and CPR instructional booklets, $1,600

Brunswick Art Works Inc., to support a children’s art contest to create tiles for a sculpture park, $900

The Children’s Center of Medina County, to implement a life-skills mentoring program for young adults phasing out of foster care, $2,500

The Kidney Foundation of Medina County Inc., to provide residents with reliable transportation to hemodialysis treatments, $2,500

Medina Cares Inc., to provide financial assistance to residents facing a medical crisis, $1,000

Medina Creative Housing, to provide people with disabilities vocational opportunities at a hydroponic greenhouse, $4,500

Medina Health Ministry, to support the free medical clinic, $10,000

Mobile Meals Inc. Foundation of Northeast Ohio, to deliver meals to low-income, homebound individuals, $5,000 Operation: HOMES Inc., for vehicle repair and maintenance for homeless clients, $1,000

Our Saviour Lutheran Church, to support the food pantry, $1,000

About the Medina County Community Fund
The Medina County Community Fund, an affiliate fund of Akron Community Foundation, serves as a permanent philanthropic endowment for Medina County. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Medina County residents, now and in the future.

The income from this fund is distributed annually to qualified nonprofit organizations that provide a wide range of cultural, educational, health and community services. To date, grants to these organizations total $309,558.Widder@MCCFund.org.

About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 55 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation is a $126 million philanthropic endowment with a growing family of more than 350 funds. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the foundation, which works to improve the quality of life in greater Akron. It accepts charitable gifts and bequests from individuals, families, organizations and corporations committed to making a difference in the community for generations to come.

To date, the foundation and its funds have awarded more than $87 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation, visit www.akroncommunityfdn.org or call 330-376-8522.