The Woman’s Club of Wisconsin Foundation announced this week that it presented $50,000 in grants to 22 local non-profit groups.
“The Woman’s Club of Wisconsin Foundation is pleased to recognize these organizations working to strengthen local communities and families in the areas of arts, education and human services,” said Faye Wetzel, chair of the Woman’s Club Foundation board. “We’re thrilled to mark 50 years of giving and thank these grantees for all they are doing to enrich lives in our community.”
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The grant recipients are:
- Early Music Now, $2,000, to increase awareness of and appreciation for the cultural contributions of the Hispanic population; particularly the Cuban connections.
- Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, $2,000, to support production of their Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) Showcase and to broaden the reach of playwriting residences to include an additional residency at Messmer High School and to serve an additional partner school.
- Milwaukee Children’s Choir, $2,000, to support their signature community engagement initiative, the Harmony Program, which delivers music education and beginner vocal and choral training as well as performance experiences to City of Milwaukee children with limited access to these opportunities.
- Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, $3,000, to support MYSO’s Community Partnership Programs, an array of ensembles and initiatives designed to bring the well-documented benefits of music study to students with barriers to access and equity in music training.
- Renaissance Theaterworks, $2,000, to support the RTW’s Third Annual Br!NK new play development series and festival.
- Skylight Music Theatre, $2,500, to support their in-school arts education program that builds confidence, creativity and teamwork as 4-8th graders in MPS write their own songs and scenes for professional Skylight artists to perform.
- Sunset Playhouse, $2,000, to support their community education initiative, Bug in a Rug Children’s Theater, that delivers children’s’ programming directly to underprivileged schools in the Milwaukee area.
- Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, $2,000, to support their community outreach program, Conservatory Connections, that provides music instruction and programs to schools, retirement centers and community organizations that do not have the means to provide their own music programming.
- Milwaukee County Historical Society, $2,000, to improve the education programs of Trimborn Farm, Milwaukee County’s only Historical Park.
- Nehemiah Project, $3,400, to help fund reading materials needed to build missing reading skills of Nehemiah Project teenage residents, their younger sibling and other court-designated youth in Milwaukee whose inability to read keeps them from being successful in school.
- Notre Dame School, $2,200, support the expansion of their afterschool program to serve primary school students in grades K4-4th.
- SHARP Literacy, $2,200, for their “We Love to Learn” book to be used in the curriculum for K4/K5 students and by SHARP students who research the topic and produce original writings and artwork for the final book.
- Victory Garden Initiative, $2,200, to support participation in their extensive Food Leader training program which empowers individuals in the Milwaukee area to make positive changes to the food system within their homes, neighborhoods and our greater food system with education and training.
- Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, $2,000, to help fulfill their mission by providing education and information to families affected by autism.
- Benedict Center, $2,000, for the Women’s Harm Reduction Program, which assists women involved with the criminal justice system to lead healthy and productive lives through many education programs.
- Camp Hometown Heroes, $2,000, to help provide a free week of a summer grief camp to children of fallen U.S. military heroes at a cost of $1,000 per child of Wisconsin.
- Cathedral Center, $3,500, to provide support for their volunteer program, which is an integral part of their mission with over 1,500 volunteers who help improve the quality of life for vulnerable and homeless women and families.
- Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist/Open Door Café, $2,000, to support their mission to feed people who are hungry and provide opportunities that provide a path out of poverty.
- CORE/El Centro, $2,000, to support their Trauma and Healing Program which offers access to healing therapies of counseling, art therapy, bodywork and holistic exercise to low-income women who are survivors of sexual abuse.
- Dominican Center, $2,500, to help stabilize the Amani neighborhood by providing women, seniors and disabled homeowners with assistance curing building code violations and making home repairs so they can stay in their homes.
- Prevent Blindness, $2,000, to support free vision screenings for more than 21,000 preschool aged children in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties in an effort to detect vision disorders before they may lead to lifelong vision impairment.
- St. Catherine Residence, $2,500, to help provide support services to the over 200 lowincome Milwaukee-area women who annually reside at St. Catherine’s in order to help them personally grow and increase their self-sufficiency.
The grants awarded are in addition to a $100,000 gift made last year to the MKE Plays initiative to renovate the Enderis Park playground in celebration of the Club’s 140th anniversary. That project was completed in the fall.
The Woman’s Club of Wisconsin cultivates educational, cultural, philanthropic, and social exchange to inspire engagement in the community.
