Hudson Community Foundation Reveals 2005 Grants

The mission statement of Hudson Community Foundation says it will strive to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all Hudson citizens, now and for generations to come. “And that”, says Grants Chair Karen Hoy, “is what we kept in mind as we awarded grants in 2005. It is quite a source of pride for the Foundation to make funds available to many worthy organizations, and we have now contributed in excess of $186,000 to improve the lives of Hudson’s citizens.” Some of the public grants made by the HCF Board are listed below with recipient’s comments.

◊ Coalition for Children’s Mental Health.

Cindy Rau, head of this group which celebrates the strengths of Hudson youth, stated that they were able to hold a “tremendously successful” youth rally for 4^th through 12^th graders assisted by 100 volunteers at the High School on October 9^th. The group raises awareness of issues in adolescence and offers support to peers undergoing anxiety or depression.

◊ Hudson Community First.

Co-directors Cheryl Rausch and Laura Gasbarro stated that “through your generosity Community First provided Hudson youth with activities and opportunities, including Intern for a Day, the summer-long Treasure Hunt, Ready-Set-Relax, Hurricane Relief Drive and the printing of the bulletin Healthy Youth for a Healthy Community. Our presence at Taste of Hudson and Coalition for Children’s Mental Health rally infused the importance and continued need for Community First in Hudson”.

◊ Music from the Western Reserve and The Encore School for Strings.

The arts were given a solid boost with contributions to both of these musical organizations which perform at the Western Reserve Academy Chapel. David Cerone, President of Cleveland Institute of Music told the Foundation that “financial support of the gifted young artist is an essential element in the equation of artistic success.” Bruce Rothmann, head of Music from the Western Reserve, stated that “we are extremely grateful for the gift which will support our fifth concert of the season, the Mike Petrone Trio on Sunday, April 9 at5:00 pm at the Chapel”.

◊ America in Bloom Contest.

Hudson’s entry into this national contest was an amazing success story because Hudson won first place for a town of its size the first time it entered. The wooden flower display boxes in full view all over town were thought by many to have tipped the scales in Hudson’s favor. The boxes were produced by a huge combined effort, not only by the Foundation, but also by Hudson Rotary, Fairmount Properties, Hudson High Service Learning Class kids, Hudson Garden Club, Liz Murphy’s Learned Owl and, of course, the City itself. According to Jim Hackney, “at no time in Hudson’s history have we had so many wonderful things going for us, and we hope that Hudson Community Foundation will continue to make grants for the improvement of quality of life here in our favorite town”.

◊ Hudson Community Service Association.

This group is best known for its holiday lighting assistance, and all Hudsonites marvel at the beauty of the seasonal decorations and lights. President Bob Taylor tells HCF that “although the lighting has both religious and commercial elements, the larger task is to promote traditions which build our sense of community. This gift helped decorate over 30 more street lamps, helping both Main Street and First and Main merchants”.

◊ Habitat for Humanity.

Belinda Wing, who joins former President Jimmy Carter in advancing the goals of this fine organization, reported that the HCF donation helped underwrite the Hudson Home Run, a greatly successful event which featured a 5-mile run and a one mile walk to raise money for a needy family. HCF sees the Home Run as a Hudson community event promoting physical fitness, volunteerism and decent housing for the less fortunate.

◊ Hudson Job Search.

Director Pat Holden reports that “the financial support of the HCF will insure the continuation of this ministry for the coming year”. Hudson Job Search has assisted more than 2,300 community members with instructional help and moral support during a very difficult time in their careers. This assistance is provided by 35 volunteers who give freely of their time to teach skills in job searching techniques.

◊ Hudson Cable TV.

Station Manager Kerry Paluscak told HCF that its donation enabled eight students to gain advanced expertise as they seek to explore opportunities in the field of television reporting. Channel 25 is fast becoming one of the most important media in reporting the myriad of community activities affecting Hudsonites.

◊ Hudson Schools.

Superintendent Maryann Wolowiec confirmed that an HCF grant was used for a Retreat at Case Weatherhead’s School of Management last August. The program, designed especially for the Hudson City School District, emphasized the development of a culture needed to produce leaders in relationship building and communications.