Community Grants Report

Community Grants Report
January 2020

Smoky Hills Public Television, Literacy
Leadership for Children in Jewell County

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$500, Awarded 11/26/2019
Project Summary: Smoky Hills Public Television requests $500 to provide books to children
enrolled in preschool at Rock Hills Elementary School and purchase broadcast rights to
children’s educational television programs.
Use of Funds: We provided 3 books to each of the 28 children enrolled in preschool at Rock
Hills Elementary School in winter and spring 2019 and 31 kids in fall 2019. These books cost
$247.20. The remaining $252.80 was used for children’s TV programs.
Impact & Results: Without your grant, we would not have been able to give any books to
the children enrolled in preschool at Rock Hills Elementary School. It is a challenge for
Smoky Hills Public Television to raise sufficient funds for our core work, broadcasting public
television programming to the 400,000 residents of all ages in central and western Kansas.
Providing books to children enrolled in Head Start and preschool is something we love to
do, but requires grant funding to do so. Because of grants like yours, we were able to give at
least one book to nearly 2,400 children enrolled in Head Start or public preschool in central
and western Kansas. In addition to these books, we also provided for free the finest children’s
educational television programs (e.g., “Sesame Street”, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”, and
“Dinosaur Train”) to over 40,000 children ages 2 to 12, including 8,000 children living in poverty.

1

Jewell County, Community Commitment - Make Assisted Living a Reality

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, $5,000, Awarded 11/28/2018

Project Summary: The Assisted Living committee through Jewell County Community Development is working to
get an Assisted Living facility built in Jewell County. The City of Mankato has made a contribution of free lots valued
at $18,000, the Mankato Endowment Association has agreed to contribute $10,000 toward the project, the State
Exchange Bank is donating $2,500 and the Jewell County Hospital has pledged $5,000. We are, however, $7,500
short of the amount that we want to achieve before we then approach the Dane G. Hansen Foundation to see if
they will grant us the remainder of the $250,000 community commitment. We are requesting $5,000 toward our
community portion, so that we can use it as a match for more grant funding.

Use of Funds: The money was used toward our community portion, so that we can use it as a match for more grant
funding. The project is continuing with the cost projection analysis to get the USDA funding secured. This $5,000
helped to make this part possible.

Impact & Results: We are working toward a big change in the end for Jewell County. This project is important
because we have a higher than average number of elderly and no real nursing home. It will provide another option
for those who don’t currently have any other options. The Assisted Living will also help our Hospital’s bottom line
by taking the Independent Living Apartments off of their critical access books and helping to provide a funnel of
people that will need the Hospital for care. Even through this project is a big undertaking, these grants continue
to move this project forward. Thank you for your support.

Formoso Community Church,
South Window Replacements

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$7,879, Awarded 05/29/2019

Project Summary: The Formoso Community Church is applying for
grant funds to be used to replace our windows on the south side of
our church.

Use of Funds: These funds were used to replace our windows on the
south side of the Formoso Community Church.

Impact & Results: It’s amazing what the new windows have done for
the appearance of the church, inside and out. It makes the inside of
the church so much brighter and cheerful. You notice the response
from people immediately when they walk through the front door.
They will also help immensely with the heating and cooling bills in
the winter and summer months. We have actually had people from
outside the church stand outside and look and try and figure out
what has changed, and then they say, “Look at what a difference
the windows make! It was a much needed update.” Everyone in the
community appreciates the work that we have put in to update this
building. If not for this funding we would have struggled to make the
window updates, our budget and small congregation would not have allowed for it. We have reached out to the
whole Formoso Community, along with other small communities in the area, such as Randall, Jewell and Montrose.
We would like to thank the committee for helping us fund this project. It was an answer to our prayers as we
continue on teaching the Word of God. Again thanks to all involved making this happen for us.

2