Community Grants Report

Community Grants Report
November 2019

City Of Beverly,
Healthy and Beautiful

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
Post Rock Healthy Living Fund, Kansas
Health Foundation Fund, $5,800,
Awarded 5/22/2018

Project Summary: To replace playground
equipment for smaller children, reseed the
park and spray. Painting equipment, work will
be done by volunteers. We would replace old
broken side walks with new one so that our
citizens will have a safe place to walk.

Use of Funds: The funds were used to
purchase the playground equipment, mulch
for underneath the equipment and pvc piping
to trim the area for the equipment.

Impact & Results: One of the most rewarding results from this project is the increased number of children seen
in the park. We have had many compliments on the new equipment and feel that it has helped with the overall
appearance of our Main Street .

We feel the project was a great success. The Children of our community are benefitting greatly from our project. We
didn’t get to complete every item we had proposed due to the cost of everything however we had many volunteers
and we feel that we will continue to move forward with the project in hopes of one day to have a greater addition to
our community.

The City of Beverly received funding from the Post Rock Community Foundation along with several other local
donors to help improve the looks of our community park along with giving the children in our community a safer
place to play with much needed new playground equipment. The project over all has been a great success. Many
of the residents of the City of Beverly along with some local Boy Scouts have volunteered their time to help get the
project up and going. We have had a wonderful new addition to the City’s Park and we greatly appreciate all
the Foundation has done for us to make this all possible.

1

Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc., Young AmeriTowne of Kansas

Sylvan Area Fund, $840, Awarded 10/11/2018

Project Summary: The Young AmeriTowne of Kansas curriculum and their Day in Towne is designed to teach 5th
grade students about economics as they see the direct impact their actions and decisions have on themselves,
their business and the overall community. They see what happens to supply and demand as they change prices.
They understand opportunity costs as they spend their salaries. They begin to recognize their skills and interests
through lessons and activities which include: supply and demand, consumers and producers and the economic
process. Basic banking processes, hands-on experience using checking accounts and debit cards. Concepts such
as budgeting, investing and the importance of saving and investments. Basic government processes, developing
laws, campaigning, and participating in primary and general elections; students learn the real life skills of filling
out job applications and going through job interviews to be hired for their positions in Towne. Lessons on caring
for your community and giving back to those in need, making their community a better place. How to become an
employee (manager, accountant, key employee), how to conduct staff meetings, prepare a business to open, and
have job training sessions. Lessons on determining profitability of your business, balancing your account with the
bank, business evaluations and Employee of the Day awards are completed to finish the program.

Use of Funds: We are looking forward to Sylvan-Lucas 5th graders attending their Day in Towne on Friday, April 17,
2020. The teachers will be receiving their curriculum training in January, 2020 and will start teaching the lessons and
activities during the spring.

Impact & Results: The growth and attainment of knowledge in the students has proven to be great. Not only can
we see it by their eyes lighting up, but by the way they carried out tasks and completed projects while in
Towne. It is proven to us when we received the pre-test and post-test scores on the curriculum we received from
the teachers after their Day in Towne. The jump in scores after attending Towne were huge - nearly an 70% swing in
knowledge attainment and understanding...from 20% to 90%!

Lucas Arts & Humanities Council Inc,
Rural Community Art Outreach in Lucas,
Sylvan Grove and Area Communities

Post Rock Community Action Fund,
$2,000, Awarded 10/11/2018

Project Summary: The Grassroots Art Center implemented a
collaborative educational arts education curriculum with 4-6th
graders at Lucas Sylvan Elementary in 2017-2018.
Arts education for the 2018-2019 school year, LAHC will
continue art education outreach with the USD#299
elementary school with teacher, Heather Wolting, students,
and parents with classroom and field trip programming.
The students will have classroom instruction and “hands-on”
creating that ties in with an exhibit that they have seen at the
art center or the life and work of a professional artist.

The art center has expanded to partnered with industrial arts
instructor, Ray Keller, and the USD # 299 high school welding
students to create a metal public arts project.

Six arts class curriculums have been developed to include four

2

youth art classes in the summer and 2 workshops with an
exciting new element of inter-generational creativity with
parents and grandparents. To increase the community
outreach, the art center is partnering with the Sylvan
Grove and Lucas Public Libraries to create an
inter-generational book making workshop. It will be held
at Sylvan and repeated at Lucas. Erin Zamrzla, Lawrence
Artist and Sylvan Grove native will be the instructor for
these workshops.

Arts outreach class “Poured Paint” will be provided by
Downs Artist, Barbara Stevens who taught at Cloud
County Community College, a painting workshop & a
field trip to Codell and Plainville will be featured adult arts
activities.

Use of Funds: Personnel Administrative $516.25
Fees- grant Expenses $162.00
Fees- Artistic $ 769.00
Travel- Mileage $190.00
Marketing -Newspaper $37.70
Marketing- school art tours $592.00
Supplies - Workshops $667.58
Total spent $2,934.53

Impact & Results: Youth Art at USD 299 was limited this
school year. We ended up doing metal spring Christmas
trees in November and then Mixed media in the spring.
One parent told Kathy that she was so happy with that
project that her daughter was going to enter it in the
county fair. Actually three students entered their projects
in the county fair and that pleased the retired Extension
agent Kathy. Kathy and Heather Woilting, USD 299 Art
teacher worked with approximately 60 youth.

Our other two success stories were the community
bookmaking workshop at the Sylvan Grove Public Library.
Erin Zamrzla, Lawrence artist and former Sylvan Grove
resident attracted 34 participants. We had elementary
and high school students as well as adults. Workshop was
held in newly renovated library. Those pictures will be in
our photo file.

Other community workshop was Elizabeth Bryan’s beginning mosaic workshop held in Lucas in September. Twelve
participants from as far away as Miltonvale attended her workshops funded by this grant. Elizabeth enjoyed the new
experience of teaching a workshop so hopefully she’ll be doing more within the Lucas Community.

Kathy thought the community part of the grant was very successful this year but wished for another year of youth art
in the school. However another teacher took over the art in the school and so that didn’t work out for the 2019-2020
school year.

3

Bethany Church of Lincoln County ,
Drip, Drop, Make the Leaks Stop; A New Roof

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund for Post Rock,
$15,000, Awarded 5/21/2019

Project Summary: The members of Bethany Church of Lincoln
County are requesting funds to replace our thirty-five year old
shingled roof with a metal roof in order to prevent further water
damage to our church building.

Use of Funds: The grant that Bethany Church received went directly to Uhl Construction, the roofing company that
put on the new metal roof. The remainder of the roof fee ($9,675.95) was covered by the congregation of Bethany
Church.

Impact & Results: The members of Bethany Church sincerely thank the Post Rock Community Foundation for
awarding them a grant for $15,000 to go towards putting a new metal roof on their historic church building.
The roof looks amazing, and more importantly has stopped all of the leaks! The grant did not completely cover all of
the costs for the new roof and so the congregation paid the remaining $9,675.95 to the roofing company. Members
of the congregation also pitched in and did their part by hauling one of the roofing company’s large pieces of
equipment on a semi-truck and trailer to and from the church premises, which is approximately a trek of 30 miles
round trip. We cleaned up the church yard after the roofing company left and told them we would also be taking
care of filling in and smoothing out all of the ruts that were left in the yard after construction. We will also take care
of painting the trim beside the new gutters. Its such a relief to have the new roof in place and to know that it should
last us many years to come!

Sylvan Senior Center, Farmer’s Elevator
Renovation for Sylvan Senior Center Relocation

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund for Post Rock,
$18,000, Awarded 5/21/2019

Project Summary: Thank you for your consideration. Sylvan
Senior Center is relocating to the Farmer’s Elevator Building,
creating a better space for activities, functions and base of
operations for the seniors as well as opportunities for other
community gatherings.

Use of Funds: The Sylvan Senior Center used the $18,000 gift to repair and replace the roof of the Farmer’s Elevator
building in Sylvan Grove, KS. To your generous gift, the SSC added $17,287.45 from its project account to complete
the roof project.

Impact & Results: This gift means so much to us because we are under pressure to evacuate the building in which
the Sylvan Senior Center operates. The roof on the building that is adjoined to our current location has caved in,
and our facility is in jeopardy. Your gift is helping to make it possible for us to move into our new facility quickly.
McGee Roofing was hired to tear off 7 layers of old roofing, replace rotted decking, put in R29 of insulation, close
leaking around the chimney, apply a TPO Single Ply Membrane, and finish with guttering and rain spout. The roof
replacement is crucial to our project because it stabilized the rest of the building, preparing us to move forward with
more improvements. The aesthetic improvement is going to enrich the quality of Main Street. The new space will be
a great asset to the community and transition to the new building provides a positive goal for the seniors. We have
more work ahead, but it finally feels as if we are making progress to have Phase 1 of the project completed. Thank
you so much for your financial contribution and support for this project!

4

USD 299, School Kitchen Upgrade

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
Post Rock Community Action Fund,
$13,380, Awarded 5/21/2019

Project Summary: We are requesting money to purchase
a new steam table for the kitchen. Our current steam table
has broken down and while waiting for a more permanent
repair, the repairman informed us that the insulation is
made of Asbestos.

Use of Funds: The funds went to purchase the new steam
table for the kitchen. Total cost of the table was $13,580.00

Impact & Results: Thanks to to the upgrade of our steam table, we are able to service out students and staff with
hot fresh meals, without a fear of any safety concerns to the cooks, students and staff. The equipment purchased will
be able to help thousands of students in the upcoming years.

Lincoln County Historical Society,
150th Anniversary Remembrance
Event: May 31, 1869, Spillman Creek
Indian Raid in Lincoln County, KS

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$2,000, Awarded 5/21/2019

Project Summary: This is a remembrance event
where the history of the May 30, 1869 Indian raids
will be given by visiting various sites involved in the
raids and giving first and second hand historically
accurate oral presentations of key events.

Use of Funds: To help pay for expenses for the
Indian Raids Remembrance Event on 6/1/19.
Buses $2400; Rentals (Parish Hall, Denmark Hall,
Vesper Community Center) $200; Presenters’ fees
$1,300; Advertising $1,016; Hats for volunteers
$120; sign, etc.. $850.

Impact & Results: We were amazed at the number of participants. We had three buses full, plus had 35 people
driving themselves through the tour. We received so many positive remarks, and thanks for the programs.
People were so appreciative to learn about the Indian Raids and what their ancestor’s had to do to survive
during that time period.

We’ve even gotten thank you cards! One read: “It was a wonderful day in Lincoln Co. on Sat., June 1! The bus tour, the
programs presented, etc.--all so well organized. I realize this did not just happen, I am sure many hours of planning
went into this event. It was good to be reminded of what our fore fathers endured when coming to America for a
new beginning in their lives. Thank you for a great day!” We had the following statistics for participants: Descendants
Count: 45, Alumni Count: 71, General Public: 73

5

Lincoln Art Center, July Music & Picnic

Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund,
$500, Awarded 5/21/2019
Project Summary: The Lincoln Art Center will host a music festival at the Lincoln Golf Course on Friday July 5, 2019.
We have contacted Greg Peterson, of the Peterson Farm Brothers, for the music, well as Mattson & Weaver of Salina
and Don Wagner of Bennington,
Use of Funds: The Post Rock Community Foundation funds were used to pay Greg Peterson’s fee to perform at the
Lincoln Art Center July Music and Picnic.
Impact & Results: The art center attracted a new audience because a well known Kansas artist was performing
at the Music & Picnic event held at the golf course this year. The art center could not have hired Greg Peterson
without the support of the PRCF support, the attendance was much improved from last year and the
audience was more engaged in the presentation than in the past. The art center added new people to the event
as well as bringing guests from previous years. This was a totally new approach for the art center that has helped this
event to include visitors from outside Lincoln County. We had visitors from Great Bend, Ellsworth, Beloit and Salina.
Comments from visitors, “I’ll be back next year”. “Very enjoyable evening”. “Our little kids loved the games and Big
Bubbles, hope you do this again!”.

6