By Trinity Tatman
The St. Anthony Park Community Foundation has awarded $41,200 in grants to support the programs and activities of 16 local nonprofit organizations and community groups.
Part of the foundation’s funding will also support creating a volunteer engagement hub in 2022-2023.
The foundation has funded $31,200 for its Community Grant stream and $10,000 for the Volunteer Engagement Coordination Grant stream, which seeks to develop a sustainable volunteer ecosystem in the St. Anthony Park community, Foundation executive director Julie Dreschler said in a statement.
This new Volunteer initiative comes after the Foundation consulted with community partners and identified a need to increase volunteerism and coordination in the community, Dreschler said.
Every year, the foundation funds local non-profit organizations and programs that support the community in the arts and music, education programs for youth and adults, physical-health awareness and community engagement.
“One of the best parts of my role is to be able to contact applicants and let them know that the Community Foundation is able to support the great work they are doing in St. Anthony Park,” Drechsler said. “These community organizations and groups do so much for our local community, supporting St. Anthony Park to be a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable community for all.”
Programs and initiatives funded for the current fiscal year include:
• Schubert Club: Julie Himmelstrup “Music in the Park” series.
• Exodus Lending: Creating a pathway from economic exploitation to affordable credit.
• Saint Anthony Park Areas Seniors: Funding for general operating support.
• Keystone Community Services: Meals on Wheels and food shelf delivery.
• St. Anthony Park Community Council: General operating support.
• Saint Anthony Park Community Council: SAP data project: Phase 2.
• Saint Anthony Park Elementary School Association: SAP Elementary Wolf Ridge 2023.
• Saint Anthony Park Elementary School Association: Fourth grade puppetry residency.
• International Institute of Minnesota: Providing community-based experiential learning opportunities for adult English language learners.
• Park Bugle: Funding for general operating support.
• St. Anthony Park clergy and leaders: ‘North and South Together’ community meal and volunteer engagement.
• Minnesota Urban Debate League: Voice, Power, Change: Empowering St. Paul Urban Debaters.
• Urban Boat Builders: Apprenticeship program for underserved youth.
• Creative Enterprise Zone: General operations support.
• Children’s Dental Services: Critical dental care and vaping, tobacco and substance abuse preventive education for 600 Murray Middle School Students.
• St. Anthony Park Branch Library Association: 2023 St. Anthony Park Arts Festival/Art Programming.
The initiative funded by the current fiscal year from the Volunteer Engagement Coordination Grant include:
• Creative Enterprise Zone and St. Anthony Park Community Council: Saint Anthony Park Community Engagement/Volunteer Hub.
Newer grantees for this year are the St. Anthony Park Clergy and Leaders and Children’s Dental Services.
The foundation received $45,450 in funding requests for its community grant stream and its Volunteer Engagement Coordination Grant stream received $23,200 in funding requests.
The foundation, through its endowment funds, was able to guarantee full or partial funding to support the continuation of these programs and their futures.
Drechsler said even though the funding requests exceed available monies, “the St. Anthony Park Community Foundation Board is committed to grow our endowed funds to try to meet the demand for funding. We rely on the generosity of our local community members, local businesses and community organizations to continue to support the foundation.”
Grantees appreciate community support
Some grantees expressed gratitude for the foundation’s long-lasting support.
The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a program with Augsburg University which provides academic programming to 1,200 students in the metro, takes the standard debate format and adapts it to various groups to directly support academic growth for middle and high school students, said Rebecca Froehlich, the development and communications manager.
“One of the most important elements of our program is that we have multiple types of coaches,” Froehlich said. “All these roles have stipends. So, thanks to the St. Anthony Park Community Foundation, we can use those funds to help fund the stipends that help develop our alumni and current students’ leadership skills, while also helping younger students develop their skills and build connections with people like them.”
The Schubert Club’s Julie Himmelstrup “Music in the Park” series, which has been providing chamber music concerts at St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ since 1979, is a crowd and community favorite that draws hundreds each year, said Amy Marret, director of development.
“We are just very thankful for the St. Anthony Park Community Foundation’s support,” Marret said.
Community members interested in donating to the foundation can do it through its website or GiveMN page.
The foundation’s annual grants are funded through three endowed funds: the Andy Boss Fund, the SAP Environmental Education Fund and the Gerald McKay Family Music Fund.
Trinity Tatman will be a third-year journalism and political science student at the University of Minnesota this fall. She is participating in the Bugle’s student journalism intern program with the university.
