On Wednesday, April 29, representatives of The Hill School’s Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) presented checks to the four area organizations selected to receive a total of $10,000 in funds donated to the School by Charles A. Frank, III, Hill School Class of ’59, and his wife, Elizabeth, for local philanthropic purposes. The students of the Council decided early on in the year-long process that they would direct this year’s awards to organizations and projects with an educational goal.
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County will use the funds to help cover costs of the YouthBuild Partnership, a program which addresses poverty and declining graduation rates as well as decaying housing stock issues in Pottstown. Ten at-risk Pottstown students will be paid to work on the Habitat house (at 408 Beech Street) and will learn construction as well as other life and employment skills. “By having The Hill School involved,” the grant application notes, “Hill students are having a direct impact on other students” in Pottstown.
The Freedom Valley YMCA will apply the funds toward its Child Care Information Service (CCIS) for Montgomery County, which helps qualifying parents research childcare options and meet related expenses which, in turn, will help those individuals or families to secure and maintain employment.
The Tri-County Area YWCA will use the SPC grant as start-up funding for two, eight-week “etiquette” programs (“Little Miss Manners: Empowering Girls Through Etiquette”) for area low-income girls ages 8-12. The program will help girls manage bullying in a positive manner and will build participating girls’ self-esteem, self-respect, and communication skills by teaching topics ranging from manners and hygiene to healthy eating.
Bike Pottstown’s grant request states that funds received will be used to help educate the public about the organization’s bike lending program, which will increase the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation as well as recreation in Pottstown and cause “a cleaner environment, healthy life style, social interaction, and revitalization of our community.”