Foundation to fund community programs

Downtown Havre will look better, poor people will eat better, young people will get Christmas gifts and the community orchestra will perform better, all because of the Hill County Community Foundation.

The foundation announced seven mini-grants on Monday for its 2015 grant cycle.

A total of $4,348 was awarded to seven projects in three focus areas: basic human needs, community beautification and arts and culture.

Foundation officials said this was the most competitive year ever for the foundation. More than $10,000 in grant requests were made.

The grants included:

• New bike racks will be built in downtown Havre thanks to a grant made by the foundation to Havre Main Street Revitalization Project.

Paul Tuss. executive director of Bear Paw Development Corp., said three or four bicycle racks will be built in downtown Havre.

They will be decorative racks, each fitting into a theme specific to Havre and the Hi-Line. They will be spread out to downtown locations where they are needed, he said.

The money will be used to buy materials. Welding students at Montana State University-Northern will volunteer their time to make the racks, he said.

• New signs to direct people into Fort Assinniboine will be paid from a grant. One will replace a sign near the entrance to the landmark. The existing sign is tattered, said Lynda Tapplin, president of Fort Assinniboine Preservation Association.

A new sign will be placed in front of the library building, which will become the Fort Assinniboine Interpretive Center, where visitors can learn about the various buildings on the fort.

• Feed My Sheep Kitchen will get $500 to help supplement donations it gets to provide hot lunches six days a week.

Kathy Tilleman from Feed My Sheep said there are always needs that go beyond what people can contribute, so the donation will be valuable.

• Havre Police Wives will get money to help out with their Shop With a Cop program.

Laura Meyer said her group, which consists of spouses of Havre officers, is working with the Havre Police Protective Association in conducting the first Shop With a Cop.

In the past, officers have gone Christmas shopping with young people who were taking part in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, but this year they will undertake their own program.

She said the police are looking for youngsters who may have had an unfortunate experience with officers, perhaps a youngster who has had a relative arrested by police. Or they will find someone in financial need.

They will be driven to Walmart in a police car with lights flashing to go on a shopping trip.

• The Montana State University-Northern Community Orchestra will get $1,000 for a snew keyboard, said the orchestra’s Sharon Dolph.

• A grant will help Hill County Drug and Alcohol Court provide emergency help to its clients. Paul Nugent, the coordinator of the program, said sometimes people taking part in the program face emergency needs that are not covered by other programs — perhaps a wife will kick the husband out of the home — and they have nowhere else to turn.

Havre Trails also received a community foundation grant. Information on that was not available this morning.

The foundation is an affiliate of the Montana Community Foundation, whose mission is to “cultivate a culture of giving to empower Montana communities to flourish.”

As the fiscal year comes to a close, the foundation is seeking donations from the public to grow its endowment. As the endowment grows, more grant money will be available.

Inquiries about donations or grants? Email [email protected] or call Pam Veis at 390-4947.