Community grants help fund 15 DeKalb County organizations

SYCAMORE – From public safety and education to arts and community development, local projects aimed at addressing community needs received support through the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grant program this fall.

Fifteen area nonprofit and community organizations benefited from grants totaling $191,500, according to a news release.

“Our current compressed air system is a mid-’80s system donated from the Kirkland Fire Department to Lee in 2000,” Chief Jason Aters of the Lee Community Fire Protection District said in a news release. “We have to travel to Amboy during and after every call to replenish our air canisters since that is the closest system compatible to ours. With this grant, we will meet current NFPA and OSHA standards and save valuable volunteer time preparing for calls and, most importantly, keeping our volunteers safe during fires.”

Community Needs Grants are distributed to eligible organizations in DeKalb County in the spring and fall each year. Applications align with five grant-making interest areas: arts and culture, education, community development, environmental and animal welfare, and health and human services.

Fall 2023 Community Needs Grants:

• Bethany Preschool Center Inc. – $1,310 to purchase iPads for educational instruction
• DeKalb Police Department – $4,500 to obtain and train a comfort dog
• Elder Care Services of DeKalb County – $24,000 to build a senior garden and new parking lot
• Genoa-Kingston Volunteer Fire – $12,500 to buy a utility task vehicle
• Girls on the Run of Northwest Illinois – $1,500 to support program activities building social, emotional and physical skills
• Glidden Homestead and Historical Center – $12,500 to aid restoration of Glidden Homestead
• Hiawatha Elementary School – $12,500 to replace school playground
• Hinckley Public Library District – $50,000 to renovate a new public library building
• Kingston Police Department – $6,790 to buy solar-powered speed radar signs
• Lee Community Fire Protection District – $37,000 to replace a self-contained breathing apparatus compressor and filling station
• Little Lambs Preschool – $6,500 to obtain gross motor development toys
• Oaken Acres Wildlife Center – $3,300 to build a fawn protection shelter
• Stage Coach Players Inc. – $4,100 to update seating for accessibility
• Village of Malta – $3,000 to renovate bathrooms at Malta Lions Park
• Village of Waterman – $12,000 to build an off-leash community dog park

One of several grant-making programs at the Community Foundation, Community Needs Grants receive funding through community impact funds, field of interest funds and donor-advised funds, according to the release.

Donations to any fund at the Community Foundation can be made online at dekalbccf.org/donate or by mail to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL 60178. For questions or additional information, email grants@dekalbccf.org.