Boys and Girls Club grant recipients with Decatur Rotary's Community Grants Chair

In May, the Decatur Rotary Club presented $18,000 in grants to non-profit organizations based in DeKalb County that focus on youth literacy and at-risk youth in DeKalb County. The 2018 recipients included:

• Friends of Refugees - Focus: Use funds to purchase books for literacy program which assists refugee families with children by providing them with one book a month for eight months; amount will pay for eight books each for 50 families.
• Clarkston Community Center - Focus: Use funds for purchasing design software for use in Art and Entrepreneurship program focused on teaching refugee children how to make furniture from recycled materials some of which will be donated to newly arrived refugee families, summer program.
• Global Village Project - Focus: Use funds to support school for newly arrived refugee girls 11-18 years old.
• DeKalb Library Foundation - Focus: Use funds to buy materials for Mobile Makerspace Kits for use in DeKalb Public Library STEAM programs for children 8-15 years old, amount will pay for 5-6 kits.
• REAP - Focus: Use funds for Summer Reading Camp for 40 economically disadvantaged City of Decatur students in 1st to 5th grade and to train 15 City of Decatur teachers in reading instruction, amount will pay for four students for a two week camp experience
• Gentle Spirit Church - Focus: Use funds to purchase supplies for personal hygiene kits to be distributed to homeless persons. Amount will cover cost for 290 kits.
• Boys & Girls Club - Focus: Use funds to operate Book Club at Decatur Boys and Girls Club, will involve 75 children, amount will pay for materials for four book bins.
• Shalom International Ministry - Focus: Use funds to create a self-directed Learning Center for 26 refugee and immigrant children from the Clarkston area.
• Decatur Housing Authority - Focus: Use funds for STAR Academic Summer Camp for 70 children 3rd to 8th grade from the Decatur Housing Authority residences, amount will pay for all supplies and instructors for camp.
• Our House - Focus: Use funds to purchase supplies and instructional materials for Early Childhood Education Program focused on preparing homeless children for kindergarten, six week summer program.
• Decatur Makers Club - Focus: Use funds to expand Girl Makers Club which provides STEM related education to middle school girls by involving them in hands on creative programs, funds will allow for expansion of Club to students living in the Decatur Housing Authority residences and Clarkston area.

The Community Grants Committee included Rotarians Mark Burnette, Liz Grofic, and Art Rosser.