United Way of the Florida Keys will distribute a total of $155,000 in grants to 15 nonprofit agencies in 2015-16.
The 15 agencies were among 17 that applied for funding in one of three United Way focus areas: access to nutritious food for people in critical need; early childhood or after-school care with an educational or positive behavioral component; or safety net services, including information and referral or short-term emergency response.
2015-16 grant recipients providing access to nutritious food include:
- Burton Memorial United Methodist Church - $15,000 for the Daily Bread food pantry
- Domestic Abuse Shelter - $4,000 for food for children in shelter
- Florida Keys Children's Shelter - $14,000 for the food fund for children
- Florida Keys Outreach Coalition - $8,000 for Loaves and Fish pantry and residential meals program
- Independence Cay - $8,000 for the soup kitchen and community garden
- Keys Area Interdenominational Resources (KAIR) - $15,000 for its food pantry
- Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens (MARC) - $5,000 for Food and Individual Training (FIT)
- Star of the Sea Outreach Mission - $25,000 for a Keys-wide food distribution program
- Wesley House Family Services - $10,000 for the Inez Martin Nutritional Backpack Program
- 2015-16 grant recipients providing early childhood or after-school care include:
- Bahama Village Music Program - $5,000 for after-school music enrichment program
- Boys and Girls Clubs of the Keys - $10,000 for the Summer Brain Gain program
- Burton Memorial United Methodist Church - $10,000 for its Child Development Center
- Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition - $6,000 for "Keys to Kids' Safety" parenting program
- Marathon Recreation Center - $18,000 for after-school care
2015-16 grant recipient providing safety net services:
- Switchboard of Miami, Inc. - $2,000 to support the 2-1-1 Helpline of the Keys
- The 2015-16 grant recipients were selected based on a scoring model calculated from feedback submitted by 30 United Way Board members and community volunteers who reviewed applications and visited agencies in each region of the Keys.
