DeKALB – The DeKalb Community Foundation has opened applications for their Promise Grant program. According to the organization, the Promise Grant works to “inspire, educate, and empower individuals who may experience extraordinary challenges due to their ethnicity, immigration status, and abilities.”
Funding for the grant comes from The Promise Fund-El Fondo de la Promesa, which was founded in 2001 to support local minority populations. Since 2021, additional support has come from the Howard and Mildred Eychaner Fund created in honor of two local community members with the purpose of assisting the underserved communities of the DeKalb area. The fund is comprised of over $250,000 and is set to be awarded over the course of 10 years.
In 2022, a total of $9,522 was awarded to five different local organizations: Barb City Manor Retirement Home, DeKalb County Community Gardens, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, Hinckley Area Food Pantry, and Neighbors’ House.
Upon receiving the grant, Sally Thomson, vice president of Hinckley Area Food Pantry, said the grant provided them with the support needed to continue their efforts
“This support enables us to fulfill our longtime goal of reaching food-insecure families in our communities and ensuring no children go hungry. We are extremely grateful,” Thomson said.
Hinckley Area Food Pantry is a non-profit organization that assists residents of Big Rock, Hinckley, Maple Park and Waterman. The Promise Grant program provided the food pantry with $1,265, specifically to aid low-income teenagers in the area and provide them with food and other items.
Applications for the grant opened Aug. 15 and the final deadline for submissions is Oct. 1.
