Earlier today the Marietta Community Foundation announced $31,029 in discretionary and emergency grants during its third and final cycle of 2003:

? Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross
$7,000 to support a Disaster Services Director for Washington County

? Ely Chapman Education Foundation
$5,000 to make the Ely Chapman Center handicap accessible

? Washington County Children & Family First Council
$5,000 for emergency assistance and counseling to keep families united

? The Survivor?s Bank of Eve, Inc.
$5,000 for a revolving loan fund for families overcoming domestic abuse

? O?Neill Senior Center
$4,400 to purchase equipment to expand the adult day services program

In addition to these discretionary grants, the Foundation made the following emergency allocations to help local charities achieve their goals:

? Send Help/Marietta Community Food Pantry - $2,000
? Salvation Army - $1,000
? Marietta Family YMCA Partnership with Youth Campaign - $500
? Washington County Community Action Secret Santa - $500
? Ely Chapman Education Foundation - $500
? Caring Connection - $129

?We hope that others in the community will follow the lead of the Marietta Community Foundation and make gifts of their own to these important charities,? says Bret N. Bicoy, President & CEO of the Marietta Community Foundation.  ?Times are tough and your generosity might be the only thing that makes this Christmas merry for many families.?

The Marietta Community Foundation pools together the contributions of our region?s generous families and invests them as a permanent endowment for the community.  The interest, income and appreciation is then used for charity.

?By investing the community?s contributions wisely, the Marietta Community Foundation was able to distribute over $450,000 to local charities and families in need during this past year,? says Bicoy.

For more information, please contact Bret Bicoy at (740) 373-3286.