Greater Pike grants go to 28 area nonprofits

This year’s grants from the Richard L. Snyder Fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation total more than $100,000 and will benefit 28 different nonprofit organizations. The grants will be used to sponsor local arts, culture, festivals and events; to maintain and enhance public areas in Milford Borough; and to support public health initiatives and medical research.

Among the cultural programs that the grants will support are musical performances, living history programs, films and access to local museums.

At American Readers Theatre, Director Jeffrey Stocker noted the much-needed grant will be used to continue the ART Living History series. He thanked the Foundation and the Richard L Snyder Fund, adding, “The project reaches hundreds of students in the Delaware Valley School District whose teachers can introduce them to local history in a unique way.”

Educational and medical programs that will be enhanced by the funding include the purchase of emergency response equipment for Westfall Township Volunteer Fire Department, weightlifting equipment for the Delaware Valley School District, and support for the Pike County Humane Society to help animals in need.

The Westfall Township Volunteer Fire Department can now equip all fire apparatus with cellular enabled iPads. Assistant Fire Chief Kyle Innella explained that the new capability allows for improved situational awareness for officers and members, from the real-time location of the responding apparatus to preplanning information about the response area that can be shared with mutual aid partners.

A new addition to Pike County getting a helping hand from Greater Pike’s Snyder Fund is Family Promise of Monroe County, which recently purchased a building with plans to open an emergency shelter for at-risk and homeless children and their families. For the past four years, Family Promise has been assisting homeless individuals and families by using hotels, at a cost of $10,000 to $12,000 per month. In all, thirty-six families from Pike County were provided emergency shelter, meals and case-managed support this past year and since July 1, 2022, seven Pike County families have been sheltered.

Understanding this is not a sustainable model, Family Promise recently purchased a property in Milford that currently is undergoing renovations and is expected to open later this year. The Snyder grant funding will assist Family Promise as they improve the exterior and landscape at the new location.

Other improvement that the community can look forward to as a result of the grants include construction of an outdoor stage at the Milford Community House, holiday decorations in Milford and Matamoras, and park, sidewalk, streetscape and building façade improvements.

The Biddis and Kiehl Memorial Parks, located in the center of Milford, serve as gathering places for remembering our fallen heroes, first responders, and founding fathers, or at times, simply a location to take a minute to reflect, read, or enjoy a conversation. Planned restoration includes improved accessibility by replacing gravel walkways, providing sustainable landscaping, and repairing and cleaning of monuments and seating areas.

Milford and Matamoras will have expanded and improved holiday lighting this season as a result of the Snyder grant funding for each. The Milford Lions Club, which relies on fundraising, community donations, and many hours of volunteer time to accomplish the holiday tree lighting in Milford Borough, plans to utilize the funds to expand the lighting area and update electrical components.

Following is a complete list of the grantees and their projects funded by the 2022 Richard L Snyder Fund:

· Milford Music Festival for Milford Music Fest and Septemberfest;

· Opera Pike Park for Performers and Promotion;

· Milford Readers & Writers Festival for hall rental and marketing;

· Hanna Q Dance Company for dancers and transportation costs;

· Pocono Environmental Education Center for its Earthwalk Exhibit;

· Kindred Spirits for three indoor performances this fall and winter;

· Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition to produce a Tom Quick documentary;

· Pike County Public Library to provide local museum passes;

· Tri-State Chorale for services and facilities for 2022 concert series;

· American Readers Theatre to produce a living history program;

· Dingmans Ferry Theatre to produce a Sinatra show;

· Peter’s Valley School of Craft to support an artist workshop at PCPL;

· Pocono Arts Council for a chainsaw artist at Grey Towers Festival of Wood;

· Green Trees Early Learning for its Honor our Families event;

· Black Bear Film Festival for theater and tent rental and marketing;

· Family Promise for property improvements at its new Milford location;

· Historic Preservation Trust to restore the Bloomgarden Building;

· Milford Community House to support construction of outdoor stage;

· Milford Borough for improvements to Biddis and Kiehl Memorial parks/monuments;

· Milford Enhancement Committee for sidewalk and streetscape enhancements;

· Milford Lions Club for holiday tree lighting upgrade;

· Heart of Matamoras for holiday borough decorations;

· Delaware Valley School District for weightlifting equipment;

· Pike County Humane Society to create a medical account for animals in need;

· Westfall Twp. Vol. Fire Department for emergency response communication equipment;

· Pike Autism Support Services for its “I Care” music” program;

· Sero Project to attend HINAC conference in 2023.