By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
ACAP’s Children and Family Services program was the recipient of a $500 grant from the York Children’s Foundation recently which will be used toward matching funds for a Community Development Block Grant the agency has already put in for.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
ACAP’s Children and Family Services program, based in Presque Isle, was the recipient of a $500 grant from the York Children’s Foundation, which will be used toward the installation of an elevator at the Parsons Street facility. Pictured from left for the check presentation, held Aug. 31 at Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home, Inc., in Fort Fairfield, are: David O’Neal, funeral attendant; Aaron Giberson, president of the Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home, Inc.; Sue Powers, senior manager of the program; and John Mitchell, representative for Matthews International Corporation/York Children’s Foundation.
The check was presented to Sue Powers, senior manager of the program, by Aaron Giberson, president of the Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home, Inc., in Fort Fairfield.
“Aaron applied for and received the grant, on ACAP’s behalf, from Matthews Casket Company. I actually wrote the grant but it had to be submitted through the funeral home,” said Kim Smith, resource developer with ACAP.
Joining Giberson and Powers for the presentation were John Mitchell, representative for Matthews International Corporation/York Children’s Foundation, and David O’Neal, funeral attendant. Matthews International Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products and brand solutions.
“The York Children’s Foundation was established in 1992 to disburse funds to non-profit organizations that work for the benefit of children. To qualify for a grant, an organization’s activities must be primarily directed towards the welfare and benefit of U.S. children,” said Mitchell.
“We stepped in to facilitate the grant process because we knew ACAP was in the process of making improvements to their center on Parsons Street in Presque Isle,” said Giberson, noting funeral homes can apply for the grant and can choose whom they feel “needs it most.”
Smith said the money will be put toward the matching portion ACAP needs to come up with to qualify for the Community Development Block Grant they’ve applied for.
“We’ve applied for a $350,000 grant through CDBG and need to come up with 25 percent matching funds to qualify,” said Smith.
The money will be used to restore the former Gouldville School ACAP acquired a few years ago and is now using to serve children through Child and Family Services.
“The building is 98 years old and in need of many upgrades,” said Smith.
“The CDBG grant will allow us to make the building handicap-accessible,” added Powers. “We have many parents that have to climb three flights of stairs — many carrying children and bags. We’re working to get an elevator installed to make it easier for them.”
Having the kitchen in the basement has been a problem as well, making it difficult to get hot meals to upper floors.
“An elevator will allow hot meals to be brought up and for handicapped individuals to be able to access the kitchen area,” explained Smith.
Smith and Powers thanked Giberson and Mitchell for the check, noting the money is a good start to reaching their matching goal of just under $100,000.
“Once we get the CDBG money, we should have enough left over, after the elevator is installed, to do some bathroom improvements too,” said Powers.
Powers expected the bid to be awarded soon, with construction to begin thereafter.
For more information or to make a contribution toward ACAP’s fund-raising goal, contact Smith at 764-3721.
