Lakewood Ranch Community Fund awarding $76,500 grants to local nonprofits

Meals on Wheels Plus is one of the nonprofits that will benefit from the latest round of grant awards from the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. Shown above is Lakewood Ranch volunteer Don O'Leary. Herald photo

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has selected 26 charitable or nonprofit organizations to share $76,500 in grants to be awarded from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday at Northern Trust Community Room, 6320 Venture Drive, Lakewood Ranch.

The John Clarke Humanitarian Award, normally awarded during the grant presentations, will instead be announced during a gala in March.

Grants range from $6,500 to the Stillpoint House of Prayer to help feed the needy to $500 to McNeal Elementary School for a fourth-grade claymation project.

The complete list:

Beyond the Spectrum - $3,500 to purchase technology items (tablets and walkie-talkies) to be used for education and communication purposes.

Childrens Guardian Fund - $2,500 to provide enrichment services for children in foster and State care.

Coexistence/Embracing Our Differences - $2,000 to provide school bus transportation to the Embracing our Differences exhibits.

Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities - $2,500 to Selby Preschool support for therapy, training and counseling.

Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - $3,500 for communications program at Beyond The Spectrum for Lakewood Ranch children.

Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County - $4,000 to to purchase "Raising a Reader" book-kits consisting of books, book bags, library bags, and parent DVD.

Easter Seals Southwest Florida - $5,000 for Project Rainbow program support providing respite care services.

Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies - $2,000 to purchase food for the backpack program.

Family Network on Disabilities of Manatee/Sarasota - $3,500 to provide in-home respite care services.

Family Resources - $1,800 for shelter enhancements (new blinds) and therapeutic rewards for youth.

Feeding Empty Little Tummies - $2,000 to sponsor children with weekend meals for the 2015/2016 school year.

Foundation for Dreams - $5,000 to provide scholarships for children to attend Dream Oaks Summer, Spring Break and/or weekend camp programs.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida - $2,500 to support the "STEM Saturday" program in Lakewood Ranch.

Benjamin David Gullett Elementary School - $3,000 to support the "Power Hour" after school tutoring program.

Junior Achievement Sarasota/Manatee Chapter - $3,100 for Braden River Elementary School field trip to JA "BizTown".

Lakewood Ranch High School - $1,200 to purchase (4) Activeon DX Action Camcorders to be used in the Filmmaking/Media Literacy class.

Making Connections Counseling - $2,000 to support Mental Health Counseling (individual, family, couples, and group counseling).

Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary School - $500 to purchase materials needed to do a Claymation (Clay Animation) project in 4th grade.

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee - $2,500 to purchase equipment for a media center at Daybreak Adult Day Center.

Miracle League of Manasota - $2,900 to purchase one adult changing table and two child changing tables for field restrooms.

Myakka City Foundation - $3,000 to purchase food for the food pantry.

Nature's Academy - $1,500 to support fifth grade students and teachers to participate in the Science Literacy Project.

Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy (SMART) - $3,000 to provide partial and full scholarships of 120 therapeutic riding sessions to children with special needs.

Stillpoint House of Prayer - $6,500 to support the Benevolent Fund (for purchase of food for the needy). Includes $1,500 grant from John & Lydia Kolbas Fund.

Visible Men Academy - $2,500 to support Literacy on the Lawn and Literacy Labs programs.

Manatee County Family YMCA - $5,000 to assist the Y DASH Program for students attending Haile, Nolan and Braden River middle schools.