Continuing its efforts begun in 1998, the Patagonia Regional Community Fund (PRCF) recently announced its 2018 grants to local charitable organizations operating in our East Santa Cruz County communities.
PRCF 2018 grants benefiting our local communities:
•The Santa Cruz County Fair and Rodeo Association (SCCFRA) to help it substantially upgrade the kitchen facilities at the fair/rodeo grounds to full commercial grade to allow it to better prepare meals for the many fair, rodeo, horse race, 4-H, FFA and other local events and fundraisers held at the fair/rodeo grounds and other area locations.
•Patagonia Community Radio (KPUP) to fund the purchase of new emergency alert system hardware to replace the non-functioning hardware now in place. This new hardware will allow KPUP to properly fulfill its role as the designated local broadcaster for the Federal Emergency Alert System, a critical need of our communities given our recent frequent wildfires.
•The Patagonia Regional Times to fund the development of a new website and to enable the purchase of donation software.
PRCF’s 2018 grants benefiting our local seniors, veterans and others:
•The Senior Citizens of Patagonia to fund the construction of a sturdy steel carport adjacent to the Sonoita Fire Department to shelter the new medical appointment van now stationed there to serve Sonoita, Elgin and Canelo residents.
•Family Healthcare Amigos to help support its improved Lending Shed program that loans durable medical equipment to those needing it.
PRCF 2018 grants benefiting our local youth have been made to:
•The Patagonia Creative Arts Association to support its continuing “Voices for Young Authors” program which it runs in collaboration with the Patagonia Library, Patagonia Elementary School, and Patagonia Montessori School.
•The Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center (PYEC) to help it offer a “Kids Can Cook!” program in conjunction with the Pima Community College Culinary Arts Program. The goal of this program is for local volunteers and others to educate youth about the various tasks and jobs associated with cooking which will hopefully lead to culinary related careers for some and better nutrition and food preparation for all. This program will be presented in the new commercial grade kitchen now in progress at the new home of the PYEC at the corner of South Third Avenue and Duquesne (across the street from the Patagonia Fire Department).
•Borderlands Restoration Network to help fund a joint program with the Patagonia Creative Arts Association to present a series of workshops for local youth to explore the intersection of ecology and the arts.
Many of these community efforts supported by PRCF are joint ventures involving a variety of local organizations. Such joint efforts are favored by PRCF to better and more effectively take advantage of our many local, often complementary resources and of PRCF’s limited funds available to grant.
PRCF is grateful for the contributions made to it by local residents which allow it to support such worthy community efforts, now and into the future. If you would like to help support such community efforts, you can contribute to PRCF online through the Arizona Community Funds website at azfoundation.org or by sending a check made out to PRCF to ACF’s Southeast Arizona Regional Office at PO Box 1208, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636.