State College, PA – Two grant proposals have moved on to the third and final round of Centre Inspires, a transformative grants program of Centre Foundation. One of these proposals will ultimately receive a $100,000 grant to fund a community engagement project focused on the health and social sector in Centre County that will inspire local residents.
“Centre Inspires was designed to be a collaborative granting process from start to finish,” explained Molly Kunkel, Executive Director of Centre Foundation. “Organizations were encouraged to partner with one another, leveraging their considerable talents and finding innovative projects to engage our community. The chosen finalists have done just that, with a combined total of twenty-three partner organizations and businesses.”
New Leaf Initiative is hoping their proposed project will make healthy, local food accessible and appealing to all Centre County residents through innovative Food Centres. The Food Centres are self-contained, multi-use, mobile facilities housed inside retrofitted shipping containers. Penn State University engineering students will help transform the shipping containers into inviting centers of food activity, including a cold storage unit, a commercial kitchen, and a community garden. The Food Centre will offer a variety of programs designed to better acquaint the community with whole foods, from kids’ cooking classes to farm-to-table workshops.
Centre Bike is asking Centre County residents to imagine taking over the streets through their proposed project, “Open Streets.” The premise of Open Streets is to engage the entire community and to make healthful, active living accessible to all. The vision of the project includes a mile section of road closed to vehicles where a variety of activity hubs will be scattered throughout the street. The hubs will have fitness and wellness related themes, featuring activities to attract all ages. Open Streets invites county residents to feel free to run, bike, play, or roam in the street while engaging with one another and experiencing a new sense of joy and freedom.
“We’re looking forward to announcing the recipient of this year’s $100,000 Centre Inspires grant during our Annual Awards Dinner on October 28th at the Nittany Lion Inn,” added Kunkel.
Centre Foundation is committed to helping donors fulfill their philanthropic goals by building and maintaining a permanent collection of endowment funds. The Foundation champions the betterment of Centre County for both present and future generations with trustworthy leadership in shaping effective responses to community issues and opportunities.
