Published Date: January 6, 2020
Cincinnati, Ohio, December 29, 2019 – The Charles H. Dater Foundation awarded six grants totaling $230,000 in December, including $30,000 to Stepping Stones Center to support the Saturday Kids Club and the Saturday Young Adults Club.
Saturday Clubs offer 145 children, teens and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to socialize and enjoy recreational pursuits outside of school. The program is offered twice a month from September through May and participants build confidence, independence and social-interaction skills. At the same time, parents and caregivers benefit from a much-needed respite from constant care.
Saturday Kids Club serves children ages 5 to 16 in a daytime program, while Young Adults Club is an evening program for those ages 15-25. Both employ on-site nurses, specialized staff, 1:1 aides, as well as trained volunteers. Founded in 1963, Stepping Stones provides programs that build pathways to independence for more than 1,000 individuals with disabilities – from age five to 65+. Stepping Stones campuses are located in Batavia, Indian Hill, Monfort Heights, and Norwood.
Grants made in December:
Cincinnati Museum Center, $30,000. The Children’s Museum fuels children’s love of learning and serves young people and families with exciting, educational and age-appropriate programming throughout the year. Support also includes the Learning Through Play conference and registration vouchers for underserved participants.
Community Meal Center, $45,000. Hot, homemade evening meals are served on Fridays and the last Monday of each month at two Hamilton churches to homeless and low-income individuals and families. In addition, this grant will provide startup support for a new initiative with a local church to offer safe, hospitable shelter for homeless women.
Freestore Foodbank, $50,000. The Power Pack Childhood Hunger Prevention Program distributes 200,000 carry-home meals for children in low-income families to ensure they will have food over weekends and during holidays when school meals are not available.
Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center of GC, $25,000. Children’s programming provides access for deaf and hard of hearing young people from kindergarten to high school to experience educational, cultural and social activities in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Library Foundation of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, $50,000. The Homework Helpers program provides free help to K-8 students at 20 library locations where the need is greatest for homework assistance and skill-building coaching.
Stepping Stones Center, $30,000. Saturday Kids Club provides extracurricular activities for children ages five to 16 whose disabilities prevent them from participating fully in typical after-school activities, and Saturday Young Adults offers late-afternoon and early evening social opportunities for similarly disabled young people.
The Dater Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to carry out programs that benefit young people and focus in the areas of arts/culture, education, healthcare, social services and other community needs. Information about the grantmaking process and guidelines and links to an online grant application website are available at www.DaterFoundation.org.
private foundation was established by fourth-generation Cincinnatian, businessman and philanthropist Charles Dater (1912-1993) to ensure that his resources would continue to fund worthwhile community programs after his death. The foundation has made more than 3,100 grants totaling over $52 million since its inception in 1985.
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For additional information regarding this news release, contact Roger Ruhl (513/598-1141).
The Charles H. Dater Foundation, Inc. is located at 602 Main Street, Suite 302, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
