Dear Editor:
It is the season of the Envelope.
So many envelopes and so many worthwhile causes, large and small, near and far. Tax deductible and most, with a letter I can tell they word-smithed and edited and sweat over, turning just the right phrase, bringing news of accomplishments and work left to do.
One of the first to arrive, the Greene County Community Foundation, stands out, not because of fancy stationary or the most compelling letter, but because it represents a community aggregation of funds — yours, mine, all of us in the community, in conjunction with each other –and because the Foundation then turns those funds back to the community in the form of matching grants.
Matching Grants are those that are at least half funded by the non-profit organization doing the project – Every twenty dollars, every fifty dollars, any amount that we give, means double that to our county economy and our county communities because of this match.
The Foundations’ committee carefully weighs which projects are funded based on grant requests. Some of these great community projects have made a big difference in our daily lives and in the quality of life we all enjoy. Some recent examples: kids programs at the Scranton, Paton and Churdan libraries; firefighters safety equipment and radios in Grand Junction; helping make much needed repairs on our community theatre building and making an office out of an out-of-date little building for Jefferson Matters: Main Street.
Looking at their mission to support our Greene County Communities, I hope you will join your dollars with mine, help the Greene County Community Foundation qualify for their own matching funds and bring more worthwhile projects dollars to Greene County.
And just in case your envelope, like mine, got stuck in the pile doesn’t mean it’s too late. Please, just write that check now to “Greene County Community Foundation” and send it or drop it off at the Extension Office in Jefferson. You really can make a difference!
Thanks for thinking Greene this Envelope season.
Chris Henning
Cooper, IA
(Editor’s note: Donations can be made easily to the Greene County Community Foundation by clicking on the Foundation’s space on GreeneCountyNewsOnline. Follow the links to make a donation via credit card.)
