The Scott County Community Foundation is celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2017. Throughout the year, we will share stories from people who have been impacted by the efforts of our donors and volunteers. The?Scottsburg Kiwanis Club Fund was established 17 years ago by Kiwanis Club member and philanthropist Dwight Chamberlain. Members recommend grants to support the community each year, and have helped many local organizations through their endowment fund. Kiwanis member Al Riggle shares his thoughts on behalf of the Club.
Congratulations to the Scott County Community Foundation for 20 years of ?Looking Forward, Giving Back.?? The visionaries who started the Foundation believed in the future and recognized the value of investing in that future.? Their foresight enabled many groups and organizations to annually support programs and projects that make a difference for the future of Scott County.? I am proud of the Scottsburg Kiwanis Club Fund and the ability it gives us to support kids in our community to give them a good start on the road to success.
Kiwanis believe the best way to improve a community is to improve the kids in that community.? As a result the Kiwanis use the funds available through the Community Foundation to help our kids get a good start.? We use the funds to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a powerful literacy program to provide quality books to our kids from birth to age five once each month.? These books provide our kids an incredible advantage as they begin Pre-K and their academic career.? There are volumes of research that confirm the value of reading for these young kids.? It works!? Scott County has made incredible progress in growing this program; our challenge now is to reach the last 20-30% of the kids who are not receiving these books and missing out on this incredible opportunity.
The Kiwanis also use these funds to support the Lexington Good Faith Preschool in Lexington.? This grassroots program supported by many in our community provides the opportunity for our young kids to be prepared to enter school and succeed.? Many studies highlight the value of Pre-K in establishing a baseline to start their education. The difference in those who do not have this preparation is staggering and unfortunately these students generally never catch up.? The Kiwanis believe strongly this is one way to prepare our kids for success.
Finally the Kiwanis use these funds to support Kids First.? Our kids have many challenges and obstacles to prevent them from achieving success.? Groups like Kids First work hard to provide the means to overcome these obstacles and give some of our neediest kids the chance to succeed.? Sometimes the opportunity to help a child only comes once.? If we?re not prepared to meet it at that time, we may never get that chance again.? Kids First is there when our kids need them and we?re proud to be one of their supporters.
Twenty years ago the founders of the Community Foundation couldn?t imagine a Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, Lexington Preschool and the incredible things Kids First are doing to make a difference in our community.? However they did have the vision to believe in the future and the opportunities that good people who believe in our community might need!? We thank them on behalf of all the kids they have benefited and all the kids they will benefit in the future!? Thank you Community Foundation and we look forward to another 20 years!
