Chelsea Community Foundation Awards More Than $30,000 to Local Nonprofits

Chelsea, MI, April 22, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The Chelsea Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, awarded $25,000 (over two years) to the Chelsea Center for the Arts and $6,275 to Faith in Action Inc.

The grant to Chelsea Center for the Arts will support the expansion of artistic initiatives. Specific initiatives include the artist-in-residence program, and the related Midwest Literary Walk and songwriting workshops, all of which are conducted in partnership with the Chelsea District Library.

“We are excited to continue collaborating with the Chelsea District Library,” said Aubrey Martinson, executive director of Chelsea Center for the Arts. “Our partnership with the Library helps bring together significant resources and experiences that create successful community programs.”

The award also will enable the Chelsea Center for the Arts and the Chelsea District Library to develop their combined programming while incorporating revenue-generating activities that will help to sustain these initiatives into the future.

The grant of $6,275 to Faith in Action Inc. will support a community garden project. This award will help address three areas of need to ensure the long-term success of the community garden: a reliable water source, permanent fencing, and equipment to till the soil.

“Community gardens foster a true sense of fellowship and shared responsibility for those who participate,” said Nancy Paul, director of Faith in Action Inc. "We're grateful to the City of Chelsea for making the land available to us and to the gardeners who have a heart for providing fresh food to local low income families."

Community gardens help reinforce the importance of fresh food and local food systems. The location of the community garden provides visibility for the initiative and opportunity for further expansion, if necessary. A portion of the food grown in the garden will support the Faith in Action food pantry.

The Chelsea Community Foundation is a permanent charitable endowment fund that provides an ongoing source of revenue for qualified and needed programs and activities in the Chelsea community. Founded in December 1995, the Chelsea Community Foundation has a permanent charitable endowment of more than $1.5 million and has awarded more than $980,000 in grants to organizations working to improve the quality of life in Chelsea and surrounding communities. The Chelsea Community Foundation is an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

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