By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Wood County Museum will make visitors with autism and related conditions more welcomed.
The Wood County Hospital will be able to help low-income moms with essential expenses.
Both those projects got a boost from $1,000 grants from a BGSU class project.
For the second year, Abhishek Bhati‘s Nonprofit Management and Leadership course has set about to raise money, seek funding requests, promote their project, and make the tough decisions as to which non-profit will profit from their work.
Last Friday, the class held a reception at Juniper Brewing to officially hand over the money.
The students, Bhati said, not only did the work – writing proposal, and video scripts, soliciting donations, and reviewing applications, in some cases they donated money. “You guys are the real heroes,” he said, “doing the work and donating.”
Fifteen of the 41 donations came from former and current students in the class, reported Hali Hagemeyer. The average donation was $50 with 39 coming from individuals and two from companies.
The course is the capstone class for the Nonprofit Administration Minor in the Department of Political Science.
Nine non-profits applied for grants. All had worthy goals for the money, said Noah Campbell. “Saying no to them was hard.”
“It was a difficult process, but rewarding nonetheless,” said fellow student Abby Liddy.
Student Kaylee Smith said the grant to the Wood County Museum project promotes diversity and belonging. The money will go to fund the museum will help the museum purchase six identical sensory bags that include fidget toys and noise cancelling headphones.
This will go a long way to help the museum become the county’s first autism destination.
“To be able to offer these tools to make their experience even better while viewing our exhibits is really important,” said Alex Hutchings, an assistant events coordinator at the museum.
She credited Alyssa Garland, an administrative assistant at the museum, as the driving force behind the effort.
Becoming was accessible, Hutchings said, ties into the museum’s past. “Historically it was a place for people with disabilities.”
Student Melissa Kafer said the grant to the hospital will support its new community health worker who helps uninsured and under insured mothers.
The money will be used to provide gas cards to help them with transportation as well as to provide diapers, baby gates, and baby bedding.
Teri Laurer, director of wellness and occupational medicine, said hiring a community health worker grew out of the findings of the community health assessment. Teresa Siwajek was hired as community health worker in January.
The survey revealed those with annual incomes under $25,000 face real health struggles.
There are new moms living garages or living in their cars. The project “provides some resources so they can focus on the more important things,” Laurer said.
The grant from the course helps to meet those needs, she said.
Last year, the non-profit management class raised $1,300 which went to Welcome BG and Falcon Food Pantry.
[RELATED: Two local nonprofits benefit from BGSU class project]
Ellen Schendel , the dean of the College of Arts and Science, was on hand for the presentation. She praised Bhati for creating the program. “It’s great to give these students these real-world experiences and go through the whole process of the grant writing and grant awarding. These are skills they’ll be able to use in whatever fields they go into.”
