Arnold Nonprofits Receive Ladders to Success Grants

Two local nonprofits working to better the lives of children and families were recently honored with grants totaling more than $20,000.

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County recently announced nearly $125,000 in financial awards this year to local nonprofit groups through its grant program.

The foundation was established in 1998 for the people of Anne Arundel County to connect donors with the causes they care about.

The YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, housed in Arnold, was given $10,000 to support and expand the Turning Point program currently used with students at Annapolis High School.

“This program has demonstrated success in providing academic advancement to participants and providing a safe alternative to young women in the after-school hours that includes education on suicide prevention and drug and alcohol awareness,” foundation officials said in a release.

“This funding helps us expand our Turning Point mentoring program to Meade High School, which uses a federally approved, evidence-based curriculum for academic and personal support, drug awareness and suicide prevention,” said Molly Knipe, executive director for the YWCA.

“The financial literacy component uses the EverFi curriculum to provide the girls with a financial foundation. The program has been successful at Annapolis High School resulting in improved grades, reduced truancy and interpersonal issues. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand these services within the county."

The Anne Arundel Community College Foundation received a $12,500 grant from the county community foundation to support the Parent Academy program that serves parents of rising middle school students in the Severn and Fort Meade areas of the county. The program targets Hispanic families to help them deal with the academic and emotional needs of their children.

For more, visit www.cfaac.org.