This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). The program supports eligible hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals for their respective organizations through purchases of hardware, software and training. SHIP also enables small rural hospitals to become or join accountable care organizations (ACOs), to participate in shared savings programs, and to purchase health information technology (hardware and software), equipment, and/or training to comply with quality improvement activities such as advancing patient care information, promoting interoperability, and payment bundling. The max funding is $12,000.00/year. For more information go to this link.

Education/Schools

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS is offering grants to public school libraries in the communities served by Dollar General. The Dollar General School Library Relief Fund provides grants of up to $20,000 to pre-K-12 public schools whose school library programs have been affected by a natural disaster, fire, or an act of terrorism. Schools that have absorbed a significant number of displaced/evacuee students are also eligible to apply. Deadline: grant applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Visit the AASL website here to submit an online application.

SAFER BRAND is offering funding to start a school garden with the goals of encouraging children to be active outside and to engage students in learning about nutrition and the environment. Deadline: 12/1/2018. Click here to visit the website for more information about this grant.

KidsGardening.org is offering funding and gardening supplies to schools and community organizations with youth-centered garden programs. Deadline to apply: 12/17/2018. Click here to review application guidelines.

Whole Kids Foundation is accepting applications for the School Garden Grant Program. Grants of $2,000 are available to help fund garden projects at public and private K-12 schools in the United States. Deadline: 10/15/2018.  Click here for more information.

USDA is offering funding through the Farm to School Grant Program. In this funding cycle USDA anticipates awarding approximately $5 million in grant funding to support efforts that improve access to local foods in schools. Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis, subject to availability of federal funds. Applicants may apply for a Planning grant, Implementation grant, or Training grant. Planning grant awards will range from $20,000-$50,000 and implementation grant awards will from $50,000-$100,000. Funding for training grants is expected to range from $20,000-$50,000. For all three types of grants, the federal share of a project cannot exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the project, as required by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Therefore, the applicant must provide at least 25 percent of the costs of the total project. The total project cost is the federal grant request amount plus the applicant match. Applications are due by 12/08/2018. Click here for more information.

Community

The Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program is providing financial support to communities in one or more of their strategic areas of giving. Westinghouse’s Strategic Areas of Giving are STEM, Environmental Sustainability, and Community Safety and Vitality. To be eligible you must be within 50 miles of one their sites (parts of Barnwell and Bamberg are eligible). Proposals are reviewed by the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Advisory Board. For specific strategic areas of giving criteria, proposal requirements, timeline information, application process, and more, go to: Program Details.

USDA accepts applications year-round through it Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program to provide affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. Maximum grant allowed is $50,000 and match is determined by the Median Household Income of the service. For more information, click here.

The Walmart Foundation is accepting grant applications through its Community Grant Program. This program has 8 Areas of Funding listed below. Grants range from $250 to $5,000. The deadline to apply is 12/31/2018. Click here for more information.

1. Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating
2. Health and Human Service
3. Quality of Life
4. Education:
5. Community and Economic Development
6. Diversity and Inclusion
7. Public Safety
8. Environmental Sustainability

FEMA is accepting applications for its Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). Grants for fire departments and EMS organizations for equipment, training, personnel wellness programs, capital funding, and collaboration efforts. Application Deadline: Oct 26, 2018. Click here for more information.

Health

HRSA is offering funding through it is Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health. This Healthy Start program provides grants to high-risk communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the U.S. national average and high rates of other adverse perinatal outcomes (e.g., low birthweight, preterm birth, maternal morbidity and mortality). HS works to reduce the disparity in health status between the general population and individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups. The deadline to apply is 11/27/2018. Click here for more information about this grant.

HRSA is offering funding through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). This program supports eligible hospitals in meeting value-based payment and care goals for their respective organizations, through purchases of hardware, software and training. SHIP also enables small rural hospitals: to become or join accountable care organizations (ACOs); to participate in shared savings programs; and to purchase health information technology (hardware and software), equipment, and/or training to comply with quality improvement activities, such as advancing patient care information, promoting interoperability, and payment bundling. Maximum funding is $12,000 per hospital per year. The deadline to apply is 01/03/2019.  Click here for more information about this program.

HRSA is offering funding through the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program. The purpose of the Network Planning program is to assist in the development of an integrated health care network, specifically network participants who do not have a history of formal collaborative efforts in order to: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of essential health care services; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. A rural health network is defined as an organizational arrangement among at least three separately owned regional or local health care providers that come together to develop strategies for improving health services delivery systems in a community. Health care networks can be an effective strategy to help smaller rural health care providers and health care service organizations align resources and strategies, achieve economies of scale and efficiencies, and address challenges more effectively as a group than as single providers. The deadline to apply is 11/30/2018. For more information on this program, click here.

USDA is offering funding through The Delta Health Care Services Grant Program, which supports the development of health care services, health education programs, health care job training programs, and the development and expansion of public health-related facilities. Deadline: 11/19/2018. Click here for an application overview.

Housing

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE is offering funding for programs that are designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems, including those found in rural and underserved areas. Funding priorities in 2019 include prescription drug and opioid abuse, education, and public safety. Deadline: Letter of Intent 12/12/2018 (optional); application 1/30/2019. Click here to review program guidelines.

HUD is offering grants through the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), which seeks to facilitate and encourage innovative homeownership opportunities on a national, geographically diverse basis. Homebuyers must be low-income and must contribute a significant amount of sweat equity towards the development of the SHOP units. Deadline: 11/12/2018. Click here for application guidelines.

Agriculture

USDA is offering funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grants and Guaranteed Loans. The program offers financing and grant funding for agriculture producers and rural small businesses to purchase, install, and construct renewable energy systems or complete energy efficiency improvements. Deadline: 10/31/2018. Click here for more information.

EPA is seeking applicants for Local Food, Local Places (LFLP) technical assistance program. Local Foods, Local Places helps cities and towns across the country protect the environment and human health by engaging with local partners to reinvest in existing neighborhoods as they develop local food systems. In 2017, the program was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA).  The Northern Border Regional Commission will join as a sponsor in 2018. The deadline to apply is 10/22/18. Click here for more information.

The Smartbox will begin taking applications for Aftercare at 246 Hampton Avenue in Fairfax on October 1st. Registration fee is $25 with $5 daily cost paid on a monthly basis. You may also register at thesmartboxunlocks.com or call 843-227-3745.

The SmartBox is an educational system that enhances the learning experience for all children. The SmartBox is responsive and supportive, dedicated to students’ success, and provide students the highest quality of learning and service. The SmartBox Mission is to empower all students (ages 6 -15) by providing a positive environment where they can master the skills needed to become successful lifelong learners. The SmartBox’s main goal is to inspire students to become one with their tutors. This relationship in turn builds the student’s confidence and encourages independent learners prepared to meet academic and personal challenges. The SmartBox promises to deliver a service that will enhance the learning of every student to allow them to succeed in the present while preparing them for the future. Benefits of using SmartBox services include:

• Student attitude and behavior will improve and self-esteem will be enhanced.
• Student achievement and motivation for learning will increase.
• Appropriate student behavior will be modeled and reinforced

The Smartbox operates Monday-Friday from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in accordance with Allendale County School District’s academic calendar.

SmartBox Allendale location offers a meal.

SmartBox offers private and group tutorial services based on students individualized academic assessments.

​Services Include:

• Homework assistance
• Reading support
• Activities

​Individualized tutoring services are $40 per hour. Small group tutoring services are also offered at a rate of $30 per hour for each student. Small groups consist of 2-3 students. Fess are paid at the time tutoring services are administered.

​       Services Include:

• one to one tutoring in math
• one to one tutoring in reading
• one to one tutoring in writing
• small group tutoring in math, reading, and writing.

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The Smartbox, 202 North Hampton Avenue, Fairfax, SC, will be hosting a class on the 501c3 process. Topics include communication with USDA, grant writing, budgeting and much more. Class will be held 10am-12noon, October 13th, 2018. Cost is $25 a person with lunch included.