Pearls with a Passion Grant recipients pose with FCFP President and CEO, Jennifer Wilson (far right) at the Discovering Pearls event in May. PHOTO SUBMITTED

The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP) announces the 2022 Pearls with a Passion Fund grant awards. Pearls with a Passion is a women’s giving society initiative that brings together women from a variety of backgrounds with a common goal – to create powerful communities through passionate giving. This fund empowers women across our region to get involved, to impact lives forever, to celebrate the role in our community and inspire others to give.

The Pearls with a Passion Fund members voted to focus the 2022 grantmaking dollars on programs and projects that benefit individuals, children, and families in crisis in Lycoming and Union Counties. This year’s grant cycle received over $66,000 in requests with $26,000 available for grantmaking.

The grants awarded for 2022 are as follows:

• Snyder Union Mifflin Child Development Inc. – $2,200: for the SUMMIT Early Learning Family Tuition Assistance Program, which helps provide continued childcare for families in need during difficult times.

• AIDS Resource Alliance, Inc. – $4,000: to support the HIV Prevention Assistance for Sexual Assault Survivors program, which provides free HIV prevention medication to sexually assaulted individuals.

• DIG Furniture Bank – $4,800: to support the implementation of a management software program to advance DIG’s ability to personalize client services, a critical part of achieving their mission of instilling dignity after crisis.

• Camp Koala – $5,000: to support the costs of conducting six-week grief support groups for grieving children in partnership with local School Districts.

• Family Promise of Lycoming County Inc. – $5,000: to support The Promising Futures program to meet the housing needs of people in crisis and in danger of losing their homes, or the safety of their homes.

• Think BIG Pediatric Cancer Fund Inc. – $5,000: to support the Lycoming and Union County Family Assistance program, which relieves the stress of everyday financial expenses so families who are battling pediatric cancer can concentrate on treatment and healing.

The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania works to improve the quality of life in north central Pennsylvania through community leadership, the promotion of philanthropy, the strengthening of nonprofit impact and the perpetual stewardship of charitable assets.