The Oceana Community Foundation is thrilled to announce the addition of Cecelia Hopkins to its staff as its newest AmeriCorps member. Cecelia supports both the Foundation and Oceana County College Access Network (OCAN!) as their joint Outreach Coordinator. “We are incredibly excited to have Cecelia join our team! She is an avid learner and is excited to explore community building on the other side of the state,” Foundation CEO Tammy Carey stated. “As she continues to establish relationships in Oceana County, we hope you stop by and welcome Cecelia to West Michigan!”

The Oceana Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) awarded over $9,500 to local teachers in partnership with other donor-advised funds at the Oceana Community Foundation. Together they provided 39 different grants to educators across the county. Grants awards can be up to $250 for specific projects or programs supporting curriculum enhancements, expanding an already existing unit, student awards, special events, professional development, artists in residence and parent involvement programs. This special grant opportunity opens in August each year to help teachers plan for the upcoming school year.

The Oceana Community Foundation, in partnership with Lake-Osceola State Bank and local Walkerville leaders, are conducting a Walkerville Community Assessment on November 30th. This assessment will be focused on the Village of Walkerville, Colfax Township, Leavitt Township, and surrounding areas. The Walkerville Community Assessment will provide everyone with the opportunity to develop a shared vision for the future – bring your enthusiasm and great ideas!

The Community Foundation for Oceana County (CFOC) is proud to introduce the six community leaders participating in its regional Leadership Learning Lab (LLL): Rubi Berumen, Aubrey Boerema, Curtis Burdette, Mark Olmstead, and Griffin Vogler. As the fifth cohort of LLL, participants will join Oceana County’s 26 LLL alumni in expanding their leadership skills and networks.

In 2019, the Oceana County Sheriff’s Department recognized that preparing schools for emergency lockdowns was not enough, as it prevented public safety officials from being able to provide life-saving aid. The Sheriff’s Department and the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) partnered to install Knox Boxes at every school in Oceana County. Through the Oceana Youth Fund and the Community Investment Fund, YAC awarded the Sheriff’s Department an initial grant of $3,000. The Knox Box project received a second grant of $2,098 from the Foundation’s Friends of Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Fund.

The Pentwater Arts Council (PAC) knows the answer: through community engagement and placemaking. PAC is beginning its three-year-long Sculpture Walk Initiative in collaboration with the Pentwater Downtown Development Authority. In this project, five sculptures were placed along downtown Hancock Street. In preparation for its first summer, PAC’s Sculpture Initiative received a $6,500 grant supported by the Foundation’s Randall and Linda Wagner Family and the Janie Denman Legacy Funds.

Annually in August, teachers have the opportunity to apply for teacher mini grants up to $250, a program run by the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC). In 2022, the program provided 38 grants, nearly $13,000, to seven schools in Oceana County – nearly doubling the number of grants from 2021. In addition to support from the Oceana Youth Fund, the program significantly grew thanks to partnerships with several donor advised funds of the Foundation including Mrs. Mullen’s Closet, Little Point Sable Arts for Oceana, Ralph’s Kids, Nobles Family Medical Reserve Corps and the Mary Ann Peterson “Grandma Pete” Memorial Fund(s).

Empowering students begins with connecting their interests with critical skills – a realization guiding West Shore Community College’s ‘College for Kids Camp.’ Over 200 students, 9-15 years old, from Oceana, Lake, Manistee, and Mason counties spent a week exploring careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics). With a $5,000 combined grant from the Oceana Youth Fund and Mrs. Mullen’s Closet Fund, the Foundation sponsored 32 Oceana students to visit WSCC to explore skill clusters and the Skills for Success framework. These essential skills include Technology Literacy, Collaboration and Global Thinking, Communication, Critical Thinking, Ethical Citizenship, and more.

Together with donor-advised fundholders, Oceana Community Foundation recently awarded $58,925 to 19 local nonprofits, schools, and government agencies. While awards were divided among projects supporting the arts, education/youth, community development, and environment management, the greatest area of need was access to health and human services with a focus on family welfare and food accessibility. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees and staff would like to thank each grant applicant, fundholder, and volunteer that made its Spring Community Grant Round a success!

Oceana Community Foundation is excited to announce that there is an open AmeriCorps position. Perfect for someone at any stage in their career, the Foundation’s AmeriCorps member will play a vital role in its communications, marketing, event management, and database management. As a member of the Foundation’s office in Pentwater, you’ll gain professional experience in nonprofits and community development, and make a big impact in our community as our Outreach Coordinator. An Outreach Coordinator position has become increasingly important in this time to ensure connectedness within our community to make Oceana a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant place to live.