Past Community Grant Recipients

CITY OF CLINTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

It is the mission of the Clinton Fire Department, to serve and protect all of the residents, property owners, business owners, and visitors of our great community. We will provide the highest level of fire protection, EMS, technical rescue, and Haz-Mat services that we can possibly give. We will respond to any call with extreme professionalism whenever life, property or environment is at risk no matter what the reason may be. The Clinton Fire Department will also extend our services of public education, fire prevention, and any other technical assistance that we have to offer to ensure that everyone that lives, works, or travels through Clinton will do so in a safe and well protected manner. The Clinton Fire Department has been serving out community since 1904.

KID KARE PROJECT, INC.

In December 1999, three mothers with twelve-year-old children noticed the challenges faced by their peers growing up in financial hardship. Motivated by their proximity to these children, they established the Kid Kare Project, Inc. The organization's vision is to enhance the lives of children by offering material items and financial support for participation in various activities.

SOUTH VERMILLION MIDDLE SCHOOL ROBOTICS

South Vermillion Middle School Robotics provides students with an opportunity to solve problems and create solutions in a team setting. The robotics team at the middle school was started in 2021. In this time, two teams have competed on the world stage to test their solutions to the problems presented in a challenging game. Teams develop their robot designs, build their robots, test them, and work through the problem-solving process to develop an efficient solution. This year, we have a team competing at the Indiana Vex Robotics state finals and they hope to compete on the world stage as well.

VERMILLION TRAILS ALLIANCE, INC

The Vision of the Vermillion Trails Alliance is a prosperous Vermillion County that values healthy lifestyles, embraces a conservation ethic and respects our cultural heritage; a place where people are connected with the outdoors, and communities are connected with each other. Our mission is to grow and connect the people of Vermillion County by expanding our network of trail and recreation opportunities VTA started in 2017 with a few likeminded people.

FAIRVIEW PARK PICKLEBALL

The Town of Fairview Park repurposed its old, dilapidated tennis courts into two regulation sized pickleball courts. This space has set unusable for many years, due to the unsafe conditions of the surface. The pickleball courts are now open for everyone to enjoy.

CLINTON WRESTLING CLUB

Clinton Wrestling Club is a youth wrestling club located in Southern Vermillion County. Our Club consists of various alumni wrestlers/parents and other elementary/middle school youth. CWC is in the second year of being a recognized club with a board, completely separate from any school corporation. The purpose of our Club is to promote youth wrestling along with sportsmanship positive attitude and teamwork. We strive to help mold youth into productive adult citizens of the Clinton area through the sport of folkstyle wrestling. In 2022-23 our club had 53 participants, and our last season 23-24 had 70 participants. We continue to fundraise to purchase necessary equipment needed for competition. This includes wrestling singlets/doublets, wrestling mats, score table items, referee items, concession items etc.

SOUTH VERMILLION HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS

The SVHS Wildcat Robotics is an extracurricular activity that allows students the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in problem-solving, time and project management, strategy, building, and engineering. Students 9 - 12participate in VEX Robotic Competition starting in August/September and work through March to build their bot, analyze and modify the build design, and test their robot through competitive tournaments in Indiana. The 2024/25 season will be the Wildcat Robotics 2nd official season as an organization. In 2023/2024 students saw immense improvements between competitions as they learned through and experienced their first competitive season at the high school level - one team was even able to advance into the quarterfinals at the Purdue Polytechnic High School Invitational.

CLINTON LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

Clinton Little League has been providing a safe and fun baseball experience for the youth of Clinton and the surrounding area since 1954. We take great pride in making this opportunity possible for over 200 players each year. Our league is focused on teaching fundamentals, developing player skills, and teaching them how to work well with others as a team.

CLINTON RECREATION CENTER

The Community Recreation Center (CRC) has been a staple in the Clinton community for over 90 years. Once a part of Clinton High School and South Vermillion Middle School, it is now a recreation facility with a 501(c)3 status. The CRC houses the Area 7 Agency and has been utilized by many non-profit agencies over the years. The Area 7 Agency currently uses the kitchen area to prepare and store meals for the Meals on Wheels program. Many other organizations use the CRC for meetings and events, such as:-Boy Scouts of America - Pinewood Derby and meetings-Girl Scouts - meetings and ice cream socials-South Vermillion Youth Football - storage facility for equipment, registration clinic-Low Cost Physicals for youth-Class and family reunions-Parke/Vermillion Humane Shelter-Blood Drives-Professional Organization Meetings-Post Prom activities and fundraising-Church Christmas Programs-ISTEP Tutoring-Little League Meetings-Chamber of Commerce Craft Fairs-Room rental for parties and wedding receptions-High School Athletic Events-Open Gym Basketball -Basketball leagues - including youth, church, home school and travel teams-Summer youth camps

CLINTON OPTIMIST CLUB

The Clinton Optimist Club has been actively engaged in fostering the development of the youth of our community for decades. We currently sponsor an annual Oratorical contest, a Respect for Law camp in conjunction with the Indiana State Police, a 5K race, a winter Bowling League, and a spring and fall soccer season – all of which are youth oriented. Our soccer program is the only of its kind in Vermillion or Parke counties, and each season offers structured extracurricular sporting activity to 250-300 children age 4 through middle school. 

CENTRAL ELEMENTRY 

The Garden Club at Central Elementary - The Garden Club was established in 2019, and we have tried to expand every year. Last year they were able to secure funds for a greenhouse and a few raised garden beds. This grant supported the expansion to include water conservation, composting, recycling, and possibly to establish a sensory garden and worm farm.

Another grant supported the purchase of the following line items: 4 Seat Heavy Duty Tripod Swing Set w/ Strap Seats - 8' High, ADA Wheelchair Platform Swing, and Jenn swing ADA Swing Chair for 8" Frame. The 4-seat swing set will allow four students with different needs for support to play on the swing set. The ADA wheelchair platform swing and Jenn swing ADA swing chair will provide different levels of support to allow all students a swing that meets their needs. After purchasing the following items, maintenance staff will install the playground equipment to ensure safe usage by students. 

FRIENDS OF ERNIE PYLE

The Friends of Ernie Pyle initially were formed to save the farmhouse that the beloved World War II correspondent was born from destruction. The group is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Ernie Pyle and honoring those he wrote about - the frontline troops. In 2010, when the state Department of Natural Resources was in the process of dismantling the museum, the Friends of Ernie Pyle stepped forward to take over the management of the museum and has operated it in the black for every year. Since Ernie Pyle was the initial advocate for "fight pay" for U.S. troops - a proposal that became reality when Congress responded by passing the "Ernie Pyle Bill" that instituted combat pay - the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist will always be linked to the Armed Forces and our organization will always honor veterans. That's why we hosted the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall visit to Vermillion County last summer. 

VERMILLION COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

The Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District constitutes a governmental subdivision of the state and a public body corporate and politic exercising public powers (IN Code 14-32-5).Our function is to provide information about soil, water, and related natural resource conservation; identify and prioritize local soil and water resource concerns; connect land users to sources of educational, technical, and financial assistance to implement conservation practices and technologies; and facilitate partnerships. Our mission is to provide leadership and assistance in the proper use and management of soil, water, and related natural resources for all citizens in Vermillion County.

UNITED WAY OF THE WABASH VALLEY

United Way of the Wabash Valley (UWWV) works with and for our community to create lasting solutions to our greatest challenges. We envision a thriving, inspired community focused on care and collaboration. We pursue this by convening the community to address key issues, collaborating to achieve a measurable impact, and connecting human and financial resources to improve lives. For nearly 60 years, United Way of the Wabash Valley had followed a traditional model of funding partner agencies and their programs through an annual fundraising drive. However, through many conversations with community groups five years ago, we heard that people were not seeing problems being solved, particularly for the 33,000 households that were working but nevertheless unable to provide stable financial situations for their families (called ALICE, www.uwwv.org/ALICE). In response, in 2018 UWWV shifted from its traditional model to a new collective impact model, bringing together businesses, government, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations to collaborate on issues concerning these struggling ALICE families. And UWWV took on a bold goal of moving 10,000 Wabash Valley families out of financial struggles and into stability. Six impact councils were formed and charged with tackling specific barriers to families’ success. The Youth Success Impact Council began its work by establishing strategies for investing in initiatives to support K-12 student engagement in learning. Two of its strategies include 1) expanding literacy supports in K-12, and 2) strengthening student support through parents, tutors, and mentors. Our proposed Reading Neighbors program in Vermillion County is a Youth Success initiative that directly supports these two strategies. 

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TROUP 463

Troop #63 was founded in 1930. Our troop number changed from 63 to 463 in 1964 as part of a national renumbering program. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Scout Law: The Scout Law has 12 points. Each is a goal for every Scout. A Scout tries to live up to the Law every day. It is not always easy to do but a Scout always tries. A Scout is Trustworthy. A Scout tells the truth. He is honest, and he keeps his promises. People can depend on him. A Scout is Loyal. A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation. A Scout is Helpful. A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward. A Scout is Friendly. A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own. A Scout is Courteous. A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along. A Scout is Kind. A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing. A Scout is Obedient. A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them. A Scout is Cheerful. A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy. A Scout is Thrifty. A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property. A Scout is Brave. A Scout can face danger although he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him. A Scout is Clean. A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean. A Scout is Reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

VERMILLION COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL