The Rotary Club of Lake Hickory awarded 28 local non-profit organizations with a total of $20,000 in grants during a recent November lunch meeting.  The grants are intended to help further the work each organization is performing in the local area.

Click this link to view the photo gallery from the grants presentation lunch.

In the fall of 2011, The Rotary Club of Lake Hickory provided local organizations with an application process where they could request grants to help fund a particular upcoming project.  The club received an overwhelming response, with many organizations planning exciting projects in the coming year that could benefit from additional funds.  The club chose a Grants Committee, made up of club members and officers.  Applications from the non-profit organizations were reviewed, and in the committees’ opinion, the applications that best fit the overall goals of Rotary and had the greatest need for worthwhile projects were chosen.

"We had many outstanding organizations request grants this year, and all of the projects submitted were very exciting and would help this area" said Club President Lysa Deaton-Smith.  "Our club had an allotment of funds to provide as grants, and in the end we feel we were able to help some very worthwhile groups and provide them with funds to continue their work during these tough economic times."

The following organizations received grants from the club as part of this year's process:

• The Backpack Program of Catawba County
• Boys & Girls Club of Hickory
• Catawba County Hispanic Ministry (Centro Latino)
• Catawba County Parenting Network
• Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation
• Catawba Science Center
• Catawba Valley Medical Center's Healthy House
• Catawba Valley Young Life
• The Children's Advocacy and Protection Center of Catawba County
• Council on Adolescents of Catawba County
• The Family Care Center of Catawba County
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry
• Hickory Community Theater's "RugBug Theater"
• Hickory Foundation YMCA
• Hickory High School Chorus
• Hickory Museum of Art
• Hickory Police Department's "Cops for Tots" Program
• Lenoir-Rhyne University's Diabetes Support Group
• Palliative Care and Hospice Center
• Piedmont Council, Boy Scouts of America
• The Salvation Army Christmas Bureau
• Sipe's Orchard Home
• Through Healing Eyes
• Viewmont Elementary School PTA
• Western Piedmont Youth Symphony
• Women's Resource Center
• Young People of Integrity

During the November meeting, each organization had a representative accept the grant and was able to speak for a moment about their group and the project the grant money would be used for.