RMHC Mid Penn

First Book of Huntingdon County has received a $4,320 grant from the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Mid-Penn Region. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 185 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income communities in more than 30 countries.

First Book of Huntingdon County distributes new books every month to programs working with children in need.

Left to Right: Carolyn Wallen, First Book Huntingdon County treasurer; Darin Tornatore, RMHC Mid Penn President; and Sharon Huff, First Book Huntingdon County grant application committee member.

The Blair/Clearfield Association for the Blind (BCAB) purchased a Welch Allyn Spot Screener from the Ronald McDonald House Charities Grant for our Preschool Vision Program.

Using the spot screener we are able to get quick accurate results with minimal cooperation from the child. The results can then be printed out and sent to the parents of any child failing the screening. The parents can actually see “why” their child failed the vision screening and have the printout to take with them to their eye care professional. Since using the Spot Screener the response from referrals to parents is way up!

It is a known fact that a child who cannot see well will start their education at a disadvantage. Because of the grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities we are able to help preserve the vision of preschool children.

1030_blair-clearfield-assoc

The Mountain Lion BackPack Program has received a $10,000 grant from the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Mid-Penn Region. For more 6 years, the Mountain Lion BackPack Program has provided food over the weekends to Altoona elementary school children during the school year. Almost 1400 Altoona children receive backpacks of food from Mountain Lion BackPacks every Friday.

The money awarded from the grant will be used to purchase food for the school year. It costs approximately $3 to feed 1 child for 1 weekend or close to $100 to feed 1 child for an entire school year of weekends! The $10,000 grant money will provide 1920 meals to 10 Altoona children.

In Altoona, 1 in 4 children go home to empty cupboards and refrigerators, often not know when they will eat again. For many, breakfast and lunch at school are the only meals they eat, leaving them hungry over the weekend. These children return to school Monday morning sick, tired, dizzy, and unable to focus.

Mountain Lion BackPacks feeds our youth so they may be hungry for knowledge. By nourishing their bodies over the weekend, the food provided by Mountain Lion BackPacks fuels their minds so they may return to school Monday morning prepared to learn and participate, free from the distraction of hunger. For more information, or to donate to Mountain Lion BackPacks, visit FaceBook/Mountain Lion BackPacks or by calling 814.946.3651.

Past Grant Recipients/Grant Presentations