Rural Outreach Center receives funding for two new initiatives
East Aurora’s Rural Outreach Center (ROC), a nonprofit organization offering a wide variety of social services for those living in Western New York’s rural communities, recently received $12,500 from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The grant will fund two new initiatives.
The first program to be funded, “ROC in Motion,” is an exercise and activity program that will be taken to two rural mobile home parks for four weeks this summer, two days per week, two hours per day.
“The grant will provide funds for a program leader and two assistants,” said ROC Executive Director Frank Cerny, “and will allow us to buy exercise and fitness equipment for children living in the mobile home parks so they can continue to be active. The children will help decide what they would like, because we want them involved in the decision-making process.”
The second program, “Kid’s Ticket to ROC,” will pay for children living in poverty to take part in sports and physical extracurricular activities at school, as well as independent programs such as dance, martial arts and gymnastics throughout the school year. This program is specifically for participants who have engaged with ROC and are working toward their self-sufficiency goals.
The ROC provides services focused on children, education and job creation which assist, empower and elevate participants out of poverty. Located at 730 Olean Road in East Aurora, the organization also provides a holistic approach to the needs and challenges of the rural poor as they work toward self-sufficiency through social work support and emergency food and clothing assistance.
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, a 501 (C) (3) organization, was established in 1919 to enhance and encourage long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. The Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. For over 95 years, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to its care. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation to provide support to four areas that were important to Mr. Wilson: caregiving, community assets, design and access, and youth sports. Endowment funds, like these created to honor Mr. Wilson, are designed to grow over time and provide funding for charitable causes according to a client’s wishes. For additional details, please visit www.cfgb.org.
For more information on the ROC, please call 240-2220 or follow the Rural Outreach Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheRuralOutreachCenter for frequent updates.
