Funds for Greater Green Bay projects benefit Oconto County

Nonprofit organizations serving Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties will soon put $312,220 to work on 29 programs and initiatives for the benefit of our communities.

The recent grants were awarded through the Funds for Greater Green Bay grants program, a collection of funds of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. The program is designed to improve the quality of life in northeast Wisconsin by funding strategies and initiatives that will meet emerging needs and opportunities in arts and culture, basic needs, education, the environment, health and wellness, human services, community improvement, youth development, and more.

“We are always looking for ways to support organizations large and small that are improving the quality of life in our communities,” said Kari Olsen, director of grants and scholarships at the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. “As inflation continues to tighten budgets everywhere, nonprofits are working to address greater and greater needs. This infusion of funds will bring needed resources to the critical work that each is doing.”

The 2023 grant recipients benefitting Oconto County include the following:

• Abrams Spotlight Productions: Funds will support the installation of a new theater sound system to improve the ability of the cast, crew, and audience members — including older adults and individuals with hearing impairments — to fully enjoy a performance.

• Einstein Project: Funding will expand the mobile makerspace programming to provide experiences for approximately 1,000 children in rural communities such as Lakewood and Lena.

• Family and Childcare Resources of Northeastern Wisconsin: This grant will increase the number of childcare slots in Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties while reducing the barriers of becoming certified or licensed.

• Kingdom Come: Funding will be used to support the Oconto County food pantry, which serves 350-375 households weekly.

• Vivent Health: A grant will fund mobile HIV and overdose prevention throughout Brown, Oconto, and Kewaunee counties, mental health and AODA programs in Green Bay, and naloxone administration trainings for area organizations.