The OAF awards nearly $300,000 in grants to 32 area nonprofits
by Rebecca Seymour
It was quite the night to remember as more than 200 guests representing incredible area nonprofits, Oconomowoc Area Foundation and Greater Milwaukee Foundation volunteers and staff, generous donors, and members of the community gathered to celebrate a special Oktoberfest on Oct. 27 at the Golden Mast.
The announcement that the OAF awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to 32 area nonprofit organizations impacting the greater Oconomowoc community was met with cheers and rounds of applause. Our hearts are full of gratitude as the OAF’s Annual Celebration and Grant Announcements was a magnificent confirmation of the extraordinary community where we live, work and play.
“Over the last 20 years, the OAF has awarded more than $4.7 million to 125 area nonprofits. There are extraordinary things happening in the greater Oconomowoc area, and we are very proud to be able to support the organizations and so many wonderful volunteers whose work is vital to the quality of life in our community,” said Maribeth Bush, foundation coordinator for the OAF.
This year’s grant recipients include Addiction Resource Council, Best Buddies, Blessings in a Backpack, City of Oconomowoc’s Oz Plaza, Eras Senior Network, Family Promise of Waukesha County, Family Service of Waukesha County, Gals on the Go Project, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, Journey21, Lake Area Club, Lake Area Free Clinic, LifeStriders Therapeutic Riding Center, Moms Mental Health Initiative, Moonlit Movies, OCD Wisconsin, Oconomowoc Area Senior Center, Oconomowoc Arts Center, Oconomowoc Chamber Orchestra, Oconomowoc Community Choir, Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund, Oconomowoc Silver Streak, SecureFutures Money Path with OHS, Society of St. Vincent de Paul-St. Jerome, Tall Pines Conservancy, The Box Theatre, The Oasis Project, The Women’s Center, Tricia’s Troops, Waukesha County Community Dental, Wildlife in Need Center, and Zachariah’s Acres.
Tracy Garon is the artistic director of the Oconomowoc Community Choir. The nonprofit organization received its first grant from the OAF this year, which will be used to support student choir members to attend private voice lessons.
“Since the Oconomowoc Community Choir was founded in 1987, our choir has continued in our mission of promoting harmony through the joy of singing. The ‘How Can I Keep from Singing’ grant from the OAF impacts our choir students in middle and high school as they pursue voice coaching,” explained Garon. “We are grateful for the OAF’s generosity and know it will support our students’ lives as they continue to sing as a passion in their lives.”
Each year, the foundation awards grants focused on priorities for improving the greater Oconomowoc area, including caring for children, families, and the elderly, developing youth, helping those in need, preserving the environment, and enriching the community through the arts and cultural programming.
Every year for the OAF’s annual Celebration and Grants Announcements, Kevin Pehler-OAF board member and owner of 3barn video production company puts his whole heart into creating a very special video featuring the mission driving the Oconomowoc Area Foundation, as well as the area nonprofits we support. We all agree that this year, Kevin took it up a notch – or two! There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and when the video came to its most heartfelt conclusion, it was met with more than 200 people standing with cheers and applause. What a gift! We hope you watch it (more than once!) and share it because Kevin’s video truly embodies how we can all make a difference through a generosity of spirit.
