The Haines Senior Center will use its $1,000 grant to help purchase a new van to pick up elderly clients. Jackie Mazeikas will spend her $1,500 on security cameras at her domestic violence shelter. And the Chilkat Valley Preschool will apply its $5,000 grant toward a new facility for students.

The Chilkat Valley Community Foundation has announced its 2016 grants, this year bestowing $18,868 to 15 local nonprofits.

The foundation, an affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation, each year uses proceeds from its growing “community permanent fund” to award yearly grants to worthwhile programs in the Chilkat Valley. The money serves ongoing needs in such areas as health, education, human services, arts-and-culture, and youth environment and community development, according to the group’s press release.

This year, Chilkat Valley nonprofits requested more than $36,468, twice the amount available for grants – showing a great need for increased grant dollars in the future, the group said.

This year, the Chilkat Valley Preschool received both a $3,500 special needs grant as well as a $1,500 regular grant.

The local Solution for Everyone Committee has spearheaded a drive to raise $420,000 for the construction of a new school classroom – a 1,400-square-foot addition on the back of the Haines Senior Center.

The group is drawing near its fundraising goal and the money will help, officials said.

“We’re thrilled that the foundation continues to support the preschool,” said committee co-chair Renee Hoffman.

Mazeikas, who founded the abuse shelter Becky’s Place, Haven of Hope, said she would apply her largess toward buying lights and surveillance cameras for her abuse shelter to protect against angry spouses or partners who might come calling.

“We want both the victims who come to the center and the volunteers to be safe,” she said. “We’ll have motion detectors and I’ll be able to see everything on cameras inside. That will make everyone feel safer.”

And since the mileage is getting up there on the van the Haines Senior Center uses to pick up between 12 and 20 clients daily, the money will go for new transportation.

Anna Jurgeleit, co-chair of the community foundation, said applicants respond to grant questions and the answers are reviewed with the help of community members. This year, three Haines residents took part in the review process.

“The applications are rated on a scale of 1 to 10,” Jurgeleit said. “We talk about each one.”

She added that there were no newcomers to this year’s award list. All of the winners have applied in the past.

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