African American fund announces grants

2nd father/daughter dance gets $3K

Grants worth $17,500 will support programs helping the hungry, students, health care and Lorain County fathers who want to share a special event with their daughters.

The African American Community Fund, an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation of Lorain County, is a permanent endowment.

Its board uses philanthropy creatively to address problems and improve the quality of life for the African American community in the county.

This month, the fund announced another round of grant recipients, including $3,000 for the second annual Father/Daughter Dance of the Ambassador Brothers of Lorain County.

This year’s event, with the theme “Daughters & Diamonds,” is June 17, the eve of Father’s Day, at the Spitzer Conference Center of Lorain County Community College.

“Oh my goodness, we are really excited,” said Aric Bowens, president of the Ambassador Brothers of Lorain County.

Bowens also is the father of 10-year-old Aris Bowens, whom he plans to escort at this year’s dance.

“We are really excited about having a calling to really get fathers out and experience the Father/Daughter Dance and share the memories,” he said. “We’re definitely excited.”

The Ambassador Brothers community group formed in 2014 to empower people, change lives through direct action and present a positive image of diverse men.

Their inaugural dance in 2016 sold at least 150 tickets and had fathers attending with daughters ranging in ages from 2 to 30.

The first evening was at the Days Inn Suites in Elyria. The location was a good one, Bowens said, but the event already has outgrown the available space.

The timing this year also will change to schedule the event close to Father’s Day. Last year’s event was April 30, closer in time to Mother’s Day.

The grant is the first one for the Ambassador Brothers group, Bowens said. It will help pay for the food, decorations, entertainment and generally staging the event.

“We presented it and were blessed to get it and are thankful for that,” he said.

The other recipients were:

• The MAD Factory, $2,000 for theater based arts programming and outreach

• Start with Art Project, $2,000 for community art life matters

• Lorain County Urban League, $1,500 for the college tour

• Lorain United Methodist Ministries, $3,000 for Camp I.D.E.A.S.

• Energy Up, $2,000 for the sugar savvy program

• Lorain County Free Clinic, $2,500 for primary medical care and prescription access

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County, $500 for passport to manhood

• Neighborhood Alliance, $1,000 for senior nutrition home-delivered meals program

The african american Community Fund board uses philanthropy creatively to address problems and improve the quality of life for the african american community in the county.