Four Stark County nonprofits to receive $ 5,000 each this year through the Gannett Foundation A community development program.

The grantmaking and crowdfunding initiative is sponsored by USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett, which owns The Canton Repository, Massillon Independent and Alliance Review.

The initiative supports organizations that tackle a range of social issues. This year, those issues included homelessness, mental health care for LGBTQ people, reproductive care and girls’ education. The grants were announced Tuesday.

The following Stark County nonprofits will receive local operating grants of $ 5,000:

• Hammer & Nails Inc. in Canton to pay for services such as painting, carpentry and installations to improve the quality of life for underprivileged homeowners.
• Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio in Canton to support JA Virtual Inspire, an academic, professional and business conference for middle and high school students.
• TomTod Ideas in Canton to support programs for college students, including field trips, internships, adult mentors and guest speakers.
• The Wilmot Wilderness Center to support The Dark Sky program which promotes better environmental lighting.

A Community Thrives will award $ 2.3 million in grants this year: $ 800,000 in national project grants, $ 1.3 million in local operating grants and $ 200,000 in fundraising incentive grants. The operating grants were selected by leaders of Gannett’s USA TODAY network of more than 250 locations in 46 states.

As of 2017, A Community Thrives has distributed $ 17 million in grants and donations to community organizations across the country.

This year, the program had nearly 700 applicants from 45 states and Washington, DC. It is expected to have a total impact of $ 5.4 million on communities across the country through grant recipients who raise funds through crowdfunding before receiving a grant.

“Now in its fifth year, A Community Thrives awards grants to many important causes that help improve lives. Each of our recipients has a positive impact and we are proud to support organizations that share our goal, ”said Mike Reed, CEO of Gannett.

Following:Canton’s Hammer & Nails repairs homes and changes lives

Following: TomTod Ideas and Stark County Libraries team up for education

In addition to operating grants, A Community Thrives awarded 16 national grants ranging from $ 25,000 to $ 100,000.

For Kristin Burgoyne, executive director of Refugee Connect, a $ 25,000 recipient in Cincinnati, the grant will allow more families affected by relocation to be supported throughout their transition to the United States.

Refugee Connect has launched a community navigation program, hiring cultural leaders in refugee and immigrant communities to conduct outreach activities with refugee families, connect them with resources and make sure they know how to navigate systems – education, financial, health care and others.

“I’ve been doing this job for about 13 years now, working with refugees and immigrants in different cities, and the common thing I would say to any community where you have a large refugee or immigrant population is the best thing you can do to show your support for these communities is to be hospitable, ”said Burgoyne.

Refugee Connect, which operates in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky, hopes to support about 50 additional families using the grant money. These families will receive assistance in their own language from someone who has experienced resettlement or migration.

The organization also plans to help families evacuated from Afghanistan after the United States withdrew from the country, leaving many vulnerable in the area now controlled by the Taliban. Partnering with local resettlement organizations in Northern Kentucky, Refugee Connect brings together reception teams to help them find jobs, healthcare providers and other resources by working with local organizations, churches and mosques.

“Now we are able to use this funding to really support this grassroots power, through this grant,” said Burgoyne. “It makes a difference between a family that survives and a thriving family,” said Burgoyne.

“Across the country, A Community Thrives grants connect the brands of the USA TODAY Network to the communities in which we operate and beyond,” said Sue Madden, director of the Gannett Foundation. “Our journalists work every day to enable communities to thrive and this program helps achieve that fundamental goal.”

For the full list of beneficiaries, go to www.gannettfoundation.org/act.