The members of Granny’s Attic completed their fall granting cycle earlier this month and awarded $110,000 to local health-related programs.
The grants ranged from $52,000 for Vashon Community Care to $3,000 for the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness. These awards rounded out the grant year for the nonprofit thrift store, which also provided $100,000 in the spring to eight island agencies and programs.
The newest grantee to receive Granny’s funds was Neighborcare Health, which began operating the long-time health center in September. The agency received $23,500, one of the largest grants awarded in this cycle; the funds will help with the purchase of an X-ray machine, according to Joseph Sparacio, Neighborcare’s chief development officer. The machine will cost approximately $125,000 and will be purchased with the $100,000 the state provided for the clinic effort and the Granny’s funds, he said.
Sparacio noted the grant application, which requested $45,000, was completed before the community’s successful clinic fundraising campaign was underway. While islanders’ donations exceeded the fundraising goal, Neighborcare officials did not want to withdraw the request, he said, as some of the funds were promised as pledges, which do not always come through, and the agency had spent $200,000 out of its reserves on equipment for the clinic — not including the X-ray machine. Sparacio also expressed gratitude for the funds.
“We are thrilled with any contribution,” he said.
Granny’s Attic president Janet Kime noted that the store’s volunteers — who are sometimes called Grannies and vote on the grants to be awarded — were aware of the success of Neighborcare’s campaign, but wanted to fund at least part of the submitted grant.
“It is clear the Grannies want to support the health center. We feel it is an important part of health care on the island,” she added.
As has happened repeatedly, Vashon Community Care received the largest grant awarded — more than $50,000. Verna Everitt, the executive director of the Vashon Community Care Foundation, also expressed thanks for the funds.
“It is such a larger amount that it is significant to my budget,” she said. “I am absolutely grateful.”
With the $66,650 VCC received from Granny’s in the spring, the funds totalled one-fifth of the money she needed to raise this year, she said.
“We have had a good year,” she added. “I think we will meet our goal.”
The final grant of the largest three was $13,000 for The DoVE Project and will go toward supporting the work of the domestic violence agency’s Teen Council, a group of high school students who are undergoing training to educate their peers about sexual health, relationships and other relevant issues. They will be peer eductors in the high school and will present to McMurray students in January.
“It’s going to be awesome,” said DoVE Executive Director Betsey Archambault. “With this grant we will be able to touch every tween and teen at McMurray and Vashon High School.”
Granny’s membership also funded some smaller requests, according to Tim Johnson, the store’s business manager, including $10,000 to fund the Vashon Senior’s Center medical transportation program, $8,500 for Sunrise Ridge Health Services’ improved helicopter landing pad and — in a sign of the times — $3,000 for the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness for the purchase of medical marijuana.
Emma Amiad, one of the leaders of the interfaith council, said medical marijuana has proven extremely helpful to people with neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, as well as for people with anxiety, which can manifest with other disorders and with aging.
“We will use the money, not for homeless people, but for people struggling with mental or physical illness, as well as age-related anxiety,” Amiad said.
Granny’s Attic will award funds again in the spring. Grant applications for that round will be due March 1.
