Freeman Community Foundation Gives and Receives Locally

Article and photo courtesy of The Courier edition - November 23, 2023

The Freeman Community Foundation (FCF) received its largest gift since its organization in 1998. Dr. Dennis Epp gifted the FCF over $360,000 in October 2023. This gift has helped the endowment grow to over $1.2 million. Since the first grant awarded in 2000, the FCF has awarded over $430,000 in grants and scholarships. Dr. Epp is just one of many community-focused donors who see the value of a community savings account that will outlast all residents in the community. You can be part of this amazing Foundation too. For information on how to give, please visit our website www.freemancommunityfoundation.org, or contact any of our board members.

The FCF is also pleased to announce that it has recently awarded over $19,700 in grants locally during its November 2023 grant cycle.

• Freeman Regional Assisted Living, formerly the Salem Mennonite Home, was awarded $7,050 towards the purchase of a new commercial refrigerator. The dietary department is committed to providing all residents with quality meals and nutrition. Recent service required on the old refrigerator had raised concerns regarding adequate food storage and safety at the facility.
• The Freeman Public Library was awarded $6,652 to accomplish a lighting system upgrade in the facility. The City’s library building is now in its sixteenth operating year, and many of the ballasts are starting to fail. The proposed upgrade will include LED lighting, which will create an average of 65% in energy savings for the building.
• Freeman Regional Health Services was awarded $4,800 for the purchase of an AIRVO Humidified High Flow Oxygen system. During COVID-19, this piece of equipment was highly utilized in the ICU-setting. The use of this device has now spread outside of the ICU and has become popular in critical access hospitals, such as FRHS.
• Marion-Freeman Youth Wrestling was awarded $1,200 for tournament sponsorships. This program has approximately 40 participants each year from the Marion and Freeman communities. Annual sponsorships help offset the cost of tournament registrations to the young wrestlers.

The Freeman Community Foundation is a public non-profit organization established in 1998. Earnings from the endowment are used to grant charitable projects intended to improve and enhance the Freeman community. Current board members include Emily Hofer - President, Lori Hofer - Vice President, Diana Randall – Secretary/Treasurer, Rudy Brockmueller, Diane Ellinger, Brett Pidde, Chad Knittel, Cheryl Korn and Courtney Unruh. Grant application deadlines are May 1 and November 1 and the Service Scholarship deadline is April 1 each year.