October 23, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Make A Difference in Ohio
Hill Country Heritage Area
Make a Difference Day is the largest single
day of volunteering sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine and
the Points of Light Foundation. Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio
and Ohio State Football Coach Jim Tressel are Honorary Co-chairs
of Make a Difference Day Ohio (MDDO). Under their leadership,
along with the Ohio Community Service Council and the statewide
MDDO Steering Committee, Ohio has led the nation in the total
number of projects completed on MDDO for the past 4 years.
Last year, four Appalachian communities were top winners of
the 2003 Make A Difference Day Ohio award and were featured
in the May issue of the Ohio Magazine.
The Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA) has awarded
the Ohio Hill Country Heritage Area organization $58,000 to
provide up to $2,000 per county in mini-grants for Make a
Difference Day heritage and/or preservation projects. Each
individual application will require a 25% match. Funds will
be used to protect and develop a community's heritage assets
in the one or more of the following activities: (1) preservation/clean
up of historically significant building, cemetery or site,
(2) interpretation of a heritage site or story (signage, exhibit,
publication, etc.), (3) public art installation promoting
heritage (e.g. quilt barn project, mural, etc.) and (4) archival
and appropriate storage of heritage documents or artifacts.
GOA is encouraging each historical/preservation
organization located within one of the Appalachia counties to work together
to submit one application and develop one budget for several
eligible activities. A non-profit 501(c) (3) or government
entity must apply for funds on your behalf.
Ideas for organizing volunteers, working with media, rewarding
partners, requesting posters and stickers, read about other
projects, as well as other important information can be obtained
from www.serveohio.org. In addition, you must register and
post final report for your project on this website.
If you would like an application/guidelines, have any questions,
or require additional information, please contact Ohio Hill
Country Heritage Area by e-mail at mdd@ohiohillcountry.org.
You can also contact Wanda Hairston, Governor’s Office
of Appalachia, by e-mail at whairston@odod.state.oh.us or
by phone 800-848-1300 ext. 49228
Download the Application |