NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Six organizations serving Belmont County will have greater support for their projects because of more than $22,000 awarded from the Gulfport Energy Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. The fund’s final grant round of 2019 focused on projects from nonprofit and public organizations related to health and human services as well as environmental stewardship.

The Gulfport Energy Fund at FAO was created to support nonprofits, schools and communities through projects that increase quality of life, create access to opportunities or identify and implement a solution for a community need in the counties where Gulfport Energy operates.

A total of 12 grantees serving Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties received more than $45,000 in awards through the Gulfport Energy Fund’s second round of 2019. Grantees in Belmont County include:

∫ The Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department received a $9,845.22 grant to connect volunteer firefighters with training to become instructors in the areas of basic first aid, wilderness first aid, CPR and automatic electronic defibrillators use, child and babysitting safety, basic life support for health care providers and professional rescuers, and blood-borne pathogens.

This will allow the department to offer low-cost trainings in these areas to the community and surrounding area. The grant also allows the department to purchase three additional AED units to improve community safety and the department’s ability to respond to emergencies.

∫ The Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District received a $4,500 grant to support volunteers in monitoring water quality and biodiversity in the Captina Creek Watershed, which spans Belmont and Monroe counties. Funds will be used to purchase equipment necessary to perform assessments and better prioritize conservation and remediation projects within the watershed.

∫ Cumberland Trail Fire District 4, which serves Belmont County, was awarded a $3,569.97 grant to purchase two gas detectors that the fire department uses to respond to carbon monoxide and hazardous material incidents. By replacing out-of-date gas detectors, this grant will assist the fire department in its efforts to keep Belmont County residents safe.

∫ Ohio Hills Health Services was awarded a $2,064.76 grant to support a behavioral health program in Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Monroe and Noble counties.

The grant supports materials for play therapy, a type of therapy that allows children suffering from trauma to talk, do activities, practice new skills and solve problems as a means of responding to a wide variety of mental health issues. Materials purchased through the grant include art supplies, such as paints and clay and interactive tools, such as puppets and dolls.

∫ The American Red Cross of Southeast Ohio received a $1,500 grant to purchase smoke alarms for families in Belmont, Guernsey, Monroe and Noble counties. Volunteers with the organization go door-to-door to meet with families, install free smoke alarms, replace smoke alarm batteries, complete fire safety checklists, and develop escape plans to make households safer in southeast Ohio.

∫ The village of Yorkville in Jefferson and Belmont counties was awarded a $600 grant to add an ADA approved sidewalk and ramp to the village’s gazebo. The grant will allow people with disabilities to enjoy the gazebo and attend community events that take place there.

Other second round grantees in 2019 include the Cambridge YMCA for a project serving Guernsey, Harrison, and Noble counties; CHANGE Inc. in Jefferson County; the Puskarich Public Library in Harrison County; the Noble County Health Department; the Ohio Valley Health Center for a project serving Jefferson and Harrison counties; and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry for a project serving Guernsey, Harrison and Noble counties.

“We are thrilled to support such a large and diverse group of grantees, all of which are doing so much within the counties where Gulfport operates. These organizations connect the local communities to the environmental and health needs that exist within the area,” said Courtney Dickens, Gulfport’s external relations coordinator.

The Gulfport Energy Fund will open its first grant round of 2020 in the spring. The first round of 2020 will support education projects. Sign up for the foundation’s e-newsletter on FAO’s website, www.AppalachianOhio.org, for the latest news on when grant opportunities become available. For more information about the Gulfport Energy Fund and past grant recipients, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740-753-1111.