ST. CLAIRSVILLE — More than $50,000 was given to 12 nonprofits and groups to aid in their efforts in Belmont County through the Belmont County Enrichment Fund.

The Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley and Give Belmont County presented checks totalling $50,204 to the organizations during a grant reception on Tuesday morning at the Ebbert Farms Event Center in St. Clairsville. The funds are provided through the Belmont County Enrichment Fund, a competitive grant opportunity for organizations in the county that serve the community. Representatives from all 12 groups were present.

Debbie Stanton, program officer for the CFOV, said organizers received over $300,000 in grant applications from nonprofits and government entities such as libraries and fire departments to help support the work they do in the community. She said the committee reviews the applications and selects the top projects that best suit the fund’s focus areas, which include youth, senior citizens, education and basic human needs.

“It fills gaps that are otherwise unmet and it enhances those organizations to be able to do more services in the community or contribute to their infrastructure to do what they do,” she said.

Lova Ebbert, committee member of Give Belmont County, said the reception allows the groups the chance to share the good they are going to do with the funds.

“What makes the Belmont County Enrichment Fund unique is that every dollar has to be given to Belmont County,” she said.

Ebbert said the annual awards started in 2013 by a group of landowners as a way to give back proceeds garnered from natural gas drilling lease deal payments. Anyone is welcome to donate to the fund, she said. For the upcoming year, she said EQT has offered to match any royalty owner’s donation from $100-$10,000.

“There are hundreds of royalty owners in Belmont County. If every royalty owner gave $100, it would be matched. I can’t begin to imagine all the good that could be done and the support we could give to all these local nonprofits,” she said.

Those interested in donating toward the fund can call Ebbert at 740-695-5619.

This year’s grant recipients included:

— $3,000 to Bridgeport Volunteer Fire and Emergency Department for thermal imaging camera;

— $5,000 to Tri-County Help Center for Peg’s House: More than a Home;

— $5,000 to Calvary Presbyterian Church for the Little Kidz Kloset;

— $5,000 to Thoburn United Methodist Church St. Clairsville Council of Churches Food Pantry for food pantry support;

— $3,154 to Southeast Inc. for the BCAP Sensory Room;

— $3,500 to Faith in Action Caregivers Inc. for its Volunteer Match Program;

— $4,500 to Bethesda Senior Citizens Inc. for general operating expenses;

— $1,400 to Belmont County General Health District for Youth Yoga;

— $1,650 to Belmont County Historical Society for an emergency exit sign, lighting and extinguisher;

— $5,000 to Wheeling Health Right Inc. for health care services in Belmont County;

— $3,000 to Ohio University Foundation on behalf of Ohio University Eastern for the Lentz Tavern Site Restoration project;

— $10,000 to the Union Local School District for the Union Local Viewsonic Board Initiative.

Kathie Brown, executive director of Wheeling Health Right, said the funds her organization received will be used for direct patient care providing residents with health care, dental care and medications.

“We provide a full range of primary care services. We have a licensed retail pharmacy so they can get their medicines there — $2 a prescription. In this day in age, that’s a pretty good deal,” she said.

Brown said the $5,000 grant means “everything” to the organization.

“As a West Virginia agency, having money from Belmont County to provide services to Belmont County is extremely important. I can’t use West Virginia dollars in Ohio, so I depend on Ohio to support us,” she said, adding that Belmont County Board of Commissioners also assists and that there is an ongoing Challenge Grant provided by James and Marlene Everson who have offered to commit $100,000 over five years if the cities of Martins Ferry and St. Clairsville each give $10,000 a year.

“We’re doing a lot of things like that to try to increase funding and allow us to provide more care physically in Belmont County.”

Kathy Messenger, president of the Belmont County Historical Society, said the $1,650 the group received was a “blessing.”

“We applied for it but we never dreamt we’d get it. … At the museum we rely on donations and grants. It’s very costly to maintain a 140-year-old mansion, so we’re very appreciative of the Community Foundation for giving us this grant to replace some emergency lighting at the museum,” she said.

Ohio University Eastern Campus Dean David Rohall said the funds are a great opportunity for organizations in the area.

“It’s great to have a resource that can help with such a variety of projects ranging from mental health to maintaining the history of the area,” he said.

Rohall said the $3,000 the campus was awarded will be used to continue to restore the Lentz Tavern, which includes the Great Western Schoolhouse.

“We’re continually looking for resources and so this fund is part of that long-term goal of maintaining that entire site. … Last year we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the schoolhouse and had a big party out there, so we’re hoping to do more work and fundraising to continue to build that site, and this is part of a bigger goal to provide resources to the community,” he said.

Stanton said the funds will be available again next year with applications open in January. She said the timeline will change in 2024 with grants being awarded in the spring instead of the fall. For more information about Give Belmont County and grants available through the Belmont County Enrichment Fund, call the CFOV at 304-242-3144 or visit www.cfov.org.