Ben Shuman, executive director of the Boy and Girls Club of Parkersburg, said its $15,000 grant will replace the heating and air conditioning unit for the gymnasium. (Photo by Candice Black)

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Regional Affiliates hosted its fall grant ceremony and awarded 34 organizations with grants totaling $212,331.

Marian Clowes, associate director for community leadership at PACF began by describing how the foundation serves the community.

“We’re a regional, charitable, public foundation and we work every day to build resources for our community, for our region. We partner with individuals, with businesses, with organizations with people who care about communities, who care about our region and we’ve got to make sure that our area has resources today and in the future,” Clowes said.

Each recipient was presented with an envelope and briefly talked about how the funds will be put to use.

Court Appointed Special Advocate, Voices for Children Program, received $11,400. Margaret Burdette, program director, talked about organization and where the funds will be allocated.

Brian Raitz, director of the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library, talked about the library project to update technologies with its $15,000 grant. The Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Regional Affiliates hosted its fall grant ceremony and awarded 34 organizations with grants totaling $212,331. (Photo by Candice Black)

“With this, we are going to be able to recruit more volunteers so no child is left behind on a wait list and we will be able to advertise the program a little more so people in the community know we’re here,” Burdette said. “This helps us ensure that the child not only has their stability but also the little perks that a teenager and a child deserves.”

The Parkersburg and Wood County Library received $15,000 and Brian Raitz discussed the importance of those funds.

“We’re upgrading all the technology for copies, scanner, microfilm scanners, etc., in the library,” Raitz said. “We’re going to be digitizing the entire newspaper collection going back into the 19th century. We’re doing quite a few things with this.”

Other recipients include:

* American Red Cross of Northwest West Virginia Chapter: $4,000

This is one of two trees on display at the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation. Ornaments were donated by residents of the community in honor of a loved one or to represent an organization or cause. (Photo by Candice Black)

* Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg: $15,000

* Boys and Girls Club of Pleasants County: $2,020

* Calhoun County Committee on Aging: $4,550

* Calhoun County Family Resource Network: $7,500

* Calhoun County School: $9,650

* City of Spencer: $6,400

* Doddridge County Family Resource Network: $2,650

* Ely Chapman Education Foundation: $6,700

* GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club: $5,000

* Gilmer County Family Resource Network: $2,000

* Harmony Mental Health: $3,750

* Healthy Grandfamilies Coalition: $5,000

* Mid-Ohio Valley Foster Grandparent Program: $4,000

* Normantown Historical Community Center: $10,575

* Parents and Friends of the Hearing Impaired: $5,000

* Regeneration/Packs of Plenty: $3,500

* Ritchie County Family Resource Network: $1,000

* Rosenbaum Family House and WVU Medicine: $5,000

* South Parkersburg United Methodist: $6,000

* The Salvation Army: $15,000

* Wood County Schools: $15,000

* Wood County Society: $12,500

* West Virginia Health Right: $6,500

* West Virginia University at Parkersburg: $5,000

* YMCA of Parkersburg: $12,500

* Blennerhassett Elementary School: $250

* Blennerhassett Middle School: $60

* Franklin Elementary Center: $246

* Kanawha Elementary School: $150

* Parkersburg South High School: $250

Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.