As part of its quarterly charitable giving, the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation has gifted a total of $3,600 in grants to three nonprofit organizations—Family Center of Washington County, Economics Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).
The Make It Better Foundation gifted a $1,500 grant to the Family Center of Washington County for its Rainbows for all Children program, which provides peer support to grieving children who have experienced a difficult life event. The program gives families tools to get through tough times without resorting to destructive behaviors such as alcohol and substance abuse, anger, or involvement with those who may influence them negatively. Grant funds will help to finance the program’s implementation: training materials and resources, design outcome measures, and instructor training. In addition, the funds will cover costs of taxi vouchers and gas cards as an incentive for those who are unable to provide transportation for their children.
“Receiving funds from the Make It Better Foundation will make a difference for so many families that are dealing with traumatic events in their lives,” says Bonnie Debroux, executive director for the Family Center of Washington County. “Rainbows for All Children will allow us to help them through the process.”
A $600 grant was awarded to Economics Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to launch its From Books to Bucks program—a financial literacy project that links literature and money for young earners. This project consists of a 45-minute small group presentation that uses a combination of children’s literature with a finance theme and puppetry to teach developmentally appropriate financial concepts. After listening to a story, children participate in various hands-on activities such as arts and crafts, games, and acting, which assist in integrating financial literacy standards into reading writing, listening, and speaking.
Grant funds will finance the purchase of books to be utilized during presentation lessons and will allow the program manager to have access to consistent materials to use when traveling to various communities.
“Receiving the grant from Cousins Make It Better Foundation is a fabulous way to start out 2016. It is especially meaningful to have the support from a business that started out right in the Milwaukee area just as our program From Books to Bucks is doing,” says Jennifer Guenther, program manager for Early$tart = Money$mart.
“This grant allows Economics Wisconsin to purchase a large variety of books to read to children across the state of Wisconsin to promote early economic and financial education for those in preschool through third grade. Having a library of books will allow greater flexibility and more creativity when designing lessons and activities for various demographics of Wisconsin.”
A $1,500 grant will support Wisconsin DECA’s State Career Development Conference held on Wednesday, March 9 as well as its Competitive Events Program. Wisconsin DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in more than 100 high schools statewide. The State Career Development Conference allows students to compete with one another in 24 different events focused around the aforementioned categories.
