Hope lives here…
Through Silver Dollar City Foundation’s Hope Grants, local communities rejoice in renewed hope for their students and parents struggling to see the light.
Fourteen school districts in Stone and Taney counties have received more than $350,000 over the past two years to address life’s hardships such as food scarcity and lack of early childhood education.
Take a look at a few of this year’s recipients to learn how our grants serve as that beacon of light to overcome hopelessness.
Kirbyville: “Preschool Progress”
While Kirbyville’s Preschool has been part of the community for many years, it was not operating at full enrollment because parents struggled to afford the $14/day tuition.
A $12,000 Hope Grant helped offset that expense to parents and brought the cost down to only $5/day. The preschool saw enrollment increase to 20 students each day which is full capacity.
Children now have the hope of improvement, the hope of friendship with other children in the program, and the hope of being in a loving and stable environment with developmentally appropriate learning opportunities.
Branson: “Backpack Food Program”
Many students don’t have enough food at home to nourish their growing bodies. Branson schools had 420 students signed up for the Backpack Food Program, which provides small meals for students to have on weekends. Providing these nutritious meals for them instilled a sense of hope that the community cares about their well-being and they are not alone in their struggles.
The $15,000 Hope Grant helped fill the backpacks with easy-to-prepare meals such as macaroni & cheese cups, fruit cups, granola bars, soups, and cereal. Thanks to the grant, all 420 students on the list were able to take home a backpack of food each weekend.
Galena: “School Resource Officer”
The security of a uniformed officer being present at school provides tremendous hope to students, yet small school districts in Stone County cannot afford the expense of a school resource officer. The Galena district secured a $15,000 Hope Grant to equip and train an officer.
Creating this environment of safety eases fears of “what if” that were present in the community before the officer arrived, and that gives parents tremendous hope and peace as they send their children to school.
