Ela Township Board Awards Grants to Nine Groups

The Ela Township board recently approved $26,000 in grant requests from eight of 12 organizations requesting funds or in-kind donations from the township for 2011. 

Appeals from the Lake Zurich High School Bear Boosters to fund a pre-prom party and a grant to cover camp fees for the Village of Lake Zurich Fire/Rescue Explorers were tabled for future consideration before the township budget is finalized in April. 

The Ela Historical Society had requested $3,000 from the township, but their expenses will instead be planned into the regular budget and not distributed as a grant, said Lucy Prouty, township supervisor.

The board didn't grant a request for $683 from the Citizens for Conservation, whose mission is to protect, restore and provide education about conserving natural resources, according to their website.

One grant request came in the form of in-kind, donated space only for Omni Youth Services to provide counseling services at the Foglia YMCA, which was also approved by the board.

The largest grant of $19,000 was awarded to Emmaus House of Hospitality, which provides a community dinner every Sunday night, donates ‘rescued’ food to those in need and provides support services to prevent homelessness.

The organization also donates baby items such as formula and diapers for parents experiencing financial difficulties.

“Emmaus House serves an overwhelming amount of people who are only from our township,” said Prouty.

The remaining organizations and amounts they were given are as follows; $1,000 for Barrington Career Center, $1,000 for Barrington Youth and Family Services, $2,000 to Health Reach, Inc., $1,000 for the Hospice Foundation of Illinois, $1000 to the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center and $1,000 to Nicasa. 

Nicasa was actually awarded the grant money during the 2010 budget but the funds were never claimed by the organization.

Separate from the grant requests, $5,000 in scholarships will be awarded by Ela Township to the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA).

YEA is a one year program that teaches high school students how to start and run their own businesses.

The next Ela Township Board meeting will be held on Thursday, March 3.