The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation recently opened a satellite office in the City of DuBois inside the NCPA Launchbox facility, 2 East Long Avenue in downtown DuBois. The Charitable Foundation will have use of the office space every Wednesday.

Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken explained that opening the satellite office in DuBois will give the Charitable Foundation a physical presence in the DuBois area that will help strengthen the relationship with funds already established for the DuBois community along with recruiting new endowment and scholarship funds that will enhance DuBois and surrounding communities.    

McCracken will be working at the DuBois satellite office most Wednesdays and the Charitable Foundation Board is planning to hold at least 1 quarterly board meeting per year at the location. Brad Lashinsky, Director of NCPA Launchbox said “we welcome the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation to the Launchbox and wish them much success with their endeavors in the DuBois area”.

The opening of the DuBois satellite office continues the growth strategy of the Charitable Foundation Board of Directors that started with the January of 2020 hiring of McCracken as Executive Director along with the opening of a business office located at the Rear of 236 East Market Street in Clearfield.    

McCracken said “like everyone else, the Charitable Foundation was hampered throughout 2020 by limitations brought on by the COVID19 restrictions, but we were able to follow through with the board’s long range plan to grow the organization while providing needed support to communities, projects and individuals throughout Clearfield County”.   

From the end of 2019 through March 18^th of 2021, the market value of all  funds established with the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation grew from $6,475,000 to $8,965,000. Over the 5 year period from March 1^st, 2016 to March of 2021, the Charitable Foundation has awarded a total of 969,335.84 in the form of charitable and scholarship benefits.   

During 2020, the Charitable Foundation awarded $20,245 in community project grants, over $42,000 in scholarships to 33 students and made 2 separate distributions of $3,900 and $4,800 to food banks operating in Clearfield County.

The Charitable Foundation Board also announces the recent addition of Jamie Straub to the Charitable Foundation Board of Directors to represent the DuBois area.  

Ms. Straub joined the board in January and brings a wealth of experience from her position as Vice President – Sr. Corporate Banker – Commercial Solutions with First Commonwealth Bank in DuBois along with her service on many other community boards.   

McCracken said “we are pleased to have Ms. Straub join the Charitable Foundation board and she will offer key input to the board, not only in regards to the DuBois area, but to our efforts across all of Clearfield County”.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation was formed in November of 2004 and now has 47 endowment and scholarship funds valued at over $8.9 million. The Charitable Foundation is registered with both the IRS as a 501(C) 3 tax exempt organization and with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of State as a charitable organization.  

Donations to any Clearfield County Charitable Foundation fund are tax deductible. Anyone interested in establishing a fund with the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation or making a donation to any of our funds should visit www.clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org or call 814-592-7331 to schedule a meeting.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation recently released $6,800 from the Basic Needs Fund to food banks serving communities across all of Clearfield County.

Receiving funding will be the food banks operated by Central PA Community Action in Clearfield, Curwensville, Philipsburg, Burnside/Mahaffey, Westover, Houtzdale, Osceola Mills, Karthaus, West Branch/Allport, and the DuBois Ministerium Food Pantry and DuBois Salvation Army. Additional organizations getting funds are Salvation Army in Clearfield, Living Bread Ministries, the Anti-Hunger Program operated by the Moshannon Valley YMCA that services communities in the Philipsburg-Osceola, West Branch and Moshannon Valley areas, and the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging meal programs.

New this year to the funding list is the Lightner Food Bank serving Coalport/Irvona and surrounding areas that is operated by CenClear.

Recently CCCF Board Member John Harpster and CCCF Executive Director Mark McCracken met with YMCA Branch Director Mel Curtis to review the work they are doing with the Anti-Hunger Program in Clearfield County. Mr. Curtis reported the YMCA has recently completed several Farmer’s to Families food distributions in both Clearfield and Centre counties with one at the Clearfield Driving Park that distributed 400 food boxes.

Each 30-50 pound box contained produce, cheese, liquid eggs, meat and a gallon of milk. In total, the Farmer’s to Families distribution events held in recent weeks in both counties has seen over 6,400 food boxes distributed to families. Mr. Curtis noted that the Anti-Hunger Program has seen an increase in participants over the last year attributing a lot of the increase to COVID-19 impacts on the economy.

CCCF Executive Director Mark McCracken said “the Charitable Foundation is grateful for the work all the area food banks are doing to help families”.

CCCF Board Member John Harpster noted “members of the CCCF board all agree that we want funds collected in our Basic Needs Fund to help the needy and releasing these funds to area food banks will have a direct impact”.

Anyone interested in donating to the Basic Needs Fund to help with future distributions to local food banks, please visit our website at www.clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org. There is a DONATE NOW link for the Basic Needs Fund on the main web page for secure online donations or, donations may be mailed to Clearfield County Charitable Foundation, PO Box 1442, Clearfield PA 16830.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation recently awarded CenClear $1,250 from the CCCF 2020 Community Grant Program to help fund the Lightner Food Bank Program that helps families in the communities of Coalport, Irvona and Beccaria Township.

In accepting the grant check, Sean Rockmore, the Family and Community Partnership Coordinator for CenClear said “The Coalport Food Bank is made possible with contributions from the John Lightner Trust Fund. The funds support assistance to low-income families in Beccaria Township and the boroughs of Coalport and Irvona”.
Mr. Rockmore went on to explain “The grant funding from the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation will allow CenClear to purchase food-only gift cards for $25.00 each from the local grocery store Leyo’s who we are partnering with in this endeavor. The gift cards are paired with a box of non-perishable grocery items donated by the CenClear Food Bank”.
Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken stated “There is a great need for food bank services in the Coalport / Irvona area and it is encouraging to see the collaborative efforts by CenClear, the Lightner Trust and Leyo’s market to meet this need. The CCCF Grant Committee reviewed the grant application submitted by CenClear and was pleased to award funds to this important program that helps families in the communities of Coalport, Irvona and the surrounding Beccaria Township”.
Mr. Rockmore reported so far the food bank is serving 20 families a month in the designated communities and mentioned that CenClear continues to seek additional financial support to supplement the funding from the Lightner Fund. Mr. Rockmore also recognized the work the food bank staff at CenClear does to help him prepare the food boxes and gave special recognition to Leyo’s for their support of the project.

The Clearfield YMCA was awarded a 2020 CCCF grant to purchase additional equipment for use in the youth gymnastics program.   Pictured are Brian McDonald – Program/Aquatics Director at the YMCA, Don Herres – Executive Director of the YMCA and Mark McCracken – Executive Director of the CCCF.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation received 31 grant applications for the 2020 CCCF Grant Program from various groups and organizations representing communities across Clearfield County.

The CCCF Grant Committee did a complete review and scoring of all the submitted applications and presented a detailed report with recommendations to the Charitable Foundation Board who approved the following grant awards:

Pentz Run Youth Services, DuBois PA – $1,000

Young People Who Care, Frenchville PA – $1,000

Cen-Clear, Bigler PA – $1,250

Good Samaritan Center Clearfield PA – $1,500

Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund – $1,000

Grampian Lions Club, Grampian PA – $1,000

Clearfield Chamber of Commerce, Clearfield PA – $2,500

Catholic Charities Adoption Services, DuBois PA – $1,000

Clearfield County Cancer Support Inc., Curwensville PA – $2,000

Cultural Resources Inc, DuBois PA – $1,000

Clearfield YMCA, Clearfield PA – $820

Lawrence Township Fire Company #1, Clearfield PA – $480

Clearfield Skate Park, Clearfield PA – $445.

The following awards were made from the Sara Jane Mattern Fund to the following 4 organizations in the borough of Osceola Mills: Columbia Fire Company – $1,312.50, Osceola Mills United Methodist Church – $1312.50, Osceola Mills Community Library – $1,312.50 and Osceola Mills Historical Foundation – $1,312.50.    

The Sara Jane Mattern Fund was established by Ms. Mattern’s estate to provide annual funding to the 4 listed organizations.

The grant awards listed above represent $10,695 from the CCCF Community Fund, $4,300 from the Kurtz Clearfield, Lawrence Township and Curwensville Fund and $5,250 from the Sara Jane Mattern fund for a total distribution of $20,245 to help people and communities all over Clearfield County.

Of the funds from the CCCF Community Fund, $1,377 came from a contribution made by Visit Clearfield County from the proceeds of the Chainsaw Carvers Event they sponsored in June. The $1,377 donation was made possible through the generosity of the 4 carvers that participated in the event, Doug Ryan, Ray “Knotty Ray” Good, Todd Gladfelter and Mark Mann.

On behalf of the Charitable Foundation Board and Grant Review Committee, Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken said “The awarded grants went to some fine community-based organizations and include projects that will benefit many people with specific needs.   

“Several of the projects will benefit area youths while others address needs for people with medical issues. There are also specific projects to establish a much-needed food bank in the Coalport / Irvona area along with a project to purchase and install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in homes that don’t have them”.  

McCracken added “We also had some great organizations with viable projects that did not make the cut for funding this year, but we would encourage them to resubmit next year”.  

Since 2006, the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation’s grant program has awarded over $120,000 to projects in communities across Clearfield County.    

Anyone who would like to contribute to help fund grants next year can do so by sending contributions to the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation, PO Box 1442, Clearfield PA 16830 by designating the donation to go to the Community Fund, the Kurtz CLC Donor Designated Fund or the Sara Jane Mattern Fund.  

Donations may also be made online at www.clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org which are securely processed through Paypal.

Steve Albert, right, of the Clearfield Corner Concert Series recently presented a check for $2,767 for the Bob E. Day Scholarship Fund to CCCF Executive Director Mark McCracken, left. The funds were collected during the 2020 Corner Concert Series held over the summer in Lower Witmer Park. Albert thanked WOKW 102.9FM and their staff for helping to make the 2020 Corner Concert Series a success and is looking forward to planning the event for 2021.

Earlier this year, the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation provided grant funding to the Bob Perks Fund to assist their efforts in helping cancer patients in Clearfield County. The grant funds provided by the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation are used by the Bob Perks Fund for the purchase of gift cards for Clearfield County cancer patients that they can use to purchase basic necessities. Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken stated “The partnership between the Charitable Foundation and the Bob Perks Fund is beneficial for cancer patients and their families in communities throughout the county. The support provided by the Bob Perks Fund to these individuals in need of help fits with the goals of the Charitable Foundation and the donors that support our annual grant program”.

Referred to the Bob Perks Fund by local hospitals and medical facilities, these cancer patients face eviction, utility shut-off notices, financial difficulty to purchase adequate groceries, and not enough gas for cancer treatment travel. Established in 2006, the Bob Perks Fund provides financial assistance to Blair, Centre, Clearfield, and Huntingdon County cancer patients who are overwhelmed with unpaid bills and need to worry less to focus attention on their health and recovery. While the Bob Perks Fund is a small nonprofit, it has raised and allocated $2 million in the four-county region since it was established in 2006.

Since 2012, the Bob Perks Fund has approved 728 Clearfield County cancer patient applications and has allocated $425,000 to these efforts. Every dollar allocated to support a cancer patient is a donated dollar. In recent years, the Bob Perks Fund has received support from Clearfield County Charitable Foundation, Johnson Subaru, the Fairman Foundation, Curwensville Area Lutheran Ministry and countless general, memorial and holiday donations. Event support includes “Mikey’s Old School Ride,” Buster’s Sports Bar Dart Tournament, Clearfield/Philipsburg Wrestling and several Centre County sources of support.

Recently, Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken met with Bob Perks Fund Development Coordinator Marjann Young to discuss their work in Clearfield County and current financial conditions. Ms. Young explained “Because the pandemic has caused the cancellation of six key fundraising events, the Bob Perks Fund is experiencing a huge decrease in donations during 2020. To fund every eligible cancer patient application through December 31, the Bob Perks Fund needs $50,000. $25,000 is currently in hand because the generous sponsors of cancelled events asked for their event sponsorship dollars be retained by the Bob Perks Fund to help cancer patients. To reach the $50,000 needed for the remainder of 2020, the Bob Perks Fund has launched “Strive for 25,” a GOFUNDME effort to raise $25,000 in 25 days to match the funds already received”. Ms. Young is asking people to please consider making a difference in the lives of Clearfield County cancer patients and help with the “Strive for 25,” from September 1 through September 25. For more information about the Bob Perks Fund, visit bobperksfund.org

To donate to the Strive for 25 visit: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/strive-for-251

or donations can be mailed to Bob Perks Fund, PO Box 313, State College PA 16804-0313.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation is ready to distribute applications for the 2020 CCCF Grant Program. 

In 2019, the grant program awarded over $23,000 to projects that benefitted communities from all areas of Clearfield County. Since inception, the CCCF Grant Program has awarded over $133,000 in total funding.   

For 2020, the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation Board of Directors is looking for applications from groups that will address the needs of communities and specifically the board is encouraging participation from groups that have never applied before.   

CCCF Executive Director Mark McCracken said “with the recent economic downturn many communities are seeing a need for new programs that will address specific problems.   The Charitable Foundation, through the grant program, is looking to fund projects that will meet specific needs and provide solutions that will make our communities better.This year, the CCCF Board and our Grant Committee is very interested to see some new and innovative ideas submitted for consideration”.

The Charitable Foundation has an established Grant Committee that will review and critically score all applications. Once the review process is completed, the committee will provide recommendations to the foundation board for the final award of the grant funds.  

To be eligible for a grant award, applying agencies/organizations must provide services in local communities and be located within Clearfield County. Priority is given to projects that have potential for long-term impact, support the county’s overall needs, do not duplicate other services and will aid residents not currently being served.

The grants are funded by the Charitable Foundation’s Community Fund along with several individual endowment funds that were set up in the name of certain individuals interested in helping their communities and projects all across the county.   

Additionally, the CCL Donor Designated Fund was established for organizations in Clearfield Borough, Curwensville Borough and Lawrence Township and the Sara Jane Mattern Fund was established by the Mattern estate to fund annual grants to four specific organizations in Osceola Mills.  

The grant application, instructions and all necessary submission documents are available to download in MS Word format or PDF format at http://clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org/forms-downloads.   

For those unable to download the forms, paper copies of the application and documents can be requested via email to cccfexecdir@outlook.com or by calling (814)-592-7331.    

Deadline for submission of the grant applications is Friday, September 25^th, 2020.

For those interested in financially supporting the Charitable Foundation Grant Program or any of our endowment or scholarship funds, contributions may be made at the website http://clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org/, clicking on the OUR FUNDS button, selecting either LIST OF GENERAL FUNDS or SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS and then selected the specific fund by clicking the DONATE button beside the fund you want to donate to.  

Online donations are processed through a secure Paypal account. Donations can also be mailed to: Clearfield County Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 1442, Clearfield PA 16830 – please designate on the check memo line the fund you would like your donation credited to.   

We also welcome inquiries from those interested in establishing endowment or scholarship funds to benefit local communities and organizations.

The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation received a donation of $1,377, which was a portion of the proceeds from the auction held at the completion of the Lumberjack Chainsaw Carvers Event held on June 26^th and 27^th at the Big Lots Plaza in Clearfield.

The event was organized and sponsored by Visit Clearfield County with additional sponsorship by Rural King, Legacy Resource Partners, Pennmark Properties and Blue Moon Media and Marketing.   

The featured carvers at the event were Todd Gladfelter, Mark Mann, Knotty Ray and Doug Ryan.

VCC Executive Director Josiah Jones said the sponsors and the participants in the event wanted to give something back to the community that would make an impact. The decision was made to give a portion of the proceeds from the event auction to CCCF to be designated for use in their community grants program.

CCCF Executive Director Mark McCracken said “we really appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the initial Lumberjack Chainsaw Carvers Event and thank Visit Clearfield County for the invitation and donation.   

“The donated funds will go directly to our grants program and will be part of the funding for our 2020 grant cycle that will be starting in early August with the grants awarded later this year.   

“We appreciate the talents the 4 carvers, Todd Gladfelter, Mark Mann, Knotty Ray and Doug Ryan, put on display and thank them for donating their pieces for the auction”.

Jones and McCracken both noted for a first time event put together on short notice, it was “a tremendous success”.   

Both thanked the corporate sponsors, the participating carvers, the food vendors, the staff at Visit Clearfield County, Bee Kind Winery for donation of gift baskets for the auction and Tim Winters who served as auctioneer.  

Special thanks to everyone who came out to the event and those individuals who bid on the auction items.