Area nonprofit groups work to aid variety of causes

OTC Foundation

Since its inception in 1995, the Ozarks Technical Community College Founda-tion has received more than $1 million in cash and in-kind pledges. According to a news release from the school, the foundation provides scholarships via current gifts and endowed funds to deserving students, and it has helped the school build its Springfield campus. In-kind do-nations of things like automobiles and sophisticated medical devices have en-abled the school to teach state-of-the art technologies in its instructional programs.

"The OTC Foundation is relatively new and is very much in the development stage. The potential for the foundation is nearly limitless as OTC strives to provide jobs and better lives through education and job training. A gift to the foundation is truly an investment in the economic future of the Ozarks," said Brian Fogle, acting executive director of the OTC Foundation.

Impact on Your Community'

"Impact on Your Community," a publication that lists the accomplishments of 39 local nonprofit organizations for the last year, is now complete, according to a news release from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's Non-Profit CEO/CVO Roundtable, chaired by Jim Weaton, executive director of the Springfield Family YMCA, is the publisher of "Impact on Your Com-munity."

In it, significant accomplishments are addressed, such as the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch's newly-built aquatics center, and the Discovery Center's six new permanent exhibits and the three major traveling exhibits the center hosted in the past year. The 39 organizations in the publication have operating budgets totaling nearly $99,529,134 and they employ more than 3,700 people.

NSBA

At its Dec. 11 meeting, the North Springfield Betterment Association and local artist Scott Hepper, owner of Springfield Coffee Company, presented signed, framed, limited editions of Hepper's "Unleash Your Power. Stay in School." painting. The prints were given to Superintendent Jack Ernst, PhD, and 16 elementary school principals who are participating in NSBA's elementary school attendance incentive program.

According to an NSBA news release, the association also is selling a limited number of donated prints for $20 each, with all proceeds benefiting the attendance incentive program.

Ozarks Literacy Council

The Ozarks Literacy Council, located at 410 South Ave., is the beneficiary of a $10,000 grant from the Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Foundation of Mexi-co, Mo. According to an OLC news re-lease, the grant will be used for general program support for OLC's literacy ad-vocacy and teaching efforts.

Northrop Grumman

Springfield-area Northrop Grumman Interconnect Technologies employees brought holiday cheer to students at four area schools via the company's "Christ-mas Angels" project. According to a news release from the company, students and their families at Springfield's Camp-bell, Westport and Ed V. Williams elementary schools, and students at the Bois D'Arc elementary school, were chosen to benefit from the company's annual Angel drive this year.

School officials at each school chose the most needy families, and the "angels" included gifts for all children in each family, from preschool to high school age. A total of 38 families and 100 individuals were selected 96 children and four adults. The company raised more than $6,000 via bake sales, a book sale, silent auction, chili lunch and matching funds from the company. The money was used to ensure that each child received a gift-wrapped toy, and each family received food for Christmas dinner and pantry items.

In addition to the "Christmas Angels" program, the employees raised more than $5,600 for the Sept. 11 Fund, and $1,474.41 for the Liberty Fund to benefit families of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.