Support for Neighbors Grants

2024: $3,000, Foundation Grant

Equal UA aims to embrace diversity, advocate for equity, and nurture a community where everyone can belong. A Foundation grant was given as seed funding for the Equal UA initiative “Kindness Close to Home: UA Porch Parties.” The goals of the program are to help more people in the Upper Arlington community feel that they belong by encouraging, supporting, and celebrating small neighborhood gatherings. Kindness Close to Home: UA Porch Parties was implemented in collaboration with The Columbus Foundation’s Center for HumanKINDNESS in Summer 2024.

2024: $1,000, Foundation Grant

Northwest Kiwanis is an organization of volunteers dedicated to improving their community, and it is one of 8,000 Kiwanis clubs worldwide. A Foundation grant was awarded to support the Northwest Kiwanis’ establishment of a Tri-Village Aktion Club. The Aktion Club provides opportunities for adults with disabilities to take an active role in improving their community.

2024: Quinn Buttermore, UAHS #11, The Ohio State University
2023: Ceylone Brooks, UAHS #2, DME Academy
2022: Alyssa Gest, UAHS #21, Kenyon College

Sue Knell was a life-long UA resident. A UAHS graduate, she later played collegiate basketball at Colorado Women’s College, an all-women's college now associated with Denver University. Her legacy is remembered in celebration of one annual UAHS Girls Basketball Senior.

2023: Grant by Good Neighbor Fund and Overmyer Hall Associates Fund

The Tri-Village Packers, comprising of volunteer community members, pack and distribute food during Thanksgiving and Spring Breaks to Upper Arlington and Grandview Schools children that receive free or reduced school lunch. The project is led by local service groups, including the Tri-Village Lions Club, Northwest Kiwanis Club, the City of Upper Arlington, the City of Grandview, Upper Arlington Schools, and Grandview Schools. A grant by the Good Neighbor Fund and the Overmyer Hall Associates Fund supplied food distributed to students during Thanksgiving Break 2023 and Spring Break 2024. To support this initiative, donations can be made to the Tri-Village Packers Fund through the Foundation.

2023: $10,000, Foundation Grant

The Upper Arlington Civic Association is a non-profit organization focused on creating authentic community events for the residents of Upper Arlington. A Foundation grant was awarded as seed funding for the Upper Arlington Civic Association’s inaugural Neighbors Night Out event, held on September 30, 2023. The event encouraged interaction among previously unfamiliar neighbors and offered a special welcome to new residents.

2023: Grant by Good Neighbor Fund and George F. Renkert Fund

A grant by the Good Neighbor Fund and the George F. Renkert Fund supplied a car to an Upper Arlington family displaced from their home in Maui. The car provided stability for the family as they rebuilt their lives in Upper Arlington.

2023: $5,000, Foundation Grant

Foundation funds supported a collaboration between the Tri-Village Chamber Partnership and Rainbow UA to provide cultural competency training about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for UA businesses who aim to serve the community as inclusive and supportive local organizations. The Tri-Village Chamber Partnership helps small businesses in the Tri-Village area develop, grow, and succeed. Rainbow UA creates community, provides support, and shares resources for LGBTQ+ families and individuals in Upper Arlington.

2023: $500, Foundation Grant

Tri-Village Lions Club members partnered with local UA school-aged children to prepare 200 Easter baskets for the Central Ohio Community. Supplies were provided by a Foundation grant, and the baskets were gifted to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, Jordan’s Crossing Resource Center, and the YMCA Family Center. The Tri-Village Lions Club is a local service organization dedicated to improving access to quality education, youth development, and more.

2023: Grant by Fitzpatrick Family Fund

The Fitzpatrick Family believes sports should be accessible to all who wish to participate. In this spirit, the Fitzpatrick Family Fund granted scholarship support for the Upper Arlington Ice Hockey Association, ensuring local UA athletes have an equal opportunity to play.

2022: Grant by UA Fund for Veterans

When the sister of a fallen Veteran inherited her nephews, her family quickly doubled overnight. A grant from the UA Fund for Veterans helped this family in mourning thrive with financial assistance for a downpayment for a new vehicle, accommodating the entire blended family.