Two local organizations were recently awarded grants from the Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District as part of the District’s Community Grants Program. The funds will be used to undertake projects that promote sustainability and care for natural resources.
The organizations receiving grants include Plainfield High School to transition the school’s photography classes away from the use of a dark room (and the various, hazardous chemicals) to a more up-to-date program focused on using digital technology. The grant funds will be used to purchase ten SLR film cameras that will require students to understand and utilize manual controls as they make choices about how the photographs will appear when developed. But, the move to digital will allow the program to move away from the dangerous and expensive dark room chemicals as those are used up over time. Additionally, the school will no longer have to purchase, store and ultimately dispose of those chemicals.
The Town of Danville was also awarded a grant. The award will help the Town support the trees around the Courthouse Square and along Main Street in Downtown Danville. Currently, the areas immediately surrounding each tree are not large enough to support healthy growth; the small spaces do not allow sufficient water or room for the tree to grow. The Town is expanding those areas and replacing the existing tree grates with ones made from recycled plastic. The grates will protect both the trees and pedestrians using the Downtown area and are ADA compliant.
The grant program offered by the Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District allows local, non-profit and tax-exempt organization to apply for funds to undertake waste reduction, recycling and environmental education projects. Lenn Detwiler, Executive Director for the Solid Waste Management District said, “The Solid Waste Management District is pleased to be able to support the good work of these organizations as they strive to conserve natural resources and teach others the benefits of waste reduction, reuse and recycling right here in our community.”
Since 2006, the District has awarded over $200,000 in grants to over fifty Hendricks County organizations. Grant recipients have included schools in every school district in the County, churches, Sycamore Services, Hendricks County Extension Master Gardeners, the Hendricks County Arts Council, the towns of Amo, Avon, Brownsburg, North Salem and Plainfield, B&O Trail Association, Downtown Danville Partnership, the Parks Foundation of Hendricks County and many more.
The Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District is now accepting grant applications for the fall 2017 grant round. The District has earmarked over $10,000 for the next grant round; each applicant is eligible for up to $5,000 in funding. Interested parties can learn more about the grant program or contact Lenn Detwiler for more information.
