$800 Grant Given to Main Street Community Center

March 8, 2013 - PRLog -- The grant was recently presented at the MSCC’s location in Edwardsville.

The MSCC applied for the $800 grant from GEACF, which is going to be put to purchasing a laptop computer and software. The laptop will be used for presentations at the Center, presentations in the community, and for in-house usage at a computer station.

The new laptop will also allow the Center to provide educational and topical information to attendees and to create awareness about the programs and services that MSCC provides to the community at little to no cost.

“We greatly appreciate the GEACF grant that will be used to purchase a laptop computer for the Center,” said Sara Berkbigler, Executive Director of MSCC. “The laptop will be used at the Center for presentations like our Coffee Talks series, Dialogue with an SIUE professor and Cavalcade of Ideas, and it will be used for presentations in the community as we seek to inform the public about the programs and services that we provide.”

“We are proud to have presented this grant to such a worthy organization as the Main Street Community Center,” said Mary Westerhold, Foundation Chairman for GEACF. “They are a true community center, and we feel that the laptop that they purchase will be used to help the people in the greater Edwardsville area to connect with educational and charitable opportunities.”

MSCC also plans to utilize the laptop for educational and speaker presentations and also by the Executive Director and Board Members for community presentations to inform churches and organizations about the programs and activities at the Center in order to encourage participation.

“When the laptop isn’t being used for a presentation, we plan on making it available at a computer station in the Center for community members to use,” said Berkbigler.

Before the grant was issued, the Center lacked the funds to purchase its own laptop, and presenters had to provide their own laptops.

“Even when we gave presentations to the community, we as a Center had to borrow a laptop from someone,” said Berkbigler.

The Center’s future plans include increasing community awareness of their programs such as the home-delivered-meals and transportation services.

“We’ve developed some new programs geared to several generations like Parent’s Nights Out, Scrapbooking Sessions, arts and crafts for kids, and World Flight dinners,” said Berkbigler.

Main Street Community Center is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that is independent but works closely with the City of Edwardsville, Edwardsville Township, United Way, SIUE, YMCA, Edwardsville Public Library, Glen Carbon Senior Center, and other community organizations to provide meaningful programs and services to the greater Edwardsville community.

Opened in 1974 as Senior Citizens Services, the Main Street Community Center changed its name and expanded in 2008 to become a true community center for the greater Edwardsville area.

The Center’s mission is to provide a broad range of group and individual activities and services that address the needs and interests of individuals spanning several generations, including older adults, families, caregivers, and other members of the community.

The Center, which is the only community center in Edwardsville, offers similar senior programs in other Madison County senior centers including Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, Glen Carbon, Granite City, Maryville, Troy, and Venice. The Center also offers many free and low-cost activities and services to the community, including home-delivered meals, congregate meals, door-to-door transportation, health screenings, exercise and dance classes, educational and topical speakers, book clubs, games, and more.

The Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation, established in 1997, is a charitable trust that receives, manages, and distributes tax-deductible charitable contributions for the benefit of the greater Edwardsville area communities and its residents.

The Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement and betterment of the quality of life in the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Hamel, Moro, Dorsey, Worden, and the surrounding areas.

For more information about Main Street Community Center, please call (618) 656-0300 or visit them online at www.edwseniors.org.

For more information about GEACF, please call (855) GO-GEACF or visit online at www.geacf.org.