The final quarterly meeting of the Foundation was not short of ideas on how to best impact the community.

Though a pandemic prevails, so does a skilled community of nonprofit organizations supporting citizens in need. Health, nutrition, safety and literacy are fundamentals to quality of life. Each of these was addressed through the grants awarded. 

Ultimately, 10 organizations were chosen to receive 12 awards.  Grants totaled $28,403.40.

The following is a list of recipients, award levels and the impact grants will make. The additional support that donor advisors gave through their grantmaking is included.

COVID RESPONSE
Miami County Dental Clinic, $3,000.00, undergirds operating expenses, which have held steady during the pandemic, though partnerships with The Ohio State University dental program and fundraising events have been restricted. The mission of the clinic is to provide quality dental care to low-income, uninsured, and under-insured patients. 

Miami County Recovery Council, $2,843.80, continues to support the increased demands on Hope House, a residential opiate withdrawal management program. Located in Troy, it was the first facility of its kind in the Miami Valley. MCRC works closely with the courts, UVMC, employers and families looking for a safe location where a person can successfully withdraw from opiates or methamphetamine. The overwhelming majority of admissions are self-referrals.

Needy Basket of Southern Miami County, $1,000.00, helps purchase an additional 35,000 – 45,000 pounds of food above the original 2020 estimate. 

ARTS & CULTURE
Bethel Local Schools, $2,176.20, nourishes elementary students through unique musical experiences found in Orff percussion instruments. Bethel School’s long-standing tradition of music program excellence is born in the early years with hands-on class experiences. This grant was made possible, in part, by the Bethel Arts Fund, established in 2014.

Bethel Local Schools, $1,524.00, elevates the art department with floor easels, not commonly found in high school art rooms. Artmaking at an easel encourages artists to work vertically, which enables them to produce works of art in the same plane of their perception and in the same plane their work will most likely be experienced by others. This is a Bethel Arts Fund grant.

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, $2,000.00, tunes young learners into musical concepts while listening to orchestral recitals.  In the past this partnership with Tipp City Schools was in person, but due to the pandemic the five “live” performances will be experienced in a streamed format. All Tipp City elementary students will experience these professional productions.

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $1,007.00, spruces up the exteriors of downtown properties identified by the Façade Improvement Program. This is an Urban Stewardship Fund grant.

EDUCATION
Child Care Choices, $4,000.00, purchases books and activity supplies for the Story Lady, volunteer educators promoting early literacy. Serving Miami Valley childcare centers and home childcare providers, Tipp City represents 20% of this outreach.  During the 2020-21 school year, educators will serve a total of 70 locations and reach 950 children.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $727.00, purchases a set of Literacy Footprints Guided Reading System for 4th grade readers.  These books help children develop strong literacy skills and a love for reading. This grant was made possible, in part, by the Youth of Tipp City Fund imo Sara Drexler, established in 2018.

Tipp City Public Library, $3,000, meets the needs of dyslexic and struggling readers through the purchase of large print and Hi-Lo books.  Hi-Lo books are high-interest, low reading level books designed to engage struggling readers by exploring complex, age-appropriate themes at a lower reading level. Book titles purchased were coordinated between the Library and the Media Specialist from Tipp City Schools.

ENVIRONMENT
Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $2,125.40, meets a need in Downtown Tipp City due to increased pedestrian traffic…there aren’t enough trash cans!  What a good problem to have.  This project is in conjunction with the Tipp City Street Department.  Additional support from Robinson-Walters Family Fund advisors rounds out this request for a total of $2,875.40.00.

SOCIAL SERVICES
Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, $5,000.00, contributes to the housing expansion project. Serving all of Miami County, victims of domestic violence from Tipp City and Bethel Township are eligible for emergency shelter and legal advocacy.

The deadline for 1Q grant submissions is March 1. Jim Ranft is available for your grant-related questions at 937-528-2482. Applications are available online at www.tippfoundation.org. 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We’d love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

The arrival of COVID-19 has added to the stresses of teachers in classrooms as they juggle more responsibilities in uncertain times.

For teachers in the Bethel Local Schools, a new program coordinated by a district social emotional awareness counselor targets the wellness of teachers through distribution of new wellness care packages made possible, in part, by a Tipp City Foundation grant.

“This idea stemmed from the realization that teachers all over are once again being asked and expected to go above and beyond their training and contract hours to meet students’ needs,” said Sara Davidson, social emotional awareness counselor for the Bethel Elementary Building serving students in grades kindergarten-5. 

“In order to retain our amazing staff, they need to feel supported and taken care of as well,” she said.

In the program, the teachers each month will receive a package with a different focus. “Some months the package will focus on boosting their self-confidence as teachers, others will include tools to manage stress in the classroom, and others will include items to promote positive mental health outside of the classroom,” Davidson said.

The first packages were scheduled for distribution this Thanksgiving week. Among key goals is to avoid teacher burnout.

“The hope behind the grant is to provide the staff with a package that will boost different aspects of their mental well-being each month,” said Elementary Building Principal Jodi Petty.  “Some months will boost their self-confidence; other months will give them tools to let out their emotions and some months the package will include items that they can use at home as well. The hope is that staff feel supported and encouraged through this grant.”

The grant request was described by foundation member Heather Bailey as “out of the box thinking … creative, thoughtful, wellness centered, COVID-responsive.”

Davidson is one of two social emotional awareness counselors in the Bethel Schools. The other serves the middle and high schools, Petty said.

When Davidson proposed the grant application as a way of meeting added staff needs during the pandemic, school administrators were on board, Petty said.

“We all agreed that that social emotional health of our staff is directly tied to meeting the needs of students.  Any time a person feels supported and has a place to turn for additional help, the quality in their role at a school increases,” she said. “One of the positive aspects of the pandemic has been the awareness of how much we really depend on one another during times of crisis.  Our staff and overall school community has been brought closer together during this pandemic.”

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We’d love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

  The Tipp City Foundation and the city of Tipp City are partners in making Tipp City “a desirable community in which to live or raise a family,” said City Manager Tim Eggleston.

This cooperation and the resulting offerings has become even more important during the months of COVID-19.

“The foundation helps the community in providing matching funds for local parks projects that may otherwise not have taken place, such as equipment for the dog park and pool equipment for the little kids at the aquatic center,” Eggleston said.

The long-running partnership not only allows the city to offset project cost, but gives staff the ability to spend city money saved on an unexpected project, or move a needed project up on the ever-existing list.

“These types of funds have not been available in any of the communities I worked in,” Eggleston said of his previous jobs. “It is a blessing for sure,” he said.

Parks are essential in providing recreational opportunities for a community, open space to serve as a buffer between different land uses and habitat for wildlife, Eggleston said. 

“They allow us a place to get away from the stress in our daily lives. During COVID, parks give parents relief from the kids and a place for kids to get rid of pent up energy,” he said.

Grants from the foundation for park improvements add “immeasurably” to the community’s quality of life, said Jim Ranft, OD, of the Tipp City Foundation board.

“During the grant making decision process we like to fund projects that touch a large group of people, getting a lot of bang for our buck. Parks grants are unique in that we can touch all age groups and demographics,” Dr. Ranft said.

Through its grants, the foundation board has been able to diversify recreational opportunities locally with projects such as the disc golf course and the ADA accessible water features at the Family Aquatic Center, he said. 

“It is also an opportunity to stretch our tax dollars with charitable giving.  I believe these grants are also an economic development tool for the city, making Tipp City a more desirable community to live in and attracting visitors to our local businesses.”

Living in Tipp City without the benefits offered by the foundation would be much different, Eggleston said.

“I venture to guess that if the Tipp City Foundation was not here, a lot of projects and programs would not have taken place, and what a loss that would be,” he said.

To learn more about the Tipp City Foundation and how it impacts the community, visit www.tippfoundation.org.

Listed below are recent grants from the foundation and from its endowment funds:

Recent Tipp City Foundation grants to the city parks:

SEPTEMBER 2020
$1,754, rallies man’s best friends at the popular dog park in Kyle Park, as they romp on new exercise equipment.  A jump bar, A-frame unit and stairways will be added.

JUNE 2020, 
$4,500, repurposes an area near the Nature Center by building a 12’ X 24’ open-air picnic shelter. With easy access from the bike path, this will make a welcome rest stop. Additional support from Lucky 13 Fund advisers rounds out the request for a total of $5,000.00. 

MARCH 2020 and DECEMBER 2019
$1,839.32 and $904, to maintenance and upkeep at Veteran’s Memorial Park. 

DECEMBER 2019
$2,650 to purchase new playground equipment for Kyle Park.

SEPTEMBER 2020, DECEMBER 2019, JUNE 2018 and MARCH 2018
$3,060, $3,096, $5,207 and $4,793, continues the partnership with the City to plant trees in Kyle park.

DECEMBER 2018
$2,542, expands the walking path around City Park with a 180-foot addition.  

Endowment Funds in the Tipp City Foundation that exclusively support parks or outdoor life:

Lucille L. Milner Trees for Tipp Fund – 1998 — For more than 70 years, Mrs. Milner enjoyed the beauty, shade, fragrance and texture added to Tipp City’s parks and streets by its urban forest. Her desire to help ensure the same beauty for future generations led her to establish this fund for the purchase of trees for planting in the parks and along the streets. Plantings are coordinated by Tipp City and its Parks Advisory Board.

Warren E. Miltenberger Parkland Fund – 2008 — This fund supports the out-of-doors that he held dear through the acquisition, upkeep, maintenance, and preservation of public parkland or other natural areas. 

Outdoor Experiences Fund iho Abby Kessler Bowling – 2017 — Outdoor recreation and education, as well as parks in Tipp City and Monroe Township, receive support from this fund. Abby, a retired teacher and nature enthusiast, encourages people to explore the great outdoors through the creation of this fund.

Veterans Tribute Fund – 2013 — Public spaces set aside to salute military veterans receive grants from this fund for maintenance and upkeep. This fund is an extension of a commitment to honor those who have served our country, which began in 2005 by a band of volunteers who laid the groundwork for the Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of West Main and Hyatt Streets.

(Grants/Endowment information courtesy of Tipp City Foundation)

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We’d love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

It has been said that “History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.” The Tippecanoe Historical Society, founded in 1979, has been adding life to years of our cherished community through originals each and every day.

It all began in 1979, when the Community Minded Women organization came together and firmly decided that it was their charge to help preserve, display, and interpret historical materials and articles for the Tipp community. By doing so, their hope was this would boost interest in our beloved community and create a desire to leave a legacy of curiosity of our hometown.

In 1985, with help from a variety of sources which included individuals, organizations, fund-raising and a major contribution from The Tipp City Foundation, the Tippecanoe Historical Society purchased a building on the corner of N. Third and Walnut. With assistance from Betty Eickoff and Sue Cook co-signing for a loan to purchase the building, this was the beginning of an effort to bring to the community Tipp City’s history. It wasn’t until April, 1991, that the doors to bygone eras of Tippecanoe were brought to life through articles, photos, and artifacts of our small midwestern community.

With 121 members strong, the Tippecanoe Historical Society is always looking for new members. Since its beginning, the Tippecanoe Historical Society has held informational meetings and community gatherings, where guest speakers tell tales of times past. Heather Bailey of the Tipp Foundation states, “in 2013, the Tippecanoe Historical Society Fund was created. This agency endowment acts as a highly flexible savings account for them accepting stock as easily as it accepts checks.” Bailey continues, “another benefit to the Tippecanoe Historical Society is that the Tipp Foundation works hard to maintain a community awareness aspect with their endeavors.” Additionally, the Tippecanoe Historical Society has sponsored field trips, assisted in local celebrations, conducted tours of Tipp City’s historic district, and worked with age groups young and old to explore their quest and curiosity. For more than nine years, the Society has conducted oral history recordings of various topics by a number of panel members. They began with cassette tapes, later went to VHS tapes, and have now progressed to DVDs.  Other than the cassettes they are still being broadcast by KIT-TV and all are available at the museum. Another favorite for the community, which the Tippecanoe Historical Society has hosted for the past nine years through the help of many volunteers, is the “If Tombstones Could Talk” cemetery walk.  Unfortunately, it could not be held this year due to the COVID virus, but hopefully will resume in the spring.

To better understand the history of Tipp City, Susan Furlong has written two plays: “Tippecanoe – Our Story” and “Tippecanoe – Our Lives“.  These performances highlighted the heritage in the building of a great community and were performed for the public in the high school’s Theater of Performing Arts.  Susan has also written two history books depicting Tipp City. Aptly named, “Tippecanoe to Tipp City—The First 100 Years” and “Legendary Locals of Tippecanoe to Tipp City”, these books bring a vivid look into the life of our home town.

“The most gratifying part of the Tippecanoe Historical Society’s mission is the reaction when someone comes looking for information about their home, a relative or an event and we are able to provide much desired information”, mentioned Susie Spitler, president of the Tippecanoe Historical Society. Spitler highlights a recent example. “A fellow came in asking about an event many years ago. There was a family legend and this gentleman was looking for verification. We were able to find a copy of a newspaper article in the Grace Kinney files, but unfortunately, it proved the family legend was not correct.” Spitler continued, “we get a number of people who have purchased an older home and are seeking information about its history. Or the reward of watching the students we speak to as they listen to historical presentations and then answering the questions posed by their teachers. It is always rewarding when we pull out a file of pictures and bring history to life for them.”  

Spitler added, “recently we had the daughter of a 1952 graduate contact us.  Her mother is in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s.  She talks all the time about Tipp, but lives too far away to make the trip back. We were able to put together a packet of pictures, including her dad on a baseball team, the house where she grew up, and the grocery store where she once worked.  She said her mother laughed and smiled and shed tears as she, over and over, sorted through the pictures, reliving those precious memories of years gone by. These are just a few examples of why we exist and why we work so hard to preserve our history.”

The Tippecanoe Historical Society is working to preserve and chronicle a rich history that belongs to each of us. As you stroll through the downtown, take note of your surroundings as they have shaped the past and are building the future. You are part of Tipp City’s legacy and live it each time you partake of events offered by our beloved community and its vivid history…after all, they’re making more of it these days. Be a part of bringing the stories of yesterday to the community by joining the Tippecanoe Historical Society.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We’d love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

Susan Southard brought a piece of history to Tippecanoe High School in a presentation and discussion with students of her award-winning work, “Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War.”

The work focuses on the experiences of five Japanese teenagers whose lives were changed tremendously Dec. 9, 1945, when an atomic bomb was detonated over their city.

Southard discussed the Pacific War and those lives in a presentation on her research and her 2016 Dayton Literacy Peace Prize award winning book in a virtual program Sept. 16 with high school students who began reading her work over the summer.

“Today, I would like to talk about memory and forgetting – what we remember and what we choose to forget,” said Southard.

Her interest in Japan was traced to a year she spent in the country as a high school exchange student.

Among facts lost in many discussions of the atomic bomb and its use was that most of the tens of thousands who died were civilians, Southard said. Among facts emphasized are that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki helped bring the brutal war in the Pacific to an end, she said, adding, however, that for those affected, “the war never ended.”

Among the stories shared were of disfiguring injuries and life-long health issues caused to many who survived.  “My goal was to really bring them to life, as I knew them,” Southard said of the five featured in the book.

It may be easier to forget the painful history of the bombings and the people they killed and scarred, Southard said. “It is our responsibility to know and to remember this history,” she added.

The Southard program was sponsored in part by the Tipp City Foundation. “Creating a more worldly generation is the goal of this partnership between the library, schools and Dayton Literary Peace Prize,” said Heather Bailey of the foundation. Drew Witchterman, adult services librarian, was instrumental in arranging the program.

In addition to the virtual program and brief question and answer with students and Southard, the day included a breakout session of history students discussing the work with the author and a virtual podcast interview with WYSO, Southard and some THS students.

Among students involved in the THS program was Carli Federle, a junior who was among students who interviewed Southard.

“I really enjoyed her interview because it gave us a more insider look into the book and her process of writing it,” Federle said. “Previous to the book, I really did not know much about Nagasaki other than it was the second place the United States dropped an atomic bomb, I knew more about Hiroshima’s experience because it was more publicized (which I learned during the presentation).”

Luke Hoover, also a junior, also read a portion of the book as part of a summer reading assignment.

He said he would highly recommend the book.

“Mrs. Southard’s writing style is very precise; she is extremely thorough not leaving a single detail out of her writings. Overall, the knowledge obtained has changed my viewpoint on how I approach history.,” Hoover said. “The story establishes a more personal connection between you, the reader, and the accounts of people who experienced such life changing experiences firsthand.”

This was the second year for the Dayton Literary Peace Price, Tipp City Library, Tipp City Exempted Village School, Tipp City Foundation and WYSO radio to collaborate on a program to bring a deeper level of learning to high school students.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We’d love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!