By Nancy Bowman

The second floor of a downtown Tipp City building is like a second home to at least one girl and a place to be safe and be themselves for any interested local youth. Connections is housed on the second floor of 135 E. Main St. The nonprofit youth outreach was started by the Rev. Barbara Cooper in 2018, first in one downtown location and then at 135 E. Main St. It continues to offer an afterschool place for students primarily in grades six through 10.

“I want Connections to be a place where the kids feel loved and accepted and are nurtured so that they grow to be all that God designed them to be. That is my goal,” Cooper said. “They know they can come here and be safe, that I am going to stand up for them.”

Connections is open weekdays after school until 6  p.m. with Friday being the busiest day. The center is for students in middle school and high school with most attending being middle school age and early high school.

The center is funded “by grants and nice people and lots of hopes and prayers,” Cooper said.

Among supporters has been the Tipp City Foundation, which supported Connections with grants including one in 2018 to help launch the program and others in 2022 and 2024 for general expenses.

Cooper teaches music lessons, leasing part of the upstairs space for that purpose. She is a pastor through the United Methodist Church and appointed to the program through the church as well as playing music on Sundays and filling in as pastor at area churches, as needed.

Students come in to buy snacks, play board games, do homework, undertake art projects, talk, hang out, play darts and pool and once a month participate in an open mic evening with presentations on poetry, music and other interests. They also have access to a vinyl records collection for music.

“This gives them a place to belong, and to get connected,” Cooper said. The rules are simple with emphasis on respecting self and others.

“I want them to build each other up, not tear each other down. We don’t need ugly language. I tell them to be more creative than that. They hold each other accountable. They call each other out all the time (for language, etc.),” she said.

Asked by Cooper what they like about Connections, one young girl attending the program last week said it is a second home to her while a boy said it is a place where he can hang out with friends.

Among newer projects at Connections is a Miami Valley Youth Choir open to those age six through 18. Participants come from Tipp City, Bethel Township, Vandalia, Piqua and several other area communities. Cooper is assisted with the choir by co-director Julie Collins of Troy and Caitlyn Hood, an intern studying composition at the University of Dayton.

More information on Connections events can be found at Miami Valley Youth Choir. The Connections website contains other information on the program. Donations are accepted with PayPal, at Connections of Tipp City, the most used format for donations.

-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --

March 13, 2024

CONTACT:  HEATHER BAILEY
(937) 478-3400

TIPP CITY, OH-

Record-Breaking Grant Year Ahead

During 2024, grants nearing $175,000 will be awarded by the Tipp City Foundation. All grants impact residents within 45371. This will be the largest grantmaking year in the foundation’s 81-year history.

Grants are made possible because of contributions, of any size, from the community. Donations are held in an endowment and only the interest is spent.

In the first quarter, the grant dollars requested were the highest ever considered by the group for a single quarter. The variety of innovation represented in the applications speaks to the visions of those leading area nonprofits.

Awards support the quality of life in the spheres of arts and culture, health and safety, recreation, social services, nature, and education.

Ultimately, 13 organizations received 17 awards totaling $63,854.82. Since 1943, $2,945,983.68 have been awarded to local causes through grantmaking.

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

SOCIAL SERVICES

Connections of Tipp City, $700, supports an after-school program for middle and high school students.

Eagles’ Wings Stables, Inc., award, builds brain / body connections for people using this equine-assisted therapy program. With the purchase of an electric horse stall cleaning machine, more volunteer hours can be focused on the clients instead of shoveling out 10 stalls six times each week. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

New Path, Inc., award, aids residents struggling to make ends meet through emergency rent support. The majority needing this support are the elderly and disabled, including grandparents raising grandchildren. Awarded through the Robinson-Walters Family Fund and the Lucky 13 Fund.

Seeds of Hope OH, award, provides mattresses and bed frames for children coming into foster care. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

Tipp City Church of the Nazarene, $2,500, expands existing daycare and preschool options to include special needs children. This grant supports the remodeling of the building to accommodate the specialized equipment required. Awarded, in part, by the Hidden Picture Puzzles by Liz Ball Fund. Additional support from the Walter E. Caton Fund rounds out this request for a total of $5,000. This is the first of a 2-year commitment to the project, for a total of $10,000.

ARTS & CULTURE

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $6,226.52, nods to the vibrant gathering space that the downtown is becoming through the purchase of stacking tables and chairs. These party staples will be available for borrowing by area nonprofits.

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $2,196, spruces up the exteriors of downtown properties identified through the Partnership’s Façade Improvement Program. An Urban Stewardship Fund grant.

Tipp City Area Arts Council, $2,286, rebuilds the plein air arts weekend that was lost during COVID. A Tiny & Emma Drewing Fund grant. Additional support from the Lucky 13 Fund rounds out this request for a total of $3,500.

Tipp City Public Library, $876.20, engages small children in learning with the addition of a light table, a surface designed for creative play and developing fine motor skills. Additional support from the Walter E. Caton Fund rounds out this request for a total of $1,385.20.

Tippapalooza Music Festival, $3,451, encircles a city block of revelry with stanchions needed to keep a party safe. These alcohol-on-premises party staples will be available for borrowing by area nonprofits.

Project T.I.P.P. (Teens Impacting and Promoting Philanthropy), $5,000, gives teens grantmaking responsibility in conjunction with the Tipp City Chamber of Commerce’s Teen Leadership Academy.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $2,000, promotes the two-week Stagecrafters Summer Theatre Drama Camp in 2024. Awarded, in part, from the Jim and June Kyle Family Fund.

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Edison Foundation, $5,000, supports the building of classrooms dedicated to the field of nursing at this community college. This is the 1^st of 5 payments, which will total $25,000. Awarded, in part, from the Bethel Community Fund.

Miami County Dental Clinic, award, supports human resources compliance for this agency, which serves over 600 residents of 45371 annually. A Walter E. Caton Fund award.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $649, purchases LifeVac Airway Clearance devices, which will be placed in each school cafeteria. A Safety First Fund grant.

Tipp City Fire and Emergency Services, $7,000, keeps first responders fit for duty by replacing current workout equipment. A Safety First Fund grant.

RECREATION

Bethel Local Schools, $5,000, honors our commitment to help build a new stadium at Bethel Schools. This is the 4^th of 5 payments, which will total $25,000. Awarded, in part, from the Bethel Arts Fund and the Bethel Community Fund.

Tipp City Parks Department, $6,500, contributes towards a Lillie Dog Splash Pad coming to Kyle Park. This will be the first of its kind in Miami and Montgomery Counties. Awarded, in part, from the Warren E. Miltenberger Parkland Fund and the Outdoor Experiences Fund iho Abby Kessler Bowling.

Tipp Pride Association, $7,500, honors our commitment to help build a new stadium in City Park. This is the 7^th of 10 payments, which will total $75,000.

EDUCATION

Bethel Local Schools, $5,000, grows math fluency for 2^nd graders through the purchase of Reflex, an online teaching tool. A Radle Family Fund for Science Education and Bethel Community Fund grant.

Bethel Local Schools, $1,970.10, accelerates reading fluency and comprehension for 3^rd – 5^th grade, about 450 learners. Many of these students are recent immigrants to the United States and are in the early stages of learning English. The Read Naturally tool gives students the reading essentials they need to build their new lives. A Bethel Community Fund grant.

Miami County Educational Service Center, award, meets the sensory needs of some preschool students with the purchase of a swinging chair. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

Quarterly grant deadlines are February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 each year. Jim Ranft is available for your grant-related questions at 937-528-2482. Applications are available online at www.tippfoundation.org.

Members of the Foundation are Heather Bailey, Richard Bender, president, Bryan Blake, Mary Bowman, Diana Featherstone, treasurer, Dee Gillis, Joellen Heatherly, vice president, Bruce McKenzie, Glen McMurry, Jim Ranft, distribution chair, Julie Taylor, Andrew Venters, Jackie Wahl, Bill Wendel, secretary and Carolyn Wright.

The Tipp City Foundation is a component fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to make a tax-deductible contribution or how to establish an endowment fund, please contact Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

For more information visit www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

# # #

By Nancy Bowman

Those behind the Downtown Tipp City Partnership (DTCP) have a lot to be excited about in 2024 including a revamped Community Events Resource Card.

The card already has been distributed via the U.S. mail and is available at downtown businesses.

An events card is not new to the downtown community. This year’s version was revamped by Tasha Weaver, who joined the DTCP last year as executive director. When she sought feedback from the community after starting the job, Weaver said she received a lot of comments about what was called “the refrigerator card” because it was placed by recipients on their refrigerators to serve as a reminder.

She looked at the previous card and decided a larger version would be appropriate, as would the use of space on the card for events versus sponsors, whose information was on the back of the card, facing, at least on the refrigerators, the door and not the recipient.

Instead of seeking out sponsors, Weaver instead applied to the Tipp City Foundation for a grant to pay for this year’s Community Events Resource Card.

The foundation distribution committee liked the idea, approving a $5,588 grant for design and printing of the card that contains a year’s worth of events along with key contact information for those called often. They include the schools, the city, DTCP, the arts council and Tipp Monroe Community Services. A small portion of the grant also will be used by the partnership to pay its website provider to update the online version of the calendar as more events are added and as occurs once in a while, a date change is needed.

Many calls received at the DTCP offices were seeking information not only on downtown activities but contact information for the schools and others, Weaver said.

Merchant Terri Bessler of Midwest Memories agreed saying many who visit the community on weekends would come into the business and ask questions not only about events but also the schools and community in general. “We always consider ourselves a face of the community on weekends. To be able to hand them this (card) that tells them so many things is really valuable,” Bessler said.

The events calendar also is used by merchants in their planning, she said. “It’s valuable to us, too,” Bessler said. Feedback on the Community Events Resource Card has been positive, Weaver said, “Everybody loves it.

"Tipp as a whole is a great community, a great downtown,” Bessler said. “This card really put information in your hands, not just at your fingertips online.”

By Nancy Bowman

Those behind the Downtown Tipp City Partnership (DTCP) have a lot to be excited about in 2024 including a revamped Community Events Resource Card.

The card already has been distributed via the U.S. mail and is available at downtown businesses.

An events card is not new to the downtown community. This year’s version was revamped by Tasha Weaver, who joined the DTCP last year as executive director. When she sought feedback from the community after starting the job, Weaver said she received a lot of comments about what was called “the refrigerator card” because it was placed by recipients on their refrigerators to serve as a reminder.

She looked at the previous card and decided a larger version would be appropriate, as would the use of space on the card for events versus sponsors, whose information was on the back of the card, facing, at least on the refrigerators, the door and not the recipient.

Instead of seeking out sponsors, Weaver instead applied to the Tipp City Foundation for a grant to pay for this year’s Community Events Resource Card.

The foundation distribution committee liked the idea, approving a $5,588 grant for design and printing of the card that contains a year’s worth of events along with key contact information for those called often. They include the schools, the city, DTCP, the arts council and Tipp Monroe Community Services. A small portion of the grant also will be used by the partnership to pay its website provider to update the online version of the calendar as more events are added and as occurs once in a while, a date change is needed.

Many calls received at the DTCP offices were seeking information not only on downtown activities but contact information for the schools and others, Weaver said.

Merchant Terri Bessler of Midwest Memories agreed saying many who visit the community on weekends would come into the business and ask questions not only about events but also the schools and community in general. “We always consider ourselves a face of the community on weekends. To be able to hand them this (card) that tells them so many things is really valuable,” Bessler said.

The events calendar also is used by merchants in their planning, she said. “It’s valuable to us, too,” Bessler said. Feedback on the Community Events Resource Card has been positive, Weaver said, “Everybody loves it.

"Tipp as a whole is a great community, a great downtown,” Bessler said. “This card really put information in your hands, not just at your fingertips online.”