PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)– Rotary Club of Peoria presented community service grants totaling more than $13,000 to be split between 13 local non-profits on Friday.
The event was held at First Methodist Church in Peoria.
Jana Stevens, Rotary’s PR and communications chair says this wide range of non-profits works every day for the betterment of us all.
“They are doing amazing things for us… whether it’s providing after-school specialized care, Habitat For Humanity with homes for individuals,” Stevens says they’ve got organizations providing animals to help individuals with health needs and comfort and security needs.
The grant awardees apply, and a Rotary committee determines which ones meet the criteria the organization has set.
Paws Giving Independence is one of the recipients. The group trains service dogs for people with disabilities.
Donna Kosner, director of community relations, outreach, and applications says they never know what vet costs are going to add up to.
“Each dog works for about two years before they’re placed and they have to pass a lot of testing before they’re able to make it all the way,” says Kosner. “The grant we got today is going to help us with the animal intake costs.”
According to the director, they are always looking for dog applicants. They train for wheelchair mobility in different types of medical responses.
They also take partial sight/hearing dogs and are looking for families interested in being puppy raisers.
To learn more, check out https://givingindependence.org/
