First Fruits Fund Grants

As promised, we will be announcing recent grant awards from the First Fruits Fund over the next few weeks.

The Third grantee is…

WWCC College Spark (formerly TRIO/ETS) Program Support- $5,000

When the TRiO program funds dried up last year, Walla Walla Community College found a way to continue the work Max Weber was doing with potential first-generation college students at Walla Walla High School by funding the program through a College Spark grant.

College Spark funds programs that help low-income students become college-ready and earn their degrees. Grants are made to organizations and institutions throughout Washington state that are helping low-income students improve their academic achievement, prepare for college life, and graduate from college.

This First Fruits grant through WWCC continues Max Weber’s work with College Spark and previously TRiO/ETS.  His work has been tremendous.  Last year, students success can be summarized as follows:

2011 TRiO-ETS Graduating Class Facts & Figures

• Total students = 57Number of Students Graduated = 56
• Number of Students who Submitted FAFSA (federal application for student aid)= 56
• Number of Students Attending College in fall 2010 = 55
• Number of Students Attending a 4 year institution = 19
• Number of Students Attending WWCC or another junior college = 36
• Number of Gates Millennium Scholars: 2
• Number of Scholarships received by Students: 100
• Blue Mountain Community Foundation Scholarship Recipients = 27
• Total Scholarship Money Earned (not considering grants) = $495,000 +

Max Weber, recently told the Foundation, “It has been another wonderful year at Wa-Hi working with a caseload of around 65 low-income, first generation seniors.  Thank you for always caring for my students, and students in general, who need the financial support of your scholarships. I have been working with low-income, first generation students in this community for the past 4 years and your funds have been used to allow students to pursue their dreams.”

The First Fruits Fund

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 66 grants exceeding $550,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.