During this year as we moved from COVID restrictions to the new “normal,” there are things that have happened at Sacred Heart Villa that you may not be aware of and yet these have made an incredible impact to our school. Our school received two grants from two different foundations which both seek to strengthen ministries which support families, women and children.
The LCWR/Hilton Foundation offered a financial grant for $37,862 that was received in March of 2022. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is the association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States. This grant was funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation given specifically to women religious congregations to sustain vital ministries of these communities which experienced financial strain due to the pandemic. With the monies the Villa was awarded, two water dispensing stations were purchased to replace drinking fountains. The children use these daily to refill their reusable water bottle they keep in their locker or classroom. Previously the school only had one dispensing station. Now all three floors have access to one. Grant money was also used to purchase costly disinfecting supplies for sanitizing rooms and stairways. Lastly, a good portion was used to help pay for substitute teachers and aides when our personnel were out due to having Covid themselves or being exposed to someone with COVID.
In addition, we received a $10,000 grant from a family foundation which wished to remain anonymous. This grant enabled us to purchase a reach-in freezer for the school’s kitchen and to renovate the space from the previous old walk-in freezer into a pantry closet for food storage. The over 50-year-old walk-in cooler and freezer were on their last legs – literally! Grants from this family trust foundation this year and the American Heart Association last year funded the purchase of two freezers and two refrigerators which are commercial grade and more energy efficient. Sr. Margaret is thrilled with the ease that she can now reach in to access the food items.
We are so grateful to these foundations, and to all our benefactors who help support our ministry to serve the families who entrust the care of their young children to us. God bless them for their generosity!