The Muncy Historical Society is receiving two grants from the Waldron Memorial Fund of Pennsylvania’s First Community Foundation Partnership, according to a news release.
“The Muncy Historical Society, in conjunction with the Muncy School District, helps define a ‘sense of place’ for young people in Muncy”, the press release said, along with the release of an illustrated children’s book, titled “17756.” The Waldron Memorial Fund provided a $10,000 scholarship to offset costs associated with its publication. “With the help of illustrations by artist Muncy, Bruce Storm, the story of Muncy’s rich history and heritage unfolds with the help of Brady Rabbit, McCarty Cat, Schuyler Box Turtle, Painter Firefly and Hardscrabble Mouse. The goal of the project is to help young people in Muncy develop a connection to their hometown, making this “space” a “place” to belong. Mike Davis, a high school teacher in the school district of Muncy, is the book’s author, and former Muncy graduates Brad Breneisen and Linda Poulton, graphic designer and book editor, respectively, have contributed to this valuable effort.
In early October, fifth and sixth graders at Muncy received a free copy of “17756” and, in subsequent years, the book will be distributed to new fifth-grade students. Led by the book’s author, Mike Davis, volunteers from the Muncy Historical Society composed five modules – school, transportation, military, home-based businesses and Muncy’s uniqueness – during two assembly book deployment sessions. .
“The company’s 40 North Main Street property is a repository of ‘historically priceless pieces of Muncy’s past’.” says the press release. “In recent years, artifacts from its collections have been placed in the Heritage Hall on the UPMC-Muncy campus and in display cases at Muncy elementary and secondary schools. The distribution of ‘17756’ is another extension of the Company’s commitment to outreach and community engagement.
The second prize of $8,000 helps the company offset its general annual operating expenses. This financial assistance offsets some of the costs of upkeep and maintenance of the Society’s Main Street property, to pay for insurance and utility costs, and to ensure the protection of each location and the artifacts in the collections. As an all-volunteer organization, the society does not need to budget for staff salaries. According to the press release, memberships, museum store sales, research costs and private donations make up the difference to cover annual operating costs.
The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania strives to improve the quality of life in North Central Pennsylvania through community leadership, the promotion of philanthropy, nonprofit impact building, and the perpetual management of charitable assets. FCFP strives to build powerful communities through passionate giving. For more information, visit www.FCFPartnership.org.
