Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

John Dix and Linda Marshall with the Newburg Community Revitalization Program accepted the ‘big’ check and the real check from MRCF Chair Vicki Nelson.

ST. JAMES—Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) awarded the Newburg Community Revitalization Program Group (NCRPG) of Newburg in Phelps County $250 for playground improvements in the community park at the MRCF invite-a-friend luncheon March 7 at #4 Industrial Drive, St. James. This year the MRCF board reviewed a total of 17 grant applications requesting a total of $4,250 and representing projects in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.

The NCRPG requested funds from MRCF in order to build a playground for the children of Newburg, which will be located at the Little Piney Community Park. The park has 15 acres of land on which the playground can safely be built providing children with the ability to expand their place of play and be able to explore and develop an awareness of the surrounding nature. Newburg is a small community of less than 500 residents with 236 Pre-Kindergarten to 6th grade students. The Newburg Children’s Museum has an after school program, which will be able to utilize the playground and surrounding area for nature walks and related studies.

Other recipients, each receiving $250, include:

• Bonebrake Center of Nature and History in Dent County for public bathroom renovation,
• Esther’s House of Redemption in Maries County for the Freedom Outreach Project,
• Owensville Chamber of Commerce in Gasconade County for downtown benches,
• Salvation Army of Pulaski County for their food and shelter program, and
• Washington County Community Partnership for a bathroom renovation.

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Vicki Nelson, a vice president at Mid America Bank’s Belle Branch, serves as MRCF’s chairman. Currently, MRCF has 52 funds totaling nearly $767,576.

CFO is a public foundation serving the Missouri Ozarks. The foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region through resource development, community grant-making, collaboration and public leadership. Formed in 1973, CFO has since grown to include 49 affiliate community foundations and more than 2,600 charitable funds totaling approximately $253 million in assets.

MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation, provides staff support to MRCF. Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 25, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.