LIMA — Two local organizations have been awarded grants from the Ohio Department of Education Community Connectors program to continue mentoring programs in the area.
The Tomorrow Project, a collaborative of Health Partners of Western Ohio, Bradfield Community Association, Swartz Contracting, the city of Lima, In Faith Ministries and Lima schools, was awarded $100,000 through the program.
A mentoring program collaborative between Big Brothers, Big Sisters of West Central Ohio Inc., Hardin County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division, Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Bank, Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Hardin Community School and Lima schools was awarded $67,000.
The Tomorrow Project at Bradfield Center began last year, matching mentors with students grades nine through 12. The program matches a student together with up to five adult mentors and helps them build life skills and do career planning.
“We had a lot of success stories last year,” said Bradfield Center executive director Kesha Drake.
The program received $85,000 in funds for the program last year from the ODE. The program applied for $100,000 this year to expand the program to seventh through 12th grade due to its success last year.
“We are excited because we are a seeing a difference,” Drake said. “We are exposing these students to opportunities that we may not have been able to. It allows them to create a great future for their life.”
The Big Brothers Big Sisters program will work with both Hardin Community School and Lima schools. Big Brothers Big Sisters director John Neville said Hardin Community School has been given the attention due to need.
“About 97 percent of students at HCS live in poverty,” Neville said. “Most of these are students who have dropped out of school or who have fallen way behind. This will help them break the cycle of poverty.”
Neville said mentors help students with having success in school, behavioral problems and career planning.
The grant will also help support the Big Spartans/Little Spartans program at Lima schools. The program matches at-risk students at Lima North Middle School and Independence Elementary School with Lima Senior student mentors.
“The Lima Senior students have proven to be very good mentors,” Neville said. “They do better at school and at home, and they stay out of trouble.”
A total of $9.4 million was handed out statewide. A total of 108 applicants were awarded out of 123 applicants.
