ELLSWORTH – The Androscoggin County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation recently awarded $12,500 in grants to six Androscoggin County nonprofit organizations.

Among the funded organizations is the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, to conduct a series of dialogues in Lewiston and Auburn focusing on race, religion and nationality.

Other grant awards went to:

Boys and Girls Club of Auburn-Lewiston, for the Where It’s At Wednesdays program, an educational after-school program for students in the Auburn school system

Lewiston High School, to create materials for parents on how to fill out financial aid applications

Sisters of Charity Health System, to expand grief support services to young people and families in Androscoggin County

Tri-County Mental Health Services, to enable youth to participate in leadership roles on nonprofit boards

Trinity Jubilee Center Inc., for a downtown after-school program for sixth through ninth grade students

Androscoggin County Fund supports projects that strengthen communities in the county. A committee of local residents and business leaders reviews grants and makes recommendations twice a year.

Grant requests for the next cycle must be postmarked by May 15. Applicants will be notified in late July. Application, guidelines and a list of recent grants can be found at www.mainecf.org.

Grants are made from the Androscoggin County Fund, a permanent fund restricted to nonprofits serving Androscoggin County. The fund is built through donations from the community. Those who wish to donate to the Androscoggin County Fund should contact Ann Bartoo at 353-0600 or [email protected].

A statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth and Portland, MaineCF helps to strengthen Maine communities by working in partnership with donors and community groups. For more information, visit www.mainecf.org or call 1-877-700-6800.