Friends for Charitable Giving Awards $110,000 In Grants To Local Charities

Pictured (L-R): The 2020 Giving Gala co-chairs Ron and Kathy Kazmar present one of thirteen grants awarded this year to various local charities by Friends for Charitable Giving. Receiving the grant on behalf C.W. Avery Family YMCA are Before and After School Care Director Trisha Dust, Before and After School Care Manager Mimi Panagopoulos and Executive Director Lisa Behounek.

Friends for Charitable Giving (FCG), a nonprofit corporation organized and operated by volunteers exclusively for charitable purposes, is pleased to announce that over the last four months $110,000 in grants were awarded to several local charities. Most of the money was given to local charitable organizations involved in food distribution to the needy including Green Harvest Food Pantry, Plainfield Area Interfaith Food Pantry and Bags of Hope. Also the Plainfield Lions Club received $10,000 for their upcoming holiday food basket program. A $10,000 grant was awarded to the C.W. Avery Family YMCA to provide financial assistance to those who cannot afford the fees for the Kids Zone Plus Program, which provides much needed child care during the remote-learning school day. Other grant recipients include RichEnDeed, St. Vincent de Paul- St. Mary Immaculate Conference, District 202 Foundation for Excellence, Ready Set Ride

Therapeutic Riding Facility, Friends of the Plainfield Township Park District, Joliet Area Community Hospice and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will County. Money from the 2020 Plainfield Giving Gala, which was sponsored by FCG, was used to pay for the grants. Ron Kazmar, Chairman of FCG stated “Unfortunately we could not fund all of the worthwhile grant requests we received because we decided to prioritize our giving to those with the most immediate needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

FCG is planning to host the 2021 Giving Gala, which is scheduled for February 13, 2021, at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. More information about the 2021 Giving Gala will be forthcoming through social media and on the website https://plainfieldgivinggala.org .