Projects

Grants

2009 was a very exciting year for us as it was our very first opportunity to award grants under our federal 5013c status.  We were very excited to receive our approval just in time to award grants during the 2009 Christmas Season!  And in the spirit of the season, the Grants and Scholarships Committee sought organizations that would make a direct impact on the needs of people during this time of year and throughout 2010.  Through the Mason G. Smoak Foundation’s decision to allocate $10,000 in grant money, the committee was able to select the following projects:

• Habitat for Humanity “ReHabitat” - which as the name suggests, is the repair and maintenance of existing homes that were built or repaired by Habit for Humanity in and around the local community. Mason was a great supporter of Habitat through both his volunteer hours as well as his finances. The money we awarded went to a specific project to remove a hazardous structure on the back of a Venus family’s home that was left terribly damaged by the 2004 hurricanes. In addition to making the back of this family’s home safe once again, a wheelchair accessible ramp was constructed to accommodate the owner’s handicap.
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is reaching out to address the needs of children whose parents are incarcerated. About half of these children are cared for by grandparents and other relatives. The other half are cared for by single parents. These situations tend to be the most impoverished households. Their program called “Mentoring Children of Promise” seeks these children out and provides them with caring adult mentors and related support services.
• Manna Ministries and Christmas Store (Toy Drive) – We were able to provide funding for a great community ministry; Manna Ministries. Not only were we able to help with Manna’s mission of providing food, clothing, and household assistance to low income residents of the Lake Placid area, we were also able to provide funding for a really fun project called “The Christmas Store”. This project, hosted by Memorial United Methodist Church, and supported by churches and organizations throughout the area, provides an opportunity for low income parents to select a present for each child in their family. Toys are provided for infants to 18 year olds.
• The Redlands Christian Migrant Association is another great opportunity we had to provide funding for. Our contributions helped to provide food vouchers to be used in local grocery stores by families in need. In addition, this money helped RCMA continue their support of low income and farm worker families by providing childcare and pre-schooling.
  
• Ridge Area Association for Retarded Citizens had an exciting project in which they provided $25 gift certificates to families who are in need of clothing, bedding, furniture, infant supplies, and any other items needed to assist the family. The gift certificates are then used at one of the Ridge Area ARC Resale stores to purchase the items needed. What makes the gift certificates a bit unique is that they indicate the sponsor on the gift certificate. These gift certificates not only help the recipients but also help further spread the message about our foundation!

 

Scholarships

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is pleased to announce we are now accepting applications for the 2010 Memorial Scholarship. Get the application

2009 Mason G. Smoak Memorial Scholarship 
Get Press Release (PDF)

Congratulations to the following students:

• Amy Brewington – Lake Placid High School
• Caleb McGee – Sebring High School
• Jerry Lee Wright – Avon Park High School

 

Landon Smoak, Tracee Smoak, Gabe Smoak and Amy Brewington

David Summers, Caleb McGee and Ed Smoak, Jr.

Tracee Smoak, Jerry Wright and Laura Barben

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is very proud of these students and wishes them well in their college endeavors. They are the first of many youth we plan to support in the future.

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is currently writing the policy for providing scholarship funds to students. More information will be available on scholarships soon.

 

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