The Rotary Club of Sarnia Bluewaterland is inviting community groups to apply for grant funding as its spring intake is now open.
The club typically doles out around $10,000 in the spring and fall to organizations looking to make a positive difference and improve the quality of life in Sarnia-Lambton.
Club spokesperson Marie Watson said areas of focus include education, environment, scholarships, basic needs and patient services.
"In the past we've funded equipment for different organizations, and funding requests for Literacy Lambton for books, for example," said Watson. "I think the organizations are best to understand what they need in terms of extra funding. So, they would know what the asks would be. We've never had a problem in terms of their asks."
Watson said the grants wouldn't be possible without the generosity of the community.
"Our major fundraisers are the book sale that we finished up in February, Art in the Park which is held the first Saturday of September each year, we do meat raffles at the Servicemen's Club in Point Edward, and we also do bingos," she said. "There's a variety of opportunities to raise funds to give back to the community."
Grant recipients for the fall of 2023 included the Bluewater Health Foundation's Totes for Hope, Victim Services of Sarnia-Lambton, Petrolia Refrigerator Program, Ecole Elementaire Les Rapides, Habitat for Humanity, Mitton Village Community Project, Nightlight, Lambton Health Unit, and Brain Injury Association.
Application forms can be found at www.rotarysarniabwl.org, and can be filled out until midnight on March 31.
They can be submitted via email at RotaryBWLCommunityService@gmail.com.