Pictured: Representatives of the Dieterich After School Club committee and staff as well as several program attendees accepted the CommunityWorks check from Effingham County Community Foundation board member, Dean Bingham. (Back, R-L) Brittny Gipson, committee member and Dieterich Village Clerk; Mike French, Dieterich Park District; Cary Jackson, Dieterich School Superintendent; Stephanie Fuesting, After School Program Director; Dean Bingham, Community Foundation board member; Eric Emmerich, EJ Water Cooperative (Not pictured: Charity Bohnhoff, Dieterich Unit #30 school board member and Kathy Pettenaude, Dieterich Elementary Principal).
The Effingham County Community Foundation has announced that the Dieterich Park District is the recipient of a $4,000 grant from the Effingham County CommunityWorks Fund for its After School Club. This afterschool program is licensed by DCFS and provides supervision and homework assistance for students from kindergarten to sixth grade.
The Dieterich Park District operates the after school program in a partnership with the Village of Dieterich, local businesses, and the Dieterich Unit #30 School District. The after school program meets in the Dieterich cafeteria and is supervised by Dieterich Unit #30 teachers and staff. Students have access to several resources, including the school’s computer lab to complete homework assignments while in attendance. The program also provides students with a nutritious snack and daily learning activities led by staff.
Parents must register students to attend and pay a registration fee of $30 and $7 per day for each child. These fees are used to cover the cost of snacks, supplies, and employee salaries. The funding from CommunityWorks covered the program’s start up costs in order to minimize the overall cost to parents.
The Effingham County CommunityWorks Fund is one of several funds administered by the Effingham County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation. For more information visit www.enrichingourcomunity.org or contact Joedy Hightower, President/CEO of the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, at 217-342-4988.
