Dorothy Jiganti Fund Announces Spring 2019 Winners
The Dorothy Jiganti Fund was established at Marillac St. Vincent in 2016 to provide services and experiences that enhance the programs for children, families, or seniors. Each year, Dorothy, or a member of the Dorothy Jiganti family, and members of MSV’s leadership staff review fund proposals submitted by staff.
In previous years, the Jiganti Fund has supported 5 projects twice a year, however this spring saw a significant increase in the fund’s impact when 14 proposals were awarded funding.
The selection committee is pleased to announce the Spring 2019 grant winners! Each of MSV’s 3 major programs, Early Childhood Education, Youth Services, and Community Outreach Services, are represented among the grantees:
1. Parent Engagement Events
Our Family Support Specialists at Marillac are actively working to engage and empower families in our programs by providing accessible parent-child activities. The recent Mommy & Me Fashion Show and the upcoming Daddy & Me Dance allow parents to be creative and express themselves with their children while having fun.
2. Food Pantry Summer Assistant
The food pantry at St. Vincent de Paul Center will hire a former P.A.C.E. food pantry intern to work as a summer food pantry assistant. The assistant will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the food pantry, while also having the opportunity to enhance current skills and develop areas for growth.
3. Pre-K Listening Center
Our Pre-K students in classroom 2C at St. Vincent will be able to listen to stories independently while developing comprehension skills with their new listening center. Additionally, they will learn to exercise responsibility by ensuring their new resources are cared for and stored properly.
4. Fresh Produce Market
Community Outreach Services and Family Support Services are collaborating to host an on-site produce market at St. Vincent for MSV program participants. This market will encourage healthy eating while building community with those we serve.
5. Norris Porch Garden
Youth Services, Family Support Services, and the Outreach Program are working together to grow a vertical garden on the Norris Porch at St. Vincent de Paul Center. The garden will provide opportunities for intergenerational service, education, and skill development across programs and participants. The fresh herbs and vegetables will also provide locally grown food for participants to share.
6. Classroom Intervention Program
“Read it Again-Pre-K!” is a practitioner-friendly, scientifically based curricular supplement designed to develop and strengthen a child’s early foundations in language and literacy. This program will allow Sr. Kara Davis, D.C. to provide additional support and intervention to our students.
7. Classroom Environment Enhancements
The Pre-K students in 2G at St. Vincent will see some exciting enhancements to their classroom. The addition of comfortable furniture to their classroom library will create a more inviting space, and the addition of child-friendly tablets will support students in their learning development of letters, numbers, words, and math concepts.
8. Fresh Classroom Toys
After years of use, the Pre-K students in 2A at St. Vincent will have their Magna-Tiles replaced. Open-ended toys such as these provide children with countless hours of play, exploration, and discovery while also exercising their cognitive thought processes and problem-solving skills.
9. Cookbooks for Healthy, Affordable Meals
Access to quality food is important and so is knowing what to do with it. The guests at the Marillac Food Pantry will now be able to benefit from new cookbooks that empower them to select healthy items and try new cooking techniques.
10. Student Running Program
Youth at St. Vincent are getting a new way to stay active and healthy through a 7-8 week running program. The program will give children a chance to learn about teamwork, commitment, and perseverance through a curriculum that incorporates running workouts, goal setting, nutrition lessons, and team building activities.
11. Portable Indoor Infant Playground
The infants at Marillac Social Center will have their own space to play and develop motor skills with the addition of a portable indoor playground. Additionally, research shows that play allows the brain to develop other areas like language and problem solving.
12. Curriculum Learning Materials
The St. Vincent Pre-K students in classroom 3G will have their curriculum enhanced with new math, science, and literacy resources. With children naturally learning at a different pace, these new materials will allow our classroom teacher to adapt lessons to different needs.
13. Parent Educator Video Library
Project Hope is expanding their Home Visitor Library with a video library for parent educators that will supplement their Parent as Teachers curriculum. The use of video will stimulate information retention that parents can put into practice.
14. Classroom Comfort Area
Room 15 at Marillac is getting an upgrade with a new comfort area for school age children. This new space will create opportunities for friendship development in a stress-free environment and contribute to effective communication.