Grantee Stories | The Impact of the Clinton County Foundation Grants
Every grant has a story. Behind each project, program, and scholarship is a person, family, or organization working to make Clinton County stronger. From supporting first responders with life-saving equipment to creating community gardens that bring seniors together, the Clinton County Foundation helps connect local generosity with local needs. These grantee stories highlight the lasting impact of philanthropy across our community and demonstrate how investments in Education, Health & Wellness, and Economic Development are helping bring out the best in Clinton County.
Grant Recipient: Wilmington City Parks / Health & Wellness
Wilmington City Parks Benefit from the Acorn Fund
“Thanks to the grant funding from the Acorn Fund at the Clinton County Foundation, the Denver Williams Park was able to put down new baseball field and volleyball court sand and dirt this Spring, which is a major help for our programs”
“Thanks to the grant funding from the Acorn Fund at the Clinton County Foundation, the Denver Williams Park was able to put down new baseball field and volleyball court sand and dirt this Spring, which is a major help for our programs”, says Kenny Upthegrove, city park manager.
“Having the new sand and dirt improves the drainage, so it keeps the field from turning into slippery muddy mess when it rains. Baseball, softball, and t-ball are popular activities for kids and adults so continuing to provide quality facilities and proper upkeep will make the fields last for years to come.”
Coaches, parents, and players were all excited and ready to try out the new dirt/sand. In addition, the park was able to get its youth sports storage room together to manage equipment and keep up with continued program growth.
Stop by Denver Williams Park and appreciate the new soccer nets, home plates, baseball sand and dirt, volleyball sand, and storage shelves to support community sports programs.
Here’s another example of how Clinton County Foundation donors support local needs to make Clinton County, Ohio a place where people want to live, work, and grow. This project supports health and wellness, one of our core areas of focus. Learn more about the Clinton County Foundation’s areas of focus here.
About the Acorn Fund
The Acorn Fund has been established for the purpose of providing support for City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation (Ohio) for projects that preserve and increase access and equity by investing in parks, trails, open spaces, recreational facilities, enrichment, and programming.
Grant Recipient: Blanchester Summer School / Education
Vallee Fund Assists Blanchester Summer School Programming
“The program provided a balance of academic instruction and enrichment activities designed to maintain learning momentum and promote student growth,”
Students at Putnam Elementary School in Blanchester attended summer school in 2025 and benefited from hands-on learning, courtesy of grant funding from the Vallee Fund at the Clinton County Foundation. Twenty-seven students participated in twelve full-day sessions, complete with bus transportation and structured learning events. “The program provided a balance of academic instruction and enrichment activities designed to maintain learning momentum and promote student growth,” says Putnam principal Jeri Earley. As a result, 74% of the students in attendance maintained or improved their test scores from one school year to the next according to MAPS assessments in August.
The summer program focused on improving literacy skills, enhancing math skills, and promoting social – emotional learning. By keeping groups small, instructors targeted specific needs and student engagement.
About Richard and Shirley Vallee
Shirley was born on May 11, 1931 and Dr. Richard Vallee was born on June 21, 1928, and were married for 58 years. Both Dr. Vallee, a Mound chemist and plant manager, and his wife enjoyed their active life as members of the Blanchester Church of Christ and numerous other community organizations. They tended beautiful vegetable gardens and delighted in sharing their surplus with others. Their concern for others extended to those in the Blanchester community who were in need and often, they were the anonymous donors to projects needing support to succeed.
Upon the passing of Richard in 2010 and Shirley in 2017, their private foundation, the Vallee Foundation, transitioned to the Clinton County Foundation, becoming the Vallee Fund for Blanchester. The Clinton County Foundation is honored to partner with the Vallee Fund for Blanchester to ensure that the Vallee’s legacy is preserved. Love lives on through the kindness and concern of Shirley and Richard Vallee at the Clinton County Foundation.
Grant Recipient: Clinton County Community Action Program / Health & Wellness
Growing Success
Thanks to an anonymous donor and the support of the Clinton County Foundation, we had multiple wins for our community, but most importantly our seniors were introduced to the healthy world of vegetable gardening.
The Clinton County Community Action Program (CCCAP) may be one of the best kept secrets in the county though many will recognize several of the projects they support to help reduce poverty: Head Start, the Food Pantry, the Aging Up Community Center operating at the Wilmington Savings Bank, Senior Housing at Clinton Commons I and II, Community Commons and Blanchester Senior Villas, and family housing at Clinton Glen and Wilmington Apartments, among others. In operation since 1965, the CCCAP is a local, private, nonprofit corporation funded primarily by Federal and State grants, as well as by income from for-hire services (Catering Connections and Clinton Maid), fundraising (Corn 5K Walk/Run) and a few local grants (HealthFirst, LEGACY Fund, Clinton County Foundation).
Recently, the CCCAP benefited from a multiple Win-Win. An anonymous donor was in search of a good cause to which to donate. Referred by a friend to the Clinton County Foundation, this donor was provided the Foundation’s financial and administrative expertise to establish a fund that benefited the CCCAP and enabled them to create vegetable gardens for the CCCAP’s senior housing apartments. Turning to recently retired Wilmington College Ag professor, Monte Anderson, the CCCAP was able to enlist his support and knowledge to transform old, deteriorated gardens into fresh and fruitful garden beds. Nearly 14 seniors including Steve Barber, Lisa Keys, Greg Pitzer and Linda Vantress donated their time in building and installing 16 new beds. Not only have they benefited from having access to fresh food, but they’ve also enjoyed being outdoors, socializing and getting in some exercise. “Every garden bed has a story,” explained Monte. “One gardener traded his beans for zucchini to make zucchini bread, while another learned how to can some of the vegetables from her garden. It was amazing to see how the gardeners helped each other from watering one another’s beds to helping carry vegetables to a fellow gardener’s apartment.”
“Thanks to an anonymous donor and the support of the Clinton County Foundation, we had multiple wins for our community – it enabled the CCCAP to support a new program, the donor was able to achieve her objectives, Monte got to exercise his expertise, but most importantly our seniors were introduced to the healthy world of vegetable gardening,” shared Jane Newkirk, CEO of the CCCAP. Who knew growing a few veggies could have such a broad impact. And next year, the plan is to double the number of garden beds, so watch out!
Grant Recipient: The Clinton Warren Joint Fire District / Health & Wellness
Local Resources and Repetition Saves Lives
“You can never train enough for a job that can kill you."
“You can never train enough for a job that can kill you,” is the core belief that motivates and inspires the first responders of the Clinton-Warren Joint Fire and Rescue District (CWJFD). The CWJFD, located in Clarksville, OH, serves an estimated population of 9,000, in mostly rural settings and responds to nearly 1,000 emergencies per year. Nearly nine miles of I-71 run through the CWJFD which is also home to Cowan Lake State Park, the World Equestrian Center, Clinton Massie Local Schools, and Camp Joy Outdoor Education Center.
One particularly rural-specific and life-threatening emergency occurred in March 2023, when the CWJFD (along with the Sabina and Wilmington Fire Departments) were called upon to rescue a Sabina man trapped in a grain bin for nearly five hours. Without the specialized equipment the CWJFD had on hand, courtesy of a grant from the LEGACY Fund at the Clinton County Foundation, this rescue may not have succeeded.
For the last three years, the LEGACY Fund has provided the CWJFD with specialized equipment enabling them to train for and respond to highly technical and life-threatening emergencies. Such low frequency but highly impactful events include grain bin entrapments (aka, engulfment hazards), various rope rescues, water rescues, and fire suppression. “All our equipment is loaded onto one truck, so we are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to these types of unique and rapidly changing critical events,” shared Captains Andrew Wysong and Brad Burton.
The key to these rescues is not only having the right equipment, but also using it to create lifelike training for firefighters throughout Clinton County. Thanks to the LEGACY Fund, the CWJFD has been able to acquire a Bullard Satellite Fire Attack panel (to simulate fire flames and smoke without the corresponding toxic fumes), corresponding fire extinguisher simulator props, multiple rope rescue items, water rescue equipment and a Great Wall Grain Rescue Tube. Rather than having to rely on regional teams from Cincinnati, Dayton or Columbus, our local firefighters can now hone their rescue skills locally through repetitive training. “Training is the most fundamental form of preparedness we first responders can get in order to have a high probability of preventing severe injury or death,” explained Chief Bob Wysong.
As a community foundation, the Clinton County Foundation is home to over 100 funds that, like the Legacy Fund, are dedicated to improving lives through philanthropy. In a rural community where resources are often scarce, grants can provide much needed support to local government and nonprofits. This example of local grantmaking exemplifies the profound impact of local grant dollars focused on local needs. And in the case of a Sabina man, equipment and training for local volunteer first responders saved the life of one of our own.
About the Legacy Fund
Established in 2019, The LEGACY Fund focuses on improving the health, welfare, and safety of Clinton County citizens through project-based funding of transformative ideas and creative, pioneering programs. LEGACY Fund projects often lay the groundwork for systemic changes that utilize local strategies and visionary leadership. Grant applications are accepted through the Clinton County Foundation grant portal one time each year.