http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/cfoawardsg_3870.mp3
Going green and helping an aging population may not appear to be related, but they are both important issues in today's society. On Tuesday, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks presented grants to Springfield agencies that are committed to focusing on the environment or providing services to the elderly. KSMU's Benjamin Fry was at the awards ceremony at Hickory Hills Middle School and files this report. "What we'd like you to do is come up here, we'll get everybody up here and transition the check...."The Community Foundation of the Ozarks awarded $140,000 worth of grants to 11 local agencies.These agencies were selected based on either their committment to a better environmental future, or helping care for those who own the past.Ryan Van Bibber is the Director of Communications for the CFO.He says this is the first time the foundation has awarded grants exclusively to programs that help the elderly."Over the years, we've gotten projects devoted towards senior issues, and it's gradually become just more and more because there's that set of needs out there and there's that aging boomer population," Bibber said.Among these grants, $10,000 went to The Southwest Missouri Chapter of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Inc.President and CEO Rebecca Argilagos says the funds will help the association better educate caregivers who have loved ones with Alheimer's."How to find the right doctor, what questions to ask, hooking them into the system so that they know where to go. The system for seniors is very difficult to navigate, and we want to make sure that we simplify that," Argilagos said.Ozark Greenways was one of the agencies awarded a grant toward improving the environment.Executive Director Terry Whaley is thankful for the nearly $30,000 in funding.He says part of the grant will go towards an initiative to build a bicycle boulevard in Springfield."And that comes into line with using our street system that already exists. We know that we can't afford to build trails everywhere in Springfield, so we need to look at other ways to facilitate bicyclists getting around in town", Whaley said.For a complete list of agencies that were awarded grants: CFO Website.For KSMU News, I'm Benjamin Fry