Volunteers Strive To Create Heritage Fund For Mitchell

(MITCHELL) - Volunteers are looking to create a community heritage fund for Mitchell through the Lawrence County Community Foundation.

Heritage funds are used to enhance smaller communities. Currently, there are six communities in Lawrence County that have heritage funds established through the community foundation including Heltonville, Springville, Judah, Oolitic, Fayetteville and East Oolitic.

Hope Flores, Executive Director of the Community Foundation, said the community park in Springville was a direct result of the community's heritage fund. Funds were used in Heltonville for new park equipment and a revamped shelter house, complete with emergency shelter facilities.

Mitchell residents Phoebe Hamilton, Martha Cox and Priscilla Cessna are currently working to raise awareness of the need for the community of Mitchell to establish at heritage fund.

An informational meeting is set for 2 p.m. on Jan. 30 in the community room at Bloomfield State Bank. Anyone interested in seeing the community move forward and creating this heritage fund is invited to attend.

To start a heritage fund, the community must raise at least $5,000. That money is deposited and invested, and after three years of having at least an average balance of $5,000, the foundation will begin issuing community grants off the interest. The fund, Flores said, is a good way for people to be honored and memorialized, or can benefit from estates.

Oftentimes, the heritage funds are started with a founding donor, then the community raises fund to build the balance up. Donations can be made to the fund at anytime, and the larger it grows, the bigger the payout and the more the community can do with the money.

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