|
Thriftique Store
|
WabiSabi Hosts its Third Bi-Annual Awards Ceremony
Thursday, January 11th, 2007
On Thursday January 11th, WabiSabi hosted its third bi-annual Awards Ceremony to distribute $6,500.00 in financial awards to local nonprofit organizations. For the past five years, WabiSabi, a Moab based nonprofit organization founded in 2002, has distributed financial awards to organizations based on the number of votes received at its two thrift store locations. Jeff Cohen, WabiSabi’s Executive Director, thanked the nonprofit organizations for their contribution to the community and emphasized the many ways WabiSabi can help nonprofit organizations in addition to financial support. This support includes educational outreach to the public, material donations (furniture, clothing, housewares, building supplies), vouchers for clients, and the Make A Difference Grants - small grants awarded to start-up projects. Cohen describes WabiSabi as an organization that “hopes to assist our community by inspiring individuals to come together and create a healthy place where our children will thrive, nature will be cared for and protected, cultural diversity will be preserved, and those in need will have the resources and basic human rights they deserve.”
Out of the fifteen partner organizations listed on the voting ballot, the Humane Society received the largest award, at $1000. Other organizations who received funds included Seekhaven Family Resource Center, Youth Garden Project, Grand County Hospice, The Friends of the Moab Teen Center, The Amigos Club, The Native American Club, BEACON Adventure Ed After School Program, Canyonlands Field Institute, Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center, Amigos Club, Canyonlands Community Recycling Center, Canyonlands Film Society, KZMU, Living Rivers, and SPLORE.
In addition to the awards to its nonprofit partners, WabiSabi announced two Make a Difference awards to two newly formed Moab organizations, Community Rebuilds and the Moab Valley Multicultural Center, each receiving $1,000 to cover costs incurred during the early phases of development. WabiSabi’s Make a Difference in Moab Fund supports innovative community based projects with grant money.
At the Awards Ceremony, WabiSabi also awarded $440 to The Grand County School District and The Moab Charter School. These funds were raised through The Desert West Office Supply inkjet recycling program in which Desert West Office Supply donates money for each used inkjet cartridge that is brought to it’s store or to a WabiSabi store to be recycled.
Cohen also announced the twelve new partners who will receive financial awards for 2007 stating that “it was a difficult decision and that all of the twenty applicants we received were highly qualified.” New partners were selected based on an application, as well as, WabiSabi’s desire to support a cross-section of organizations working in the following general program areas: Environment, Youth Development, Women’s Issues, Education, Culture, and Health.
Craig Hibberd, WabiSabi’s Board President, stated at the Awards Ceremony that the board “welcomes feedback from the applicants regarding the application form and process” Suggestions and comments can be submitted to Jeff@wabisabimoab.org. For more information about WabiSabi and its nonprofit partners please visit www.wabisabimoab.org