LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 29, 2012) - The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) recently made a grant of $9,450 to the McGehee Desha Alumni Community Center (MDACC), which provides educational programs and workforce training to students in McGehee, Arkansas.
"MDACC helps youth to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong belief that college will be a part of their future," said Dr. Sherece Y. West, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. "WRF's investment is recognition that organizations like MDACC are important to the development of rural communities."
MDACC's premier program is a Bicycle Factory, where youth are taught to repair and sell bicycles. Proceeds from the sales are used to start college saving funds for these students. WRF support will be used to build the operational capacity of MDACC.
"The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation's grant will strengthen our ability to grow as an organization" said Ms. Rubye Graham-Emerson, executive director of MDACC. "This growth will make it possible for our programs to build momentum for positive change throughout our community."
WRF has a long history of supporting early-stage organizations that have the potential to become forces for positive change in Arkansas. Visit www.wrfoundation.org to read about Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and Southern Bancorp in WRF's Partners in Progress series to learn more.
(Source: Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation)