Hudson-Ellis Fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation awards $142,000 in scholarships and grants

The Hudson-Ellis Fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation awarded $100,000 in grants to 15 charitable organizations for projects that will improve the quality of life for children and adults in Boyle County. Organizations serving Boyle County applied for funding through the Hudson-Ellis Competitive Grantmaking Program, which is made possible by the generosity of Lottie B. Ellis, as well as John and Lena Joyner, whose bequests established endowments at Blue Grass Community Foundation.

Over the summer, the Hudson-Ellis Scholarship Fund awarded $42,000 in new and renewed college scholarships. The Fund awards renewable scholarships of $1,500 and $3,000 each year to high school seniors from Boyle County High School, Danville High School and Kentucky School for the Deaf.

A lifelong Danville resident, Lottie Ellis had a passion for Boyle County which led her to establish a legacy gift when she passed away in 1999. In accordance with Ms. Ellis’ wishes, Blue Grass Community Foundation established two permanent endowment funds: The Hudson-Ellis Discretionary Fund and the Hudson-Ellis Scholarship Fund. To date, the Scholarship Fund has awarded scholarships to 71 students totaling $416,000. 

The 2021 Hudson-Ellis Scholarship award recipients are:

Haley Ragan – Boyle County High School

Mia Weigel – Boyle County High School

Ahyana Burnett – Danville High School

Kayla Mobley – Danville High School

Tia Su Moors – Kentucky School for the Deaf

Since it was established, the Hudson-Ellis Discretionary Fund has made 228 grants to local nonprofit organizations totaling more than $1.5 million. John F. Joyner and Lena H. Joyner shared Ms. Ellis’ vision and their legacy endowment has helped fund the competitive grant program with more than $30,000 in grants to Boyle County nonprofits.

A complete list of 2021 Hudson-Ellis Discretionary Grant Recipients appears below.

Art Center of the Bluegrass – $3,575 – to support free family arts programming

Arts Commission of Danville-Boyle County – $3,040 – to support the Youth Art Fair and arts programming for participants with special needs

Bluegrass Community & Technical College Foundation – $10,000 – to support the “Degree Before Diploma” Scholarship fund that will aid high school juniors and seniors in Boyle County with the cost of taking dual credit classes.

Bluegrass Council of the Blind – $2,000 – to support an Orientation and Mobility Clinic for Boyle County residents ages 13 through adult

Boyle County Schools – $10,000 – to provide scholarships for preschool students

CASA of the Bluegrass – $2,500 – to support child victim advocacy volunteer training

Centro Latino de Danville, KY – $10,000 – to support English classes, tutoring for K-12 students, and health services and health education for disadvantaged Boyle County students and families whose primary language is not English

Danville Independent Schools – $10,000 – to support the arts integration program at John W. Bate Middle School

Danville/Boyle County Happy Feet Equals Learning Feet – $8,000 – to purchase new shoes and socks for underprivileged children in Boyle County

Family Services Association of Boyle County – $7,000 – for emergency housing assistance for residents of Boyle County

Kendyl and Friends Foundation – $3,500 – to support the cost of ASL interpreters for Boyle County students particiapting in special needs baseball league

Kentucky School for the Deaf Charitable Foundation – $6,635 – to purchase new books and improve the library collection

Special Persons Advocacy Network (SPAN) – $4,000 – to support Camp Hope, which provides individuals with developmental disabilities with activities, field trips and community involvement

Sunrise Children’s Services – $10,000 – to support the upgrade of playground equipment that addresses the safety and therapeutic value of the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility at the Woodlawn Campus in Danville 

The Presbyterian Church of Danville – $10,000 – to support the Soups on Us program that provides weekly box lunches to Boyle County residents