County committee awards grants

ELLSWORTH — The Piscataquis County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation recently awarded $55,634 in grants to nine nonprofits, including the Piscataquis Regional YMCA to expand its child care program to Greenville.

Other grant recipients are the Greenville school department to support its downhill skiing education program, and the Abbot-based JD Foundation to support a local retreat for grieving women following the suicide of a family member.

The Piscataquis County Fund is a permanent endowment that supports projects that strengthen communities in the county. Applications to the fund are reviewed by a committee of local leaders. The application and guidelines can be found at www.mainecf.org. The fund is built through donations from the community. For more information please contact Laura Reed, foundation officer, at 564-3236 orlreed@mainecf.org.