A community-minded group of six participants from the current Leadership Elk & Cameron program recently established the School Aged Child Community Fund as their group project for the year. The Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF)will administer this fund. The purpose of the fund is to help with tuition assistance for before-and-after school programs and summer programs for our youth in Elk and Cameron Counties.

This new fund will help many families in our communities that have difficulty affording quality before-and-after school programs and summer programs which play an important role in children’s development and well-being. The fund is in its initial stages and would benefit from donations from the community to help it grow and make a difference in many children’s lives.

LEC entered its eighteenth year in September 2024 with more than 235 participants completing the LEC program since the inaugural 2007 class. Leadership Elk & Cameron was created to educate its participants in the strengths and opportunities of the county to develop informed, civic-oriented volunteers to help direct the future of the region.

Individuals, businesses, and organizations that would like to be part of this project can donate any amount to support the fund. Donations can be made to the Elk County Community Foundation at PO Box 934, St. Marys, PA 15857. Please write School Aged Children Community Fund in the memo line. Or donate online at www.elkcountyfoundation.org under Donate Now.

The Elk County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies. Contact ECCF for more information at 814-834-2125.