Generosity 6-15-14

Saint Francis scholarships available

Applications for the 2014 Saint Francis Foundation and Auxiliary Healthcare Scholarships are now available. The program awards 23 scholarships of up to $2,000 annually to students pursuing a health-care-related career.

Applicants must have successfully completed one year of an accredited health care program and have at least a 3.0 grade-point average. They must also reside within Saint Francis Medical Center's service area, as defined in the application. Applicants must submit all required documentation and a completed application by 5 p.m. June 30. Students are eligible to receive a scholarship a maximum of two years.

Since it was created in 1980, the scholarship program has provided more than $487,000 in education scholarships to college students in an effort to encourage participation in professional health care careers.

Applications are available at foundation.sfmc.net/scholarship. More information is available by calling 573-331-5790.

Crader Distributing, 4-H Foundation partner

Crader Distributing Company-Blue-Mountain Equipment and the Missouri 4-H Foundation announced a partnership that will provide community service grant funding to 4-H faculty, county 4-H councils and 4-H clubs throughout the state of Missouri, beginning in July.

"We are committed to the growth, prosperity and stability of the community as a whole," said Stan Crader, president of Crader Distributing Co. "We see this as an exciting new opportunity to extend our support to families throughout Missouri, while encouraging Missouri youth to take an active role in community service and civic engagement."

Founded in 1944 in Marble Hill, Missouri, Crader Distributing Co. is a family-owned business and the exclusive distributor of Stihl outdoor power equipment in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Southern Illinois. Along with its sister organization, Blue Mountain Equipment, which services Texas and Oklahoma, CDC provides Stihl outdoor power equipment to more than 1,300 dealers throughout the Midwest.

Through this partnership, Missouri 4-H youths, who learn the importance of giving back to their communities early on in their 4-H involvement, will be eligible for grants to match funding for 4-H service learning projects.

"We are deeply grateful to Crader Distributing Co. for their generous support of the Missouri 4-H Foundation's community service grant program," said Missouri 4-H Foundation executive director Cheryl Reams. "Service learning is a key component of the Missouri 4-H program and these projects have a lasting impact on 4-H members and the communities they serve."