The Perry County Youth Tax Board recently awarded three $1,000 grants; one grant each to the St Vincent DePaul Ladies of Charity food pantry, Immanuel Lutheran Food pantry, and the First Baptist Church food pantry to assist them in providing necessary food to the children of Perry County.
“I am personally proud of the Perry County communities and the citizens that make Perry County such a special and wonderful place.” Youth Tax Board president John Chamness said.
For several years the Youth Tax Board has assisted in the funding of the local food pantries that serve Perry County because these outreach programs provide for quite a number of families throughout Perry County and a considerable number of children and youth who might otherwise not have the needed provisions for a healthy life. The Youth Tax Board began assisting our local food pantries with a small gift of $500. This grant has increased to contribute $2,000 each to the three pantries this year, which included a $1,000 donation in late March, and another last week for a total of $6,000 this year.
The Ladies of Charity, of St Vincent DePaul parish, serve on average some 200 to 300 individuals and families per month; Immanuel Lutheran Church Evangelism Board’s food pantry serves, on average, the same as the Ladies of Charity; and First Baptist Church food pantry serving nearly 200 individuals and families per month.
Prior to 2008, the Perry County Community Task Force, concerned senior citizens, and others joined in an effort to present the people of Perry County with an opportunity to approve a sales tax increase for the purpose of funding efforts toward the betterment of the youth and seniors of Perry County.
This effort required the preparation and passing of Senate Bill NO. 233 of the 94th Missouri General Assembly legislation by vote of the citizens of Missouri and Perry County, and the approvals of our Perry County Commission.
All of this was accomplished and in 2008, Perry County approved a half of one percent sales tax with ½ of that amount going toward the improvement of senior services in the county and half going toward the betterment of our youth.
Two separate nine-member boards were established and appropriate volunteer citizens appointed by the PC Commission to see to the handling of these funds.
For these ensuing years, both volunteer boards have been very diligent to see that these funds have been handled appropriately and designated for the services for which these taxes were established.
The Youth Tax Board has provided funding for such programs as the Perry County Community Task Force, C.H.A.M.P.S., Out of School, Halo, Seeking Answers, Youth and Parents, Junior/Senior/8th Grade conferences, and other programs; Regional Crisis Center’s Youth & Parents Substance Abuse program; PC District School Resource Officer program; Lutheran Family & Childrens Services parent and infant programs; PC Community “BackPack Bonanza” school programs, as well as Hope Center Equestrian Counseling/Youth Development programs; 4H Positive Youth Development programs and various Youth Counseling programs
“This is a great community and all of us need to be proud of the helping hands that work so hard to see that all of our community stays healthy, keeps learning, working, and pressing onward and upward.”
