MILFORD, PA — Thirty-one area nonprofits have been awarded a total of $135,400 in grants from the Richard L. Snyder Fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation; it’s the largest amount ever distributed from the fund. The organizations will use the money to stage music, dance and theatrical performances; to launch programs promoting mental and physical health; and for a wealth of community beautification efforts.

“Dick Snyder believed in showing up for the people and places around him. This year’s grants do just that, funding the organizations doing important work every day, whether it’s preserving a local landmark, producing free concerts, or providing a meal for a family in need,” said Carol Witschel, chair of Greater Pike’s Grants Committee. “Greater Pike is honored to be able to support this work and honor Dick’s legacy.” 

The open grant program, named for the late Milford businessman and philanthropist, makes awards annually in three categories: arts and culture, historic preservation and beautification, and health and wellbeing. 

The 2026 total exceeds the $130,000 awarded in grants the year before. Many of the recipients are repeat winners that the fund has long supported, but several newcomers with fresh projects and ideas have made the list in each of the three categories.

Arts and culture

New to the roster of grant recipients in the category of arts and culture is Outdoor Nurture in Greeley, a nonprofit providing education in natural farming, gardening and environmental education through hands-on experiences. The grant will underwrite an immersive natural-arts program called “Follow the Seed,” a five-part program that teaches participants to process and plant seeds, transplant seedlings, harvest both seeds and plants and celebrate fresh produce.

Another first-time recipient is the Rob Stuart Media Futures Fund at the Wayne County Community Foundation. This fund, named for the late environmental activist, promotes community-based journalism at the River Reporter newspaper, where his sister, Laurie Stuart, is publisher. The fund supports civic engagement and news coverage of local issues.

The Milford Readers and Writers Festival, Milford Music Festival, Pike Opera and the Tri-State Chorale are among the 13 cultural programs chosen for this year’s grants. The funds will support Tri-State Chorale’s two upcoming free concerts: “Our Heart, Soul and Heritage,” which celebrates the spirit of America through spirituals, folk songs and choral masterworks, in August; and “A Tradition of Carols,” to be held in December. 

Other recipients in the performing arts include Kindred Spirits Arts Programs, Delaware Valley Choral Society, Delaware Dancers/Hanna Q Dance Company and Dingmans Ferry Theatre.

Peters Valley School of Craft will use its grant to finance free artist workshops and lectures at the Pike County Library in Milford, while Pike Autism Support Services will run an arts and cooking program, and the Upper Delaware GLBT Center will continue its “I Am What I Am” program exploring identity through self-expression. 

Beautification, preservation

In the category of community beautification and historic preservation, the Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation will use its award toward the preservation of Lock House 16 at the D&H Canal, located on the Lackawaxen River.

In Milford Borough, the grant will pay for restoration of a historic fence on Ann Street. The Pike County Historical Society and the Historic Preservation Trust of Pike County, meanwhile, will use their grants for ongoing programs and the care and restoration of their properties. 

Health, medical, well-being

A dozen organizations have received grants in the category of health and wellness. Three of them are working to address food insecurity: the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County, Bushkill Outreach and Meals on Wheels of Pike County.

“This grant money will enable us to purchase a much-needed commercial freezer, which will help us better serve our over 1,200 monthly clients from both Pike and Monroe counties at the Bushkill Outreach Program,” said the Rev. Douglas Shepler, grant writer for the program.

Central Volunteer Fire Department in Hawley will use the money for phase two of its program to outfit fire chiefs’ cars with defibrillators, while Westfall Township Volunteer Fire Department will use its grant for ongoing recruitment and retention efforts. 

The Delaware Valley School District will put its award into a special-ed and mental-health wellness program, while Green Trees Early Learning Center will concentrate on childhood health and safety.

The Center for Developmental Disabilities of Pike County will use its grant for a program teaching emotional-intelligence skills to young children. Choosing Integrity, a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate back into their communities, will fund a “Second Chances Wellness Initiative,” while GAIT Equine Assisted Services’ grant will support the care and feeding of its therapy horses.

Finally, the Cooperage Project will use the funds in partnership with the Autism Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania to bring diverse youth together to improve communication, social problem-solving and conflict resolution skills through a social gaming program.

Richard L. Snyder, who died in 2014, was a Milford businessman known for his civic engagement and generosity. The grant program established in his name at Greater Pike has awarded over $1,062,000 to local organizations since 2015.

Online donations to the Snyder Fund or any other fund administered by Greater Pike can be made at www.greaterpike.org/funds.

For more information about opening a fund or contributing to an existing fund, contact Rick Little, executive director, at 570/ 832-4686, ricklittle@greaterpike.org, or visit www.greaterpike.org, www.facebook.com/greaterpike, or www.instagram.com/greaterpikecf.