Grants At Work

Arts and Culture – Knowing the importance of arts and culture to stimulate creativity and enhance quality of life, HCF provides regular grants to local organizations that engage talented participants and audiences alike. Among the local non-profit arts and culture organizations we support:

• Hudson Bandstand Series, a community organization conducting free outdoor concerts in Hudson’s gazebo green each summer.
• Hudson Community Choruses, a robust set of adult, youth and children’s choirs (about 100 local voices strong) performing seasonal concerts and at community events.
• Hudson-Landsberg sister cities program, promoting cultural understanding and strengthening ties between similar communities in the USA and Germany.
• Hudson mArt, an annual show and sale for local artisans hosted by Destination Hudson.
• Hudson Players, community theater organization performing throughout the year at Hudson’s Barlow Community Center.
• Music From The Western Reserve, a local, independent community group hosting outstanding chamber music concerts each season at Christ Church Episcopal.

Social Services, Health and Wellness – HCF convenes and funds a range of initiatives to improve the quality of life for Hudsonites who need help overcoming life’s challenges. Groups/activities we support include:

• Hudson Food Pantry and The Emergency Assistance Center to help feed local families facing food insecurity.
• Unicorns and Polka Dots Fund to support the recovery process for those suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction with a focus on helping those struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) identify and implement the life skills required to thrive and live a purposeful and productive life.
• Greenleaf Family Services to support the adolescent suicide prevent program at Hudson High School, Hudson Middle School and Seton Catholic School.
• Habitat for Humanity of Summit County for funding the Hudson Coalition’s home building projects.
• Salvation Army for emergency assistance for Hudson families in the form of grocery vouchers, utility payments, rent/mortgage during times of severe financial stress.
• State of Mind: Hudson for programming costs targeting mental health awareness.

Historical and Environmental – Preserving Hudson’s charm and connection to nature is a priority for our community to thrive. Here are some examples of what we do:

• A HCF grant supported Friends of Hudson Parks as it raised funds to plant a six-acre pollinator meadow with native flowers and grasses at Darrow Road Park on Route 91 near Hines Hill Road. This was a complex project involving Friends of the Hudson Parks, Hudson Parks Department, City of Hudson and Hudson Park Board, together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• When Hudson’s historic 1825 Balwin-Buss House, located on the prominent corner of Darrow Road and West Streetsboro Street, was in danger of being acquired and razed in 2020 to make room for a unwanted chain store, HCF worked with Hudson Heritage Association to create a fund that collected donations for the home’s potential acquisition and historic restoration. Today, the gloriously restored home, with a new community art gallery, is home to Peg’s Foundation.
• HCF has provided a wide range of assistance and funding to Case-Barlow Farm, a historic farm property and barn dating back to 1831 and now operated by a local non-profit organization as a model of historic preservation and adaptive reuse.

Youth Education and Recreation – Hudson is a place known for high-quality education with an outstanding school district and several exceptional private schools. We value and embrace our children and families in a variety of important ways, including:

• HCF provides operating funds to support student participation in the highly successful Drug Free Clubs of America, a drug and alcohol prevention program for local teens at Hudson High School. In part, we have provided this support in conjunction with Ron and Lydia Harrington of the Harrington Family Foundation.
• The Hudson City Schools Student Assistance Fund, held at HCF, supports kids who otherwise would not be able to pay for items such as college application fees, field trip expenses, sports and band fees, school supplies and a range of other items that are part of student life. This fund supports about 200 students in the school district who face financial hardship.
• Each year, HCF distributes more than $50,000 in college scholarships to Hudson students from 22 scholarship funds established at the foundation by individuals interested in helping students succeed or as a memorial legacy for loves ones.