It has no high school, no supermarket, no recreation department and no mental health or public health center. At-risk youth are trained as volunteers to seniors, reading aloud to them and developing living histories using video to capture their life stories. Funds cover intergenerational activities for grandparents raising grandchildren, including an annual Grandparent s Day. Funds purchased books for at-risk families enrolled in nurturing and developmental programs. I Can Lead, an adult education program, teaches positive family communication skills and trains participants as volunteer leaders.
Classes train teen moms to be parents and educate pregnant adolescents.
Grant covers expenses for a drop-in recreation center for children and adults with physical disabilities. The Foundation s media grants target student journalists as well as working professionals looking to hone their skills. In 1998, seasoned journalists shared their knowledge of the news industry and employment advice with their younger counterparts at the annual conventions of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The multipurpose centers, equipped with computers, served as training rooms, job fair sites and cyber-cafes, offering journalists at all levels a chance to meet in a relaxed atmosphere. When a natural disaster strikes a Gannett community, the Foundation is often among the first funders on the scene with support.