Ithaca College

The United Way Stone Soup Philanthropy Corps of Ithaca College is proud to announce that it completed its inaugural allocations cycle on November 15, 2009.

One recipient is Finger Lakes ReUse, who will use their grant to kick-start their Computer ReUse program and help provide the facilities for a showroom to sell recycled computers and make Ithaca more eco-friendly. The other recipient is Challenge Industries, who will use their grant to assist with the foundation of a healthy eating, whole foods program for local residents with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Founded in late 2007, Stone Soup is the first student United Way organization at Ithaca College, and throughout the 2008-2009 school year, the group raised nearly $3,000 by drawing on various funding sources. These included the Ithaca College faculty-staff United Way campaign, the annual family carnival and other campus opportunities.

If you have not yet made your annual United Way donation, faculty and staff at Ithaca College can still contribute to next year's allocations process by designating a contribution to Stone Soup as part of the faculty-staff United Way campaign.

This semester, the group of ten Stone Soup members reviewed a ten grant proposals and awarded the money to two worthy causes that will better the local Ithaca community. The students reported that it was an incredible learning opportunity to design a funding process and have to work through the tough decision of deciding what local programs met their funding criteria.

Stone Soup announced the recipients of its first allocation on Tuesday, December 15 at a reception at the Tompkins County United Way offices in downtown Ithaca. United Way staff, Stone Soup members, including adviser Deborah Mohlenhoff, Ithaca College President Tom Rochon, IC United Way Campaign Co-Chair Mark Coldren and directors of Finger Lakes ReUse and Challenge Industries were in attendance.

For more information about Stone Soup, email unitedwaystonesoup@gmail.com.