Current News

At its 12th annual Friends of the Foundation Luncheon the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation had the opportunity to celebrate its 25th anniversary while honoring two individuals seminal to the Foundation's growth over its 25-year existence and to the community as a whole, Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal, as well as the 92 students who received scholarships in 2019.

Four recent area graduates recently received the Burt Scholarship, an annual scholarship managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

Six area graduates recently received the Daniel McCarthy Scholarship, managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, to support their goals of pursuing careers in business.

Five area graduates received the Jonathan Teuscher Scholarship, a four-year scholarship managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, together receiving $12,500 over the four years of the award.

Five Otto-Eldred High School (PA) graduates recently received the Bob and Barbara McCord Scholarship, together totaling $5,000, from the Bob and Barbara McCord Scholarship Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

Four recent area graduates received scholarships managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, $2,400 in total, to pursue degrees in health care- and education-related fields.

A number of area nonprofit organizations recently received support from endowment funds at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, together totaling over $15,000.

Two recent Otto-Eldred High School (PA) graduates recently received awards from scholarship funds that benefit OEHS graduates managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

The Bartlett Pro-Am tournament is known for bringing some of the area's best golfers together in competition, but the tournament now has a second important mission - supporting area students pursuing an education in business.

The playground at the YMCA's Olean Early Learning and Child Care Center will receive a facelift this summer, thanks in part to a $2,000 grant from the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation's Community Fund. The Olean Early Learning and Child Care Center's original building, which provides care for over 100 families each year, was built in 1991, and the playground equipment at the facility is, according to YMCA officials, in need of replacement.

Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal have left an indelible mark on the Olean community with their contributions to medicine, education, philanthropy and community service. In recognition of the wide impact they both have had on the community, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation will honor Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal as the 2019 Friends of the Foundation.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation recently hired Susan Fiske as full-time accounting and finance manager. Fiske holds a diverse background in nonprofit and foundation accounting. She has both served as an accountant for foundations and audited foundations as a Certified Public Accountant.

Chris Perks grew up skateboarding in a town that did not have a dedicated skate park. "We were always looking for places to skate," Perks recalled. "We usually ended up skating in parking lots or in the street; of course that created some friction between us and the local businesses and law enforcement. As often as we could, we would drive out of town - usually to Jamestown, but sometimes as far away as Rochester or Pittsburgh or Ohio - to skate indoor/outdoor parks."

Karen Zale was given the opportunity to tell an important story through "The Write Stuff" program at Franklinville's Blount Library. That story was about her father, a World War II vet who survived the torture of being a prisoner of war and, later, the torture of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That story became The Will To Survive 433, which Zale self-published.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation recently named Jackie Nelson full-time database manager and donor services manager.

When the Redding family of Hinsdale decided to establish a fund to support third grade classrooms in Hinsdale and Olean as well as the Hinsdale Volunteer Fire Department, they did so quietly. But that did not stop word from spreading as far as California - to a third-grade teacher from Hinsdale who retired to the Bay area.

For a good part of the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation's 25-year history, the unrestricted Community Fund has played an instrumental part in the organization's mission to Grow Good in the community. The fund has made possible grants to projects supporting everything from downtown economic revitalization, healthy eating initiatives, community gardens, area disaster relief, keeping area seniors active and more.

The Reisner family has a long philanthropic history, and the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation owes a good bit of its history to the Reisners' dedication to supporting the community through that philanthropy. Three major endowments at CRCF bear the Reisner family name, the Doris Reisner Endowment Fund, Lewis and Doris Reisner Fund and Walter and Ruth Reisner Fund - together consisting of some $600,000.

The Cattaraugus County Department of the Aging brought the joy of pets to members of the Linwood Social Adult Day Program at Intandem on "National Puppy Day" in the form of therapy dogs, Maddy and Sunny, and a number of robotic dogs and cats becoming infamous for their own therapeutic benefits.

A number of local organizations have been awarded grants from four donor-designated funds at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, to the tune of over $10,500 total. The donors who established these five funds - Luella Potter Endowment Fund, Kay and Oliver Williams/Rushford Endowment Fund, Jim and Gail Olson Mercy Flight Fund, The Rev. Leo J. Gallina Endowment Fund for St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church - designated organizations that mattered to them to receive annual support from their funds.

Students applying for scholarships managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation must complete and submit their applications by April 2.

It has been said before that the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation started with just a group of volunteers and a dream. As CRCF celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2019 even the organization's most adamant advocates and supporters, its earliest board members and first executive director, admit that their expectations for the organization have been far exceeded.

Grant applications for the next funding cycle of the Community Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation are due April 21.

The Ernst family has always deeply valued education. When Gerry and Diane Ernst received a surprise gift from their sons in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, it was only fitting that gift came in the form of a scholarship fund bearing the family's name.

For all his love of football, Patrick Shinners, a skilled high school player and later a dedicated high school official, was about more than the Friday night lights. A scholarship in his memory pays tribute to that.

Jonathan Teuscher faced challenges in his 19-year life. But like the most special among us, he knew that anything could be accomplished with enthusiasm, motivation and perseverance. Teuscher was born premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. And yet, he never let his physical limitations hinder his pursuits. A 1998 graduate of Portville Central School, he was a member of the school's football and track teams.

When Jessica Sweitzer, a loving mother and daughter, passed away in 2014 after struggling with bipolar disorder and depression for 10 years, her parents, Pat and Barb Sweitzer, decided to channel their grief into supporting those who may be struggling with similar mental health issues.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation recently elected four board members, including two first-time board members and two CRCF charter board members. Beth Palumbo, Tyler Threehouse, Doug Price and Mike Kasperski were all elected to the 2019 CRCF board of directors.

Alfred Station, NY, February 1, 2019 - Announcing the open period for grant applications through the Allegany-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Fund for Women (ACC-FFW). Grant applications, for individual grants, are being accepted February 1st through March 15th, 2019. A thorough review of applications will precede an award announcement on April 30th 2019.

When Jennifer DeLong passed away in June of 2018 at just 36 years old, her family — parents Ken and Sue DeLong and siblings Teresa and Kevin — almost immediately made the decision to establish a scholarship in her memory.

Joe and Cecily Higgins had a dream of bringing a recreational trail to the Olean/Allegany area. Thanks to their hard work and persistence, that dream became the Allegheny River Valley Trail. In much the same way, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation started with a group of volunteers, one fund and a dream - a dream of supporting community members in their philanthropic endeavors, like the Allegheny River Valley Trail Project.

Five organizations that support local children and youth will receive grants this November from the Kaleigh Wilday Endowment Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

When two members of the Olean High School Class of 1995 passed away tragically, the rest of the class was left reeling and racking their brains for a way to support their classmates' families through the loss.

In this special blog post, CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit, shares some thoughts on the Cattaraugus Gives program and the true mission behind it.