Thanks to the generosity of 220 women in Okaloosa and Walton counties, two local nonprofits have $110,000 to spend to expand their services.
Destin Harvest and the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge were presented checks Sunday after being chosen from among 35 applicants for grants from IMPACT 100.
This is the second year IMPACT 100, a group of women who each contribute $1,000 to help deserving nonprofits, has handed out big checks.
Founding member Michelle Anchors likened the group’s work to Thomas Edison’s decision to harness electricity.
“He didn’t just go out to build the light bulb. His little community needed light,” Anchors said. “IMPACT 100 started because we saw the need for light, and that light is financial support.”
Destin Harvest collects food from grocers, restaurants and other sources and delivers the items to agencies for distribution to the needy.
Chris Leavenworth, director of Destin Harvest, said he hopes to have the money dedicated by Christmas. It will go toward expanding the agency, getting a new truck and buying generators and storage facilities — walk-in coolers, refrigerators or freezers — for distribution centers.
“We’re going to increase our capacity to take on large food donations,” he said.
The Wildlife Refuge will use its money to open a wildlife medical clinic on Okaloosa Island.
See more photos of the Refuge. >>
A 1,500-square-foot clinic is planned to include a rehabilitation hospital equipped with items such as incubators, examination tables, IV infusion pumps and blood analyzers, said Susan Leveille, the refuge’s assistant director.
There also will be a one-way glass to allow visitors to get a firsthand look at the work of the refuge staff without disturbing injured animals, she said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.