Dawn Stoakes, the Family and Consumer Science instructor at Union Middle School, has received a $239.65 grant from the Dysart Community Foundation to help purchase sewing machine foot controls and new hand mixers for the school’s FCS program.

“A coworkers told me about this grant program,” Stoakes said. “I wrote for it last spring and received confirmation. I requested the hand mixers and sewing machines afterwards. There were various needs in our classroom that needed to be updated and this grant helped the school’s budget go a little further.”

Seventh and eighth grade students at Union Middle School take Stoakes’s class as a nine-week exploratory class to learn FCS skills as advocacy for life skill classes in school continue to mount across the nation.

“Because the Dysart Community Foundation does a lot of things for the community, I want the community to know where some of those dollars go to if they support it,” Stoakes said. “Our students are already using these items and will be throughout the year. We hope this helps give students exposure to life and career skills and that they will continue to take more FCS classes when they are in high school.”

The Dysart Community Foundation board accepts applications for grants until April 30, with donations for the grants funded by community donations and Farmers Savings Bank of Traer partnering as trustees since 1997.

“Dawn Stoakes determined a need in her classroom and we recognized that helping to fund these items helps her in teaching life skills to her students they hopefully continue to learn,” Rick Krug, the Trustee Officer said.