Avista Foundation Awards Fourth Quarter Grants Foundation awarded more than $100,000 in 2004 SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Avista Foundation announces the awarding of its fourth quarter 2004 grants totaling almost $46,000 to 53 non-profit organizations, 42 of which are regional food banks. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO ) "There are so many organizations that are making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people in our region," said Anne Marie Axworthy, president and chairman of the board of the Avista Foundation, in announcing the grants. "It is rewarding to know that the Avista Foundation has been able to support these organizations in serving their clients." Organizations and/or programs selected for funding in the fourth quarter by the Avista Foundation's board of directors are: -- Adams County Historical Society, Lind, Wash. -- $1,975 towards the restoration of the Van Marter Building which serves as a museum for the collections of the Adams County Historical Society. -- Association for Sacred Encounters, Inc., Cataldo, Idaho -- $5,000 for the installation of "Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West" exhibition in the new visitor center at the Coeur d'Alene Old Mission State Park. -- Boys & Girls Club of Spokane, Spokane, Wash. -- $3,500 for the POWER Hour program which provides homework help, tutoring and literacy support for primarily low-income, at-risk youth from the Nevada/Lidgerwood, Hillyard/Whitman and Logan neighborhoods. -- Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation, Spokane, Wash. -- $3,000 for the Washington Regional Science Olympiad, an affiliate of the National Science Olympiad which ensures future innovations in science and technology by improving science education and increasing student interest in science. -- Community Health Center, Medford, Oregon -- $1,000 to the Healthy Children Initiative which provides physical examinations for uninsured children. -- Families in Partnership, Inc., Libby, Mont. -- $2,500 in support of the Family Resource Center in Noxon, Mont., to provide outreach, support and educational services to parents with children prenatal to age three. -- Kids Unlimited of Oregon, Medford, Ore. -- $3,500 for the Out of School Time program which provides after school, evening, weekend and summer programming for students at high-poverty elementary schools. -- Ronald McDonald House Charities, Spokane, Wash. -- $3,258 to provide 181 nights of temporary lodging at the Ronald McDonald House for low- income families with critically ill or injured children receiving medial treatment at area hospitals. -- Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest, Spokane, Wash. -- $3,000 for seasonal food support. -- Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, Spokane, Wash. -- $2,500 for The Nurturing Program, an education program for families experiencing some level of crisis that poses a threat to the well-being of the children between the ages of birth and five years. -- VOICES, Spokane, Wash. -- $500 in support of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Conference organized by VOICES to educate the community on issues important to low-income citizens. -- Whitworth College, Spokane, Wash. -- $5,000 towards the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Business Plan Competition, a collaborative effort between Gonzaga University Hogan Program, Eastern Washington University Center for Entrepreneurial Activities, and Whitworth College School of Global Commerce and Management to generate marketable and/or potentially fundable new ventures developed by students. -- Women's & Children's Free Restaurant, Spokane, Wash. -- $3,000 towards providing meals two days a week to low-income women and children in Spokane and prepared meals one day a week for entire low-income households. Grants of $200 were awarded to the following organizations for seasonal support of food banks: Idaho: -- Community Action Partners; Coeur d'Alene and Kellogg, Idaho -- Community Action Partnership; Orofino, Lewiston, Moscow, Grangeville and Kamiah, Idaho -- Post Falls Food Bank, Post Falls, Idaho -- Sandpoint Food Bank, Sandpoint, Idaho -- Sojourner's Alliance, Moscow, Idaho -- West Bonner County Food Bank, Priest River, Idaho Oregon and California: -- ACCESS Food Share, Medford, Ore. -- Christmas Cheer, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. -- FISH of Roseburg, Roseburg, Ore. -- Josephine County Food Bank, Grants Pass, Ore. -- Klamath Lake County Food Bank, Klamath Falls, Ore. -- Salvation Army, LaGrande, Ore. Washington: -- Addy Rescue Mission, Addy, Wash. -- Asotin County Food Bank Association, Clarkston, Wash. -- Bingen Food Bank, White Salmon, Wash. -- Care and Share, Davenport, Wash. -- Cheney Food Bank, Cheney, Wash. -- Chewelah Food Bank, Chewelah, Wash. -- Colville Food and Resource Center, Colville, Wash. -- Community Action Center; Colfax and Pullman, Wash. -- Connell Food Bank, Connell, Wash. -- Goldendale Food Bank, Goldendale, Wash. -- Kettle Falls Community Chest, Kettle Falls, Wash. -- Lincoln County Care and Share Center, Davenport, Wash. -- Loon Lake Food Bank & Resource Center, Loon Lake, Wash. -- Northport Food Bank, Northport, Wash. -- Odessa Food Bank, Odessa, Wash. -- Othello Food Bank, Othello, Wash. -- Our Place Community Ministries, Spokane, Wash. -- Ritzville Food Pantry, Ritzville, Wash. -- Sprague Food Bank, Sprague, Wash. -- St. Vincent DePaul, Spokane, Wash. -- Valley Food Bank, Spokane, Wash. -- Valley Food Pantry, Valley Wash. -- Warden Food Pantry, Warden, Wash. Since awarding its first grants in 2003, the Avista Foundation has awarded 116 grants totaling $179,803 to non-profit organizations in eastern Washington; northern Idaho; southern Oregon; South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Sanders County, Mont. The Foundation focuses its giving in the areas of: -- education -- K-12 education particularly in the fields of science, math and technology; and higher education including scholarships -- vulnerable and limited income populations -- providing assistance to those on limited incomes and support for initiatives to reduce poverty -- economic and cultural vitality -- supporting projects that help communities and citizens to grow and prosper. Information on the Avista Foundation is available at http://www.avistafoundation.org/ http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Avista Foundation CONTACT: Debbie Simock, +1-509-495-4174 or , for Avista Foundation Web site: http://www.avistacorp.com/ http://www.avistafoundation.org/

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