Parks receive grant funds for improvements.

Parks receive grant funds for improvements.

OCEANA COUNTY – During the pandemic, the need for outdoor spaces became pronounced as Oceana residents explored nature as a safe getaway.

This great need also highlighted the variance in infrastructure across the county, with some areas lacking amenities or the staff capacity to advocate and apply for needed items.

The Community Foundation for Oceana County (CFOC) recently announced the results of its first-ever placemaking grant round to underserved local communities. With a total grant award of $15,000 from the Urgent Needs Fund and an additional $3,000 from the Lake-Osceola State Bank Advised Fund, Walkerville, Ferry, and Rothbury will undertake small-scale projects in community parks.

Oceana County Parks and Rec was also invited to apply to add needed items across all county parks. Placemaking involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover needs and aspirations.

With a grant of nearly $4,000, Walkerville will upgrade its village park by adding new games and restoring tables and benches.

Ferry, Rothbury and the Oceana Parks and Rec each received awards of $4,680. Ferry is investing in adding outdoor games and other family fun to its community center, while Rothbury will add a shelter to Czarny Softball Field. New accessible grills will be added to all Oceana County parks with the grant award.

“While outdoor spaces are not equally distributed throughout the area, investing in Oceana’s underserved areas is the first step in creating a more vibrant, equitable future for all,” states a press release from the community foundation. “The placemaking grants will add outdoor community amenities to the eastern portion of our county while supporting overall community development.”