Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund

09/14/2023

01/17/2023

Eugene L. Urban, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow and Rebekah Benefit Fund (right) presents a grant award to David McMullen, Executive Director of Development and Marketing for the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation. The grant will be used to purchase replacement wheelchairs and Geri chairs.

For information regarding grant funding available, visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

02/08/2022

Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund Awards Over One Million Dollars in 2021.

The Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund awarded $1,148,000.00 in grants across New York State in 2021. Thirty nine grants were given out with amounts ranging from $2,000.00 to $200,000.00.

Some of the organizations who benefited from grant awards this past year included:

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a volunteer organization that builds beds and provides bedding for underprivileged children. They were awarded $149,000 which was divided among six chapters across New York State.

• Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center was given $10,000 to be used for scholarships that would allow disabled youth to take advantage of horseback riding lessons that have been shown to provide health benefits.

• United Cerebral Palsy Association of Rochester received $100,000 to defray some of the costs associated with desensitization visits.

• Plymouth Crossroads in West Seneca, NY was awarded $50,000 to assist with residential care cost for homeless youth.

• Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation received two grants of $50,000 each to support a memory care unit at their Greenfields campus.

While grants were awarded across the state, the primary focus is non-profit agencies in the 18 Western New York Counties. (Niagara, Erie, Chautauqua, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, Monroe, Livingston, Allegany, Wayne, Ontario, Yates, Steuben, Cayuga, Seneca, Schuyler and Chemung.

The benefit fund was created from the proceeds of the sale of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Rehabilitation Health Care Center in Lockport, New York.

Eugene L. Urban, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund said, “Since the fund was created four years ago, we are proud and excited to provide grant funding to a variety of organizations in need of additional services and to help ensure that quality of service and care is provided especially during this period of health crisis.”

The primary goal of the Benefit Fund is to provide funding to charitable organizations that support health care delivery to the elderly, infirm, disabled, chronically ill and/or those disadvantaged with special health needs. Organizations seeking grant funding must be a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit as determined by the IRS.

Organizations interested in applying for a grant should visit the website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org. Grant applications may be downloaded from the site and sent to Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, 508 Bewley Building, Lockport, New York, attention: Grants Committee.

The Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, Inc. aims to help our fellow men, women and children who are in need or distress. We support those who are elderly, infirm, disabled, chronically ill and/or the disadvantaged with special health needs.

11/11/2021

(left to right) Kay Green, Natalie Parker, volunteers, Tabitha Fisher, Program Director and Aaron Carlson, Executive Director of Hearts & Hands, join Eugene Urban, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund as he presents a check for $10,000 at Hearts & Hands' satellite office in Akron, NY.

To learn more about obtaining a grant from the Benefit Fund, visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

11/03/2021

Peter Eimer, left, President of Brothers of Mercy receives the third installment of a grant awarded by the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund. Eugene Urban, right presented the check to Mr. Eimer. The grant funding is being used for staff training and development for the dementia unit of the nursing home.

To learn more about funding from the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

08/31/2021

Eugene Urban, (right) Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund presents a grant award of $15,000 to Michael Helbringer, (left) President/CEO of Bristol Village following a tour of the facility with some of the residents.

The Benefit Fund awards grants to organizations that support its mission "to provide or support health care delivery to individuals who are elderly, infirm, disabled, chronically ill, or disadvantaged with special needs for those in New York State.

To learn more, visit our website at www.OddfellowRebekahBenefitFund.org.

06/02/2021

Debbie Rothmund, center, director of the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley, New York, accepts a check for $6,000 from the Odd Fellow and Rebekah Benefit Fund. Representing the Fund are, from left, Eugene Urban, Executive Director of the Benefit Fund; and board members Oradell Banker, Clement Olson and Barbara Quick. (Photo by Ginny Kropf/Orleans Hub)

To learn more about the Benefit Fund and/or to apply for grant funding, please visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

06/02/2021

Beatrice Moy, left accepted a $5,000 check from Tom Kazmark and Bob Laurie, members of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund Grants Committee. The grant award will be used to supplement their food pantry which is located in North Evans, New York.

The mission of the Benefit Fund is to provide or support health care to individuals who are elderly, infirm, disabled, chronically ill or disadvantaged with special health needs. To learn more about the Benefit Fund, please visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefit fund. org.

06/02/2021

The SASI High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Program in Elma, New York received a $10,500 grant from the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund to support their ongoing programs. Pictured here are (left to right) Tom Kazmark and Bob Laurie from the Odd Fellow Grants Committee, Erin Brauen, Equine Program Manager and Gene Urban, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund.

To learn more about the Grants Program, visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

03/02/2021

St. Ann's Community in Rochester, NY recently received a $200,000 grant from the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund. The award will be used to support the transformation of their facility from an institutional model of long-term care to one that is person-centered and enhances well-being and lifelong growth. Pictured here from left to right are Michael McRae, President & CEO of St. Ann's Community, Eugene Urban, Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, Inc., and Clem Olson, Vice President & Treasurer of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund Board of Directors.

For more information about the Benefit Fund, or to apply for grant funding, visit our website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.

01/07/2021

Bristol Homes was awarded a $141,200 grant from the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund to modernize the passenger elevator at their facility. Pictured here are Board Chair, Kevin O'Leary (left) President & CEO of Parkview Health Services, LLC, Michael Helbringer, (middle) President & CEO of Bristol Homes and Eugene Urban, (right) Executive Director of the Odd Fellow & Rebekah Benefit Fund, Inc.

To learn more about the grant funding process, visit the OFRBF website at www.oddfellowrebekahbenefitfund.org.