40th Birthday Celebration

           The Eastside Area Community Foundation was organized in May of 1983.  

In recognition of 40 years of serving eastern DeKalb County, Indiana, we will be celebrating throughout 2023.

• Organized in 1983 to serve eastern DeKalb County, specifically, organizations and individuals within the DeKalb Eastern School District.
• The first scholarships were awarded in 1984.  Three Eastside graduates received $500 scholarships to assist them with their college education.
• In 1989, seven Eastside graduates were awarded a total of $5,500 in scholarships.
• By 1994, the scholarships awarded to 14 Eastside graduates totaled $10,000.
• A 2003 Eastside graduate was the first to receive the Rectenwall Scholarship. This $8,000 scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding Eastside graduate.  Nine 2003 graduates received a total of $24,500 in scholarships.
• The Kester and Catherine Cather scholarship was established in 2013.  This $8,000 scholarship is awarded annually.  Twelve 2013 graduates received a total of $33,500 in scholarships.
• Eight grants, totaling $13,550 were awarded in 2014 to organizations within the DeKalb Eastern School District.  These included Junior Achievement of DeKalb Eastern, Butler Filling Station Youth Center and local food banks.
• Grants of $11,835 were awarded to 7 organizations in 2015.
• Eleven 2018 Eastside graduates received a total of $34,500.
• In 2020, the Foundation awarded $20,807 in grants.  Grants were awarded to the Friends of the Covered Bridge, Junior Achievement, large print books for residents at Laurel's and local food banks.
• Twelve members of the Eastside Class of 2022 received a total of $37,500 in scholarships.  This included the Foundation's first technical scholarship awarded to a graduate pursuing a technical degree.
• Eastside Canstruction, EHS science classes, EHS Blazer Bucks, Sechler Historical marker and EHS National Honor Society were among the 10 recipients of $12,302 in grants for 2022.