Monday, Mar 21 2011 8:44AM
A New Mexico youth group has received $1 million from the Kellogg Foundation.
New Mexico's Rocky Mountain Youth Corps has received a grant for nearly $1 million that will fund the program for the next three years, reported the Taos News.
The group provides young people between the ages of 16-25 with both employment and community assistance experiences that help its members foster the skills necessary for
community leadership development. Michigan's W.K. Kellogg Foundation donated $988,409 to the group, according to the newspaper, the single largest donation the Youth Corps has ever received from a private foundation.
The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps has been involved in various community projects including building parks and trails, restoring habitat and mentoring students in rural northern New Mexico, reported the source. Kellogg Foundation spokeswoman Rebecca Noricks told the paper that the group satisfies at least three of the foundation's criteria for grants, including promoting racial equality, since many participants are of Hispanic or American Indian heritage.
The Kellogg Foundation is one of the largest private philanthropic organizations in the world. The company recently adopted a new mission statement aiming at refocusing its work toward helping vulnerable, low-income children succeed.