The United Way of Mower County announced its 2012 grant awards Tuesday.

This year, the United Way will grant funds to 49 programs. Seven of those are new, ranging from an effort to make Girl Scouts more accessible to low-income communities to helping low-income seniors get a nutritious lunch five days a week.

“These grants are determined based on the panel members’ recommendations,” said Mandi Lighthizer-Schmidt, executive director of the United Way of Mower County, in a news release. “It is United Way donors having a real say on where funds are best used to meet the needs in our community.”

“It is not always an easy process but our volunteers do a great job,” she added.

The grants separate into three categories: education, income and health. This year’s grants award $65,065 toward the seven new programs out of the total $780,000 awarded.

The new programs added:

—Girls Scouts Connect, $14,000 Helps bridge barriers like distance and family mobility for girls in low-income communities and communities of color. The program will provide more than 70 girls in Austin with more than 10 leadership development curriculum hours per quarter of the academic year.

—Holy Cross Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten, $5,000 Provides early childhood education and child care for 3- to 5-year-old children.

—Parenting Resource Center Catherwood Home Child Care Scholarship Program, $8,000 Helps unemployed parents in poverty enter the workforce. The scholarship will provide child care, transportation to and from school and meals for children in families of poverty whose parents work non-traditional hour jobs.

—Semcac Housing Payment Assistance, $18,065 Gives eligible homeowners and renters a one-time housing payment to stabilize housing. Also teaches financial literacy to help with budgeting, saving and debt reduction strategies.

—Semcac Senior Nutrition, $10,000 Gives a low-cost, nutritionally-balanced noon meal Mondays through Fridays to seniors ages 60 and up who are low-income and nutritionally at risk.

—Apple Lane Child Care Nutritional Eating for Healthy Children, $5,000 Funds a part-time nutrition associate, a nutrition education curriculum, parent education resources and nutrition education training for staff.

—Mower Refreshed Take Five Program, $5,000 Encourages building resilience to stress and anxiety. Take Five examples include walking five blocks, listing five things one is grateful for and taking five deep breaths before entering a meeting or home.

According to the release, volunteer donors reviewed programs and program budgets in March. They used this information and presentations from agency directors to determine the 2012 grants.

The United Way of Mower County raises funds through an annual community fund drive that go toward programs that positively impact the community, according to its website. Its initiatives include focusing on early childhood education, volunteerism, obesity and helping collaborate around important community issues.

EDUCATION

Boy Scouts; Comprehensive Youth Dev.; $15,000

Cedar Branch; Social & Life Skills; $4,870

Girl Scouts-NEW PROGRAM; ConnectZ*; $14,000

Holy Cross – NEW PROGRAM; Nursery & Pre Kindergarten*; $5,000

Hormel Home; All Access Community Explorations; $10,000

Hormel Home; Circle of Friends Day Camp; $8,000

Mower County; Mentoring; $12,000

Mower County Senior Center; Senior Programming; $5,000

Parenting Resource Center; Specialty Library; $6,500

Red Cross; Disaster Services; $35,000

TOTAL DISTRIBUTION; $115,370

INCOME

Apple Lane; Child Care Scholarship; $20,000

Arc Mower County; Advocacy; $12,000

Catholic Charities; Immigration Services; $9,000

Cedar Branch; Thrift Shop; $4,870

Cedar Branch; Work Program; $5,411

Cedar Valley Services; Extended Employment; $30,000

Mower Council for Handicapped; Advocacy ; $42,000

Mower County Senior Center; CHORE; $8,000

Mower County Senior Center; Advocacy; $30,000

Parenting Resource Center – NEW PROGRAM; Catherwood Home Child Care Scholarship Program*; $8,000

Red Cross; Personal Care Shelf; $5,000

Salvation Army; Emergency Lodging; $20,000

Salvation Army; Rent/Utility Assistance; $40,000

Salvation Army; Community Meals; $30,000

SEMCAC – NEW PROGRAM; Housing Payment Assistance*; $18,065

SEMCAC – NEW PROGRAM; Senior Nutrition*; $10,000

Southern MN Regional Legal Services; Government Benefits; $16,000

Wapiti Meadows; Financial Coaching; $18,000

Welcome Center; Advocacy & Client Services; $36,628

YMCA; Financial Assistance; $12,000

TOTAL DISTRIBUTION; $374,974

HEALTH

Adams Ambulance; EMT Training & Recertification; $5,000

Apple Lane Child Care; Nutritional Eating for Healthy Children*; $5,000

Arc Mower County; Special Olympics; $18,000

Arc Mower County; Our Place Recreation Center; $35,000

Catholic Charities; Individual & Family Counseling; $4,000

Cedar Branch; Therapy Services; $11,256

Crime Victim’s Resource Center; Crime Programs; $27,000

Children’s Dental Health Services; Dental Services for Children; $29,000

Mower Council for the Handicapped; Peer Activity Group; $1,500

Mower Council for the Handicapped; Equipment Lending; $2,500

Mayo Clinic – Austin; Take Five*; $5,000

Mower County Senior Center; Transportation; $3,600

Parenting Resource Center; Parents in Poverty & Transition; $16,800

Parenting Resource Center; Crisis Nursery; $18,000

Parenting Resource Center; Partnering with Parents; $18,000

Wapiti Meadows; Charity Fund; $28,000

YMCA; After School Program; $22,000

YMCA; $1 Youth Membership; $30,000

Red Cross; Blood Services; $10,000

TOTAL DISTRIBUTION; $289,656