VERONA – The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation said Thursday it has awarded $113,000 to eight groups in Northeast Mississippi.

The grant money is given to nonprofit organizations in communities where the Carpenter Co. had manufacturing plants when E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter were alive.

Carpenter has a polyurethane foam manufacturing facility in Verona that opened 1977.

As of this week, the foundation has awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to Northeast Mississippi organizations since 1993.

According to Carpenter Co. Division Manager Al Servati, this week’s recipients were:

- City of Tupelo – $34,000 to the Tupelo Fire Department to underwrite the purchase of a “mobile fire safety trailer” to be used for area educational training purposes.

- Women First Resource Center in Tupelo – $20,000 to help with operating expenses.

- Tupelo Public School District – $15,000 to Lawndale Elementary School to help buy Smart Boards and “Discovery Education United Streaming Plus” software.

- The Baldwyn School District – $11,000 for Baldwyn Elementary School to help buy desktop computers, monitors and headphones.

- Autism Center of Tupelo – $10,000 to help buy educational materials, diagnostic tools and PLAY therapy equipment.

- The Tupelo Ballet – $10,000 to help underwrite the costs of providing free school performances to Tupelo area public schools.

- Nettleton School District – $8,000 to help buy computers for Nettleton High School and Middle School.

- Itawamba County School District – $5,000 to help with the costs associated with its “Backpacks for Babies” program.

The board members of the Carpenter Foundation, which is a separate entity from the Carpenter Co., meet twice a year to review grant requests.

All local grant requests must be submitted through the Carpenter Co.’s Tupelo division. For grant guidelines, contact Servati at al.servati@carpenter.com.

Contact Carlie Kollath at (662) 678-1598 or carlie.kollath@djournal.com.