The recently established Mike and Laura Bysiek Memorial Fund, managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, made possible a total of $1,000 in grants to six organizations in the fund’s inaugural year.

This year’s grants included a $500 grant to Joyful Rescues to be utilized for “save transport” — to offset costs associated with rescuing dogs from kill shelters — and five grants of $100 each to Canticle Farm Inc., HomeCare & Hospice, Olean Food Pantry, Olean General Hospital Foundation and the SPCA in Cattaraugus County.

The grants support organizations near to the heart of donors and fund advisors Jean Gonska and Lorraine Diggs in memory and honor of their loving parents, Mike and Laura Bysiek.

Jean Gonska and her husband, Mike, know first-hand the burdensome costs associated with dog rescue missions as the pair are dedicated volunteers at Joyful Rescues, where they have participated in rescuing and fostering animals while they await adoption.

Gonska and Diggs chose all of the grant recipients out of a value they shared with their parents: love of community.

“The spirit and sentiment of the Bysiek memorial fund is a beautiful one,” said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit. “Through the fund, the love of community that Gonska and Diggs inherited from their parents is demonstrated in a material way every year.”

The Mike and Laura Bysiek Memorial Fund will ensure that spirited love of community will last for generations to come.

Donations can be made to the Mike and Laura Bysiek Memorial Fund at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203 or online at cattfoundation.org

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call 301-CRCF (2723), email foundation@cattfoundation.org, or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).