Despite the pandemic, The NRA Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to serve freedom-loving Americans across this great nation by providing grants to qualified programs in need. These grants help organizations educate, train, and share the love of the shooting sports. One recent recipient of an NRA Foundation grant is Mill Cove in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
Mill Cove Environmental Area is perfectly located to be the center of outdoors recreation, hunting, education and training for the Eastern region of the United States. In 1999, Mill Cove created a non-profit organization and hosted the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) from 2000 to 2018.
Although Mill Cove no longer hosts YHEC, the organization continues to further the NRA Foundation’s mission and in 2020, Mill Cove was awarded $3,416.75 worth of ammunition, targets, and additional equipment for teaching pistol classes. This grant has improved Mill Cove’s ability to teach gun safety and training in their community. “We are about safe gun handling, providing recreational areas, and an area for research and education,” said Marilyn Jones, corporate secretary for Mill Cove, Inc.
Mill Cove provides educational and recreational opportunities for the public through the use of the shooting range, storage building, a classroom for teaching the NRA basic pistol classes, and meeting space for groups like The Well Armed Woman and other shooting events. They also provide training and shooting practice for Mansfield University (MU) students, Police Academy students, and MU Police Department employees. Special events like Mill Cove Annual Earth Day, and research for geo sciences and fisheries departments at MU also have a home there.
Marilyn says the grant provided by The NRA Foundation has helped Mill Cove in “great ways: to teach, provide understanding for safe gun storage and cleaning, and how to properly purchase a firearm.”
Like everyone around the world, COVID-19 has disrupted our daily lives and beloved pastimes. With limited facilities and ammo prices skyrocketing, NRA Foundation grants will help places like Mill Cove continue to be able to educate their communities and provide them with crucial resources.