The Camden Rotary Club has awarded six grant awards totaling  $30,000 to assist local nonprofit organizations this year.

The Knox Clinic received $10,000 for its dental program, which has experienced so much increased demand for its services that it needed to hire a new dentist and dental assistant. Since 1999, the Clinic has provided free or low-cost medical, dental, prescription assistance, mental health, and wellness services to uninsured and underinsured people in the Knox County area.

A $5,000 grant to Midcoast Recreation Center will help MRC’s Tennis for Fun Program provide tennis court time, equipment, food, and travel for participants in the program, which follows guidelines established by Maine’s Special Olympics programs.

The Knox County Gleaners will use their $5,000 award for their Community Kitchen Project, which entails building a commercial kitchen at the Come Spring Food Pantry in Union. Harvested produce will become heat-and-eat takeout meals in the kitchen, which will also be the site of learning sessions on kitchen skills and healthy cooking.

A special youth-oriented grant of $5,000 will help the Penobscot Bay YMCA expand its infant care program. The YMCA, which provides quality care for 199 children aged six weeks to five years at two locations in Rockport and Rockland, will renovate underutilized space in its Lily Pond Building in Rockport to serve up to 20 infants and young toddlers.

Two other organizations will receive grants of $2,500:

Rockland-based MCH Meals on Wheels prepares and delivers hot, nutritious meals throughout the year to older adults and disabled individuals in Knox County. The organization receives less than 30 percent of its annual operating budget from government grants. It depends on support from individuals, foundations, civic organizations, businesses, and churches to provide this service, which enables seniors to live at home for as long as possible.

Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) responds to stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in southern and Midcoast Maine and cares for sick, injured, and abandoned seals from all over New England, studies East Coast marine mammal populations, and educates the public about global marine mammal conservation. Funding from the Rotary Club will support the organization’s Hotline Support for Knox County Project’s effort to ensure the hotline’s readiness through adequate hotline technology and volunteer support in the local area.

The Camden Rotary Club distributes grants every year and, during the past decade, has contributed nearly $300,000 to nonprofit organizations in Knox County and Lincolnville. Upcoming events, including the club's Super Raffle and Music by the Sea Celebration on Independence Day, will raise funds for future grants. Members of the public are welcome to visit the club's meetings at noon on Tuesdays, either in person at the First Congregational Church in Camden or via Zoom. Complete details are available at www.camdenrotary.org