HERMISTON — New grants will be available to support children in the Hermiston area after the creation of the Wilcox Family Endowment Fund.

The endowment is a partnership between the Greater Hermiston Community Foundation and Alan and John Wilcox of the Wilcox Furniture family business. The Wilcoxes have donated an initial gift of $100,000 to start the fund.

According to a news release, grants made from the endowment each year will support children’s education, care and health in the greater Hermiston area.

“We believe that all of us have an opportunity to give back by helping our neighbors and community in whatever way we can,” John Wilcox said in a statement.

The Greater Hermiston Community Foundation will house the fund and manage the grant application and selection process. Alan Wilcox said working with GHCF, which had already built a large endowment of community donations for charitable giving, was the way to most effectively focus the money on helping children in the area.

Greg Harris, GHCF board president, said in the news release that the foundation is proud to support the Wilcox Family Endowment Fund in quickly getting aid to much-needed efforts.

“The youth of our community have shown the ability to do amazing things when given the tools to be successful,” Harris said.

Application and grant information will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more about the fund, visit www.GreaterHermiston.com or contact Dennis Barnett at dennis@barnettandmoro.com.