The Akron Community Foundation’s Millennium Fund for Children awarded 26 grants this year totaling $43,000 to arts, education and health programs for local youth.The latest grants bring the fund’s total since its inception in 1999 to more than $449,000.The Akron Community Foundation and the Akron Beacon Journal started the fund, originally asking residents to donate their last hour’s pay of the millennium to support local programs that help area youth.In subsequent years, residents have been asked to donate their last hour’s pay of the year.“Even a small amount — one hour’s pay — can make a big difference when combined with the gifts of many other people,” Akron Community Foundation President and Chief Executive John T. Petures Jr. said in a news release announcing the 2011 grants. “Whether you are a teenager working a part-time job or a retired senior, every gift counts.”This year’s grant recipients include:• ACCESS Inc., $2,000 to provide birthday and holiday activities for children living at the shelter.• Act II Productions Illusion Factory, $2,000 for free live theater performances for children.• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, $2,000 for nutritious meal bags.• Blessings in a Backpack, $1,000 to provide backpacks of food for the weekend to students at Helen Arnold school and the Akron Digital Academy.• Caring for Kids Inc., $2,000 for the Special Thanks, Accolades and Recognitions program for children in foster care.• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., $2,000 for the CASA Holiday Toy Shop, which provides gifts to children in the Summit County court system.• Children’s Concert Society of Akron, $1,000 to help children attend the Concert Hall Series.• Christ Child Society of Akron, $2,000 to purchase diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles and books for mothers of at-risk newborns.• Community Pregnancy Center Inc., $2,000 to purchase formula for the Feeding Hungry Children program.• First Congregational Church of Akron, $2,000 for the Peanut Butter and Jelly Outreach Program at Mason school.• Forest Hill school, $2,000 for a basketball and cheerleading leadership program for children in the Akron Public Schools’ North Cluster.• Good Neighbors Inc., $2,000 to purchase toothpaste and toothbrushes for children.• Good Samaritan Hunger Center Inc., $2,000 to supply high-protein groceries to children.• Good Shepherd Athletic Club, $2,000 for a holiday program that supplies children with athletic uniforms.• Gus Johnson Community Center, $1,200 for the Ready to Work Program, which prepares youth to succeed in the workplace.• Hattie Larlham Foundation, $650 for the Youth Volunteer Corps program, which pairs children in the community with children with disabilities for one-on-one social activities.• Here’s Hope Horse Farm, $2,000 for the 2012 summer therapeutic riding program for children with special needs.• Kenmore High School, $1,900 for workshops about bullying, racism and leadership for students at Portage Path, Lawndale, Resnik and Crouse schools.• Let’s Grow Akron Inc., $1,000 for educational gardening programs.• Mobile Meals Inc., $2,000 to provide medically prescribed supplements to children.• Pajama Program, Eastern Ohio Chapter, $500 to purchase books and cold-weather pajamas for children.• Pregnancy Care of Summit County Inc., $2,000 to purchase formula and baby food for children from low-income families.• Shelter Care Inc., $1,370 for an art therapy and mental-health program for teens.• Victim Assistance Program, $1,380 for the “Kids Need a Firm Foundation” picnic for children who have witnessed or been victims of violence.• Weathervane Community Playhouse Inc., $1,000 to provide scholarships to children.• Women’s Auxiliary Board of Summit County Children Services, $2,000 to purchase beds for kids in the care of children’s services.To donate to the Millennium Fund for Children, go to www.akroncommunityfdn.org/contribute, or call 330-376-8522.