United Way of the River Cities is now accepting grant proposals from area high schools for The Big Cover Up student initiative grant.

The Big Cover Up is a matching grant available to school-based student service clubs that develop a project to provide coats, hats, gloves, other necessary warm clothing and personal necessities to students in need. Schools in Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mason counties in West Virginia, and Gallia and Lawrence counties in Ohio, are eligible to apply.

“Big Cover-Up is an amazing opportunity for local students to put together a student-led initiative to help provide warm clothing to local children in our service area along with teaching the students how rewarding volunteering and giving back to the community can be,” Steve Cline, UWRC’s director of community impact, said. “This would not be possible without donations from Advantage Toyota, Randy and Ashley Saunders and the Johnson and Johnson match, Thank you so much for making this possible for our community.”

Matching funds raised by student groups are not required to be dollar-for-dollar for grant funds; monies raised, in-kind contributions, or discounts from retailers all can be counted as match. Each project must have a faculty sponsor and the project must be student-led and student-driven.

The application and complete project guidelines are available by contacting Cline at Steve.Cline@unitedwayrivercities.org. The deadline is Oct. 20.