10 Non-Profit Organizations to Receive Funding

SPOKANE, Wash., March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Avista Foundation has announced the awarding of its first quarter 2004 grants totaling almost $30,000 to 10 non-profit organizations in four communities of the Inland Northwest served by Avista Utilities.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO )

Anne Marie Axworthy, president and chairman of the board of the Avista Foundation, said the projects selected for funding are making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people in the region.

"From professional clothing for low-income women seeking employment to hands-on opportunities for youth, the non-profit organizations in our region do a powerful job of addressing issues and needs of our citizens," Axworthy said. "The Avista Foundation is pleased to be able to support these organizations in their work."

Organizations and/or programs selected for funding in the first quarter by the Avista Foundation's board of directors were:

    -- Children's Museum of Spokane, Spokane -- $5,000 towards the Zoom Zone
       exhibit that will provide an opportunity for children to experiment
       with hands-on science and math activities and will provide a satellite
       "zone" in the Sibling Space at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
    -- Spokane Symphony, Spokane -- $5,000 in support of the Arts-in-Education
       program that augments in-school music lessons and the use of the
       Spokane Symphony as a resource to support in-school music curriculum in
       40 school districts in eastern Washington and the five northern
       counties of Idaho.
    -- Spokane Tribe of Indians, Wellpinit, Wash. -- $5,000 for the Spokane
       Tribal Language Program that teaches the tribal language and culture
       through Wellpinit schools in an effort to preserve the language.
    -- Uniontown Community Development Association, Uniontown, Wash. -- $3,000
       towards the renovation of the Dahmen Barn and wheel fence that will
       provide space for artisan workshops, retail sales, visitor center and
       displays of antique agricultural tools, equipment and machinery.
    -- Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels, Spokane -- $3,000 for the
       home-delivered meal program that supports persons who are 60 years of
       age or older who are disabled and are essentially homebound and/or have
       difficulty preparing meals for themselves.
    -- YWCA Spokane, Spokane -- $2,500 for Our Sister's Closest, a free
       professional clothing and personal care bank for low-income women
       actively seeking employment or who have recently returned to work and
       need appropriate clothing for their job.
    -- Salem Arms, Spokane -- $2,000 for support of life skills development
       programs for residents of  Salem Arms, a facility which provides
       permanent supportive housing for chronically mentally ill homeless
       individuals capable of semi-independent living.
    -- Sandpoint Area Senior, Inc., Sandpoint, Idaho -- $2,000 towards
       purchase of a commercial walk-in refrigerator to assist in providing
       meals to low and moderate income seniors.
    -- Eastern Washington Family Child Care Association, Spokane -- $1,200 for
       Read to Me!, literacy-based training sessions for licensed child care
       providers in eastern Washington.
    -- Spokane Art School, Spokane -- $1,200 for the Spring Break Workshop
       program which provides the opportunity for students to work on
       short-term visual art projects during Spring Break 2004.

    Formed in 2002, the Avista Foundation focuses its giving in the areas of:
    -- education -- K-12 education particularly in the fields of science, math
       and technology; and higher education including scholarships
    -- vulnerable and limited income populations -- providing assistance to
       those on limited incomes and support for initiatives to reduce poverty
    -- economic and cultural vitality -- supporting projects that help
       communities and citizens to grow and prosper.

Information on the Avista Foundation is available at www.avistafoundation.org.

SOURCE  Avista Corp.
    -0-                             03/24/2004
    /CONTACT:  Debbie Simock of Avista Corp., +1-509-495-4174, or
debbie.simock@avistacorp.com/
    /Photo:  NewsCom:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO
             AP Archive:  http://photoarchive.ap.org
             PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.avistafoundation.org/
    /Web site:  http://www.avistacorp.com/
    (AVA)

CO:  Avista Corp.; Avista Foundation
ST:  Washington
IN:  UTI OIL
SU:  NPT

JB-EB 
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9288 03/24/2004 11:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com