Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Williamsburg Community Foundation Awards 20 Grants to Nonprofits

Williamsburg Community Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $83,715 to local nonprofit organizations (Provided by Williamsburg Community Foundation)

WILLIAMSBURG — Williamsburg Community Foundation presented grants totaling $83,715 to 20 organizations at its Fall Grant Awards Luncheon this week.

The Foundation’s competitive grants are made possible by local donors who have given to the Foundation’s Community Endowment and Field-of-Interest Funds over the course of several years and have grown over time. This year marks the first grant from the Peggy J. Swain Memorial Fund, supporting programs for low-income women and seniors.

The grants and the recipients are as follows:

Community Endowment and Field-of-Interest Funds

Arts & Culture

Access Virginia ($5,000) — Virginia Accessibility Program, open captioning and audio description will be provided at all shows at The Williamsburg Players during the 2022-2023 season.

I Am Me Initiative Foundation ($3,520) — will be presenting Disney’s The Lion King Jr., consisting of musical and theatrical performances by youth ages 5-17 as they take you on a journey through the pride lands.

Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra ($5,000) — The Williamsburg Symphony’s Masterworks Concert series will connect & educate the community. The five diverse full symphonic concerts will feature six acclaimed guest artists, pre-concert lectures, and masterclasses for local students.

Williamsburg Players ($1,000) — Williamsburg Players will provide theater tickets to underserved locals who otherwise might not be able to attend live performances. Made possible by an anonymous donor.

Children & Young Adults

Take the Journey Enterprises ($4,400) — The Power of One program is an after-school program for at-risk youth at Berkeley Middle School, that will include teaching on leadership, etiquette, and teamwork. Made possible by a donation from Larkin and Danny Schmidt.

Environment & Conservation

Williamsburg Area Botanical Garden ($3,295) — New educational signage will be developed and installed at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden to guide visitors through the different habitats and areas within the garden while educating them about the ecological importance of each habitat.

Health & Community Wellness

Child Development Resources, Inc. ($5,000) — CDR’s “Rookie Dads” and “Rookie Moms” classes are free 2-hour workshops, designed to prepare new and expectant parents for the challenges ahead. The classes cover topics focused on how to care for a newborn.

Community of Faith Mission, Inc. ($5,000) — COFM’s winter homeless shelter provides bedding, hygiene items, personal protective equipment, new shoes, printed materials, electronics and check-in office supplies, transportation, and over-the-counter medications at the host sites.

Dream Catchers Therapeutic Riding Center ($4,006) — Operation Mount Up is for veterans and active-duty military personnel, offering group horseback riding and individual and group ground-based activities to benefit emotional, physical, cognitive, and social well being.

Grove Christian Outreach Center ($5,000) — The Grove Grocery Program provides access to fresh and perishable groceries to our Grove neighbors who do not have reasonable or regular access to a grocery store due to the proximity and lack of transportation.

Literacy for Life ($2,500) — This program seeks to increase the number of volunteer tutors, learner attendance hours, the intensity of instruction, and goals achieved by learners. This grant will fund print ads to recruit new tutors. Grant funded by an anonymous donor.

Lackey Clinic ($5,000) — The Connected Care Program empowers patients to better control their hypertension or diabetes with remote monitors and a team of coaches, healthcare providers, and counselors.

Williamsburg House of Mercy ($5,000) — House of Mercy served 14,597 meals last year. This grant will allow the kitchen equipment to be upgraded to better keep pace with increasing demand. Funded by the Holbach-Hill Memorial Fund.

Senior Services

FREE Foundation ($3,600) — F.R.E.E. of Williamsburg provides mobility equipment for low-income residents. This grant will cover the cost of high-demand items such as shower chairs, tub transfer benches, devices for people with hip fractures, and heavy-duty bariatric equipment.

Special Grant Opportunities

Postpartum Support Virginia ($5,000) — This grant will expand peer support services through the establishment of Mothers and Babies Support groups in English and Spanish and will expand care coordination. Funded in partnership with the Williamsburg Fund for Women and Girls

Respite of Williamsburg United Methodist Church ($1,394) — Purchase of two recliners and a rocking chair for seniors in the respite care program. Funded in partnership with the Peggy J. Swain Memorial Fund

Benjamin R. Altshuler Memorial Fund — Transportation

The Arc of Greater Williamsburg ($5,000) — Transportation enables our clients to seek meaningful employment and become reliable employees. Arc vans provide clients access to health, wellness, fitness, and lifelong learning evening programs while affording caregivers with much-deserved respite time.

Bacon Street Youth & Family Services ($5,000) — In our diverse and expansive communities of service, the lack of dependable transportation creates a significant barrier to youth and families seeking mental health and substance abuse services. This grant will cover client transportation.

BikeWalk Williamsburg ($5,000) — Bicycle Co-Op of Williamsburg provides refurbished bicycles to those in need of reliable transportation and promotes cycling through the free or low-cost distribution of bicycles. Local volunteers work together to solicit, repair, and distribute bicycles.

Williamsburg Area Faith in Action ($5,000) — Williamsburg Faith In Action provides door-to-door transportation to seniors 60 and older residing in the greater Williamsburg Area. The service is offered free of charge to qualifying seniors.

The luncheon was sponsored by Wilbanks, Smith, & Thomas Asset Management. The Foundation typically awards competitive grants twice a year. For those wishing to apply for a grant during the Spring 2023 funding, the deadline to apply is Dec. 15 on the Williamsburg Community Foundation webpage.

Williamsburg Community Foundation will be transitioning to a new grant application process, as well. Check out the website for information on its upcoming software training sessions. For any other questions, refer to the website.

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