Editor’s Note: This story is brought to you by WYDaily courtesy of Williamsburg Community Foundation.
WILLIAMSBURG – Williamsburg Community Foundation is pleased to announce the
recipients of its spring grant awards totaling $68,181 to 19 local organizations.
These competitive grants are made possible by local donors – individuals, families, businesses, and groups that believe in investing in our community. Thanks to their generosity, the Foundation uses its Community Endowments and Field-of-Interest Funds to respond to the changing needs of our community through competitive grants. While grants typically support a wide variety of new projects, during this grant round organizations were given the option to apply for operating funds to cover losses
in fundraising income and/or additional expenses related to the pandemic.
This year additional support was provided by the Community Emergency Response Fund, which was established to support basic needs such as food and shelter, resulting from the pandemic. Two area-specific funds also provided grants for arts and culture: the Genevieve McGiffert Memorial Fund for the Musical Performing Arts, and An Occasion for the Arts Fund.
A virtual grant awards ceremony took place on March 26 to recognize the work of each recipient and how their programs strengthen the greater Williamsburg community. Each grant below reflects one of the Foundation’s priority areas: Arts & Culture, Children & Young Adults, Environment & Conservation, Health & Community Wellness, and Senior Services.
Community Endowment and Field-of-Interest Funds
Health & Community Wellness
3E Restoration ($4,000)* – Restoration Place at the Pineapple Inn is an emergency homeless shelter and hotel voucher model program, offering onsite intake and assessment to shelter guests.
The Arc of Greater Williamsburg ($5,000)* – Supporting Community Advocacy will allow for an ongoing expansion of community collaborations with other organizations that do not have the transportation capacity for their mission, such as food and medicine delivery. This grant also supports transportation to help Wheels4Work clients get to their places of employment.
Grove Christian Outreach Center ($5,000)* – The financial assistance program provides assistance to families struggling to meet rent/mortgage obligations, utility payments or medication expenses. Each household is eligible to receive $300 in financial support each calendar year.
Lackey Clinic ($2,448) – This grant will support access to inexpensive/free CPAP machines to help Lackey patients prevent or reverse the serious consequences of obstructive sleep apnea.
Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center ($4,004) – To purchase needed diagnostic medical
equipment, both portable and wall mounted, to be used for patient examinations including general physicals, removal of skin lesions and gynecological procedures.
Williamsburg Faith in Action ($5,000) — Many local community members are facing a dire need for food as a result of the pandemic. This program serves those homebound and without transportation by removing that barrier to provide regular access to food.
Williamsburg House of Mercy ($5,000)* – The Crisis Intervention portion of the Bridge to Home Shelter Program offers a safety net for individuals who fall between other programs and funding within House of Mercy’s larger push to permanent housing.
*Grants from the Community Emergency Response Fund
Children & Young Adults
Bacon Street Youth & Family Services ($5,000) — The Bridges Project 2.0 expands a successful peer-to-peer youth mentoring program to a second Williamsburg high school, with therapeutic adventure-based programming for at-risk youth during the 8th-9th grade transition.
Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc. ($5,000) – With GRASP’s In-School Advising program at Jamestown, Lafayette and Warhill high schools, working through the counseling offices at each school, GRASP advisors counsel students on postsecondary financial aid.
Jamestown 4-H Educational Center ($5,000) – The Jamestown 4-H Educational Support Program provides a safe, educational and recreational learning space for children grades K-7 during the pandemic to support children and families.
VCE Family Focus ($4,896) – Family Focus offers playgroups for families with young children. This grant will provide educational programs in James City & York Counties that (1) promote protective factors known to ensure child and family well-being and (2) promote healthy eating and exercise.
Arts & Culture
Williamsburg Players ($2,200) — The Spring Cabaret will highlight some favorite songs of Broadway. This grant will help support construction of an outdoor stage, in order to provide a safer, open air production due to COVID restrictions.
Williamsburg Youth Orchestras ($5,000) — This grant will be used for operating expenses related to staffing, conductors, and tuition assistance scholarships for the chamber program.
Environment & Conservation
James River Association ($4,500) – James River Association and James City County Parks & Recreation will provide spring and summer outdoor recreation and environmental education camps for students from local underserved communities to establish an understanding and connection for youth to their river.
Virginia Capital Trail Foundation ($2,500) — The Trail Ambassador Program is a group of dedicated volunteers who serve as the “eyes and ears” of the Capital Trail. They complete Trail maintenance reports, help Trail users with safety/directions, and lead clean-ups.
Genevieve McGiffert Memorial Fund for the Musical Performing Arts
Williamsburg Choral Guild ($1,200) – Arts & Culture
This grant supports a choral concert whose principal piece will be Rutter Requiem, honoring lives of lost loved ones and friends, especially those who succumbed to Covid-19. Written for mixed chorus, orchestra, vocal and instrumental soloists. Several shorter works will complete program.
Williamsburg Music Club ($1,200) – Arts & Culture
This grant will support three Vocal Musicales performances: Chris Mooney – Art Songs on Sep. 15, 2021; Joe’s Day Off – New American Songbook (guitar and vocal) in March 2022; and William & Mary Botetourt Chamber Singers, an a capella group, in April 2022.
Note: The McGiffert grants above received additional support from the Arts & Culture
Endowment Fund.
An Occasion for the Arts Fund
J.B. Blayton Elementary School ($809) – Arts & Culture
This grant will provide a color printer so that the art teacher can use students’ digital artwork submissions, print them, and display their artwork at the school. Once students return to the schools, they will get to see their own artwork on the walls and continue to benefit from the color printer in their art classes.
WJCC Public Schools Virtual Academy ($334) – Arts & Culture
Due to the pandemic, many students in the public schools are learning entirely from home. This grant will provide a document camera for use by the middle school art teacher, which will improve the learning experience for over 300 students.
How to Apply for a Grant
The Foundation typically awards competitive grants twice a year. The next opportunity to apply for funding is for summer 2021, with a deadline of June 16, 2021. All application materials and guidelines can be found at WilliamsburgCommunityFoundation.org; click “Receive” then “Apply for a
Grant.” If the organization has never received a grant from WCF, they should contact the foundation office for guidance before beginning a new application.
Contact Nancy Sullivan, Executive Director, at 757-259-1660 or email ncsullivan@williamsburgcommunityfoundation.org.
Watch the entire video of Williamsburg Community Foundation’s 2021 Spring Grant Awards Program below or by clicking here.
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