Community Foundation distributes nearly $50,000 in scholarships to area students

STAUNTON, VA June 29, 2010 – The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge announces awards of nearly $50,000 in scholarships to 38 area students.  “We are so excited and thankful to be able to offer these scholarships that potentially open doors that may have otherwise remained closed. By minimizing the financial concerns of these young adults, they can focus on their studies and achieve what they set out to do,” said Becky Kohler, President/CEO of the Community Foundation.
 
The following students have been awarded scholarship grants this year (recipients are organized by high school attended.) This dynamic group, composed mostly of 2010 high school graduates, will begin college in the fall -- pursuing careers in a variety of fields including nursing, education, environmental studies and engineering.
 
Fort Defiance High School
Kathryn Dunsmore, Anna Martinez-Esparza, Andrew Tucker
 
Nelson County High School            
Noelle Turley
 
Riverheads High School            
Autumn Berry, Nathaniel Burkholder, Benjamin Folsom, Rebecca Grubb, Adam Ritter, Cory Sandridge
 
Robert E. Lee High School            
Carrie Anson
 
Stuarts Draft High School            
Emily Barrett, Arthur Bern
 
Waynesboro High School            
Emmett Crawford, Matthew Jenny, Emya Lee, Suzanne McLean, Molly Ross, Kyle Sandridge
 
Wilson Memorial High School           
Carrie Mawyer, Haley Squier
 
Adult Scholarships/Other            
Fonda Hamric, William Harding, Whitney McCormick, Jennifer Noble, Christopher Ott, Ryan Tercho

Each scholarship has its own specific purpose, application, selection and eligibility criteria. The selection process is managed in a variety of ways, depending on the wishes of the donor.  The Community Foundation’s next scholarship grant cycle will occur in 2011.
 
About the Community Foundation
The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge enriches quality of life by responding to needs and inspiring philanthropy in our community.  The Foundation serves the communities of Staunton and Waynesboro, as well as Augusta, Nelson and Highland counties. As one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the Central Blue Ridge, the Foundation is committed to careful stewardship of and thoughtful investment in our region's future.  Unlike other non-profit organizations, the Community Foundation is endowed in perpetuity.   

The Foundation is best known for providing grants and scholarships in the community, the annual Dawbarn Education Awards and The Big Read.

Local Community Foundation Partners With Statewide Scholarship Program

GRASP Seeks To Place Financial Aid Advisors in Area High Schools for 2010-2011 School Year

June 9, 2010 Staunton, VA - The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge is pleased to announce a new partnership with Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc. (GRASP.)  GRASP is a Virginia-based non-profit charitable organization funded by school systems, foundations, businesses and individual donors that assists students and families obtain funding for post-secondary education.  GRASP strives to provide every high school student with an equal opportunity for continuing education, regardless of financial or social circumstances.  Founded in 1983 by Virginia State Senator Walker Stosch and Dr. Raymond Garguilo, it helps students develop educational plans for after high school by placing a financial aid advisor in each school (one day per week for the school year) to work alongside school staff to leverage financial aid opportunities for colleges and trade schools.  

“The Community Foundation already administers over 25 educational scholarship funds in addition to our award programs, like the Dawbarn Education Awards. This partnership with GRASP opens a new way for us to make a measurable and meaningful educational impact,” says Becky Kohler, President/CEO of the Community Foundation.  “We are always looking for ways to collaborate, whether with individual donors or organizations, to bring more educational opportunities to students in our area,” says Kohler.  “By sponsoring this program, we can bring a proven educational funding model to the area.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; GRASP already has an extremely effective program in place,” says Kohler.   

Last year, each dollar invested in GRASP’s in-school advisor program leveraged $114 in financial aid for GRASP students, amounting to $31.3 million in financial aid and scholarships.  

The Community Foundation and GRASP hope to provide financial aid advisors to the following area high schools for the 2010-2011 school year:  Robert E. Lee High School, Waynesboro High School, Wilson Memorial High School, Stuarts Draft High School, Fort Defiance High School, Highland County High School, Buffalo Gap High School, Nelson County High School, and Riverheads High School.

“We are seeing an amazing response from our existing donors - within two weeks of announcing our partnership with GRASP, we have already raised more than $10,000,” says Kohler. “Part of our mission is to inspire philanthropy in our region, and this is an excellent way for first time donors to make a huge difference for young people,” states Kohler.

The Community Foundation’s goal is to see the GRASP program in place for the 2010-2011 school year for all the high schools in our area.  To accomplish this ambitious goal, the Foundation must secure donations by June 30th.  To inquire about making a donation to the GRASP program or to help underwrite a financial aid advisor position at an area high school, please contact Becky Kohler at the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge at (540) 213-2150.

Community Foundation To Present Grants of Nearly $130,000

Community Grants Will Go to 25 Local Organizations
May 28, 2010 Staunton, VA - The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge is pleased to announce nearly $130,000 in competitive community grants to 25 organizations serving the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, and the counties of Augusta and Nelson.

What:                Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge - 2010 Community Grants Awards Ceremony

When:               Thursday, June 3, 2010 from 10:00 am –12:00 pm (Remarks begin at approximately 10:15 am)

Where:              Community Care Building, Augusta Health, Fishersville (Medical Center Circle, just before AMC Wellness Center)

The ceremony will be attended by the organizations receiving funding, past and present Community Foundation board members, and several fund partners.

“Community needs have been particularly compelling this year, and we are thankful to be able to invest in worthy programs that can directly serve the people of our community by providing food for the hungry, creating safer living situations for our children, empowering the visually impaired, creating educational and counseling opportunities, and many other necessary and vital projects,” says Christiana Shields, Grants Manager.  

In addition to its competitive grants program, the Community Foundation distributes close to half a million dollars annually in awards, grants and scholarships.  Becky Kohler, the Foundation’s CEO, noted, “Each year, our grants help fill the gaps in basic human services, health, arts, education, and more.  The cumulative value of our gifts now exceeds $3.7 million.”

Funding for these grants is made possible by a combination of the unrestricted and field-of-interest funds established and grown by the donations of generous, community-minded individuals and investment returns on endowed funds. 

2010 Community Grants will be awarded to the following organizations:

  • American Frontier Culture Foundation- A partnership with Jericho and Damascus to complete the construction of the West African Farm Exhibit, in an effort to help youthful, non-violent ex-offenders transition to more responsible, productive lives.
  • ARC of Augusta - Provide scholarships for five individuals with an intellectual disability to attend ARC programs and gain increased levels of activity, exercise, continuing education, and life skills.
  • Augusta Health Hospice - Camp Dragonfly - Offers children's bereavement services through a summer camp program. Award will provide supplies for arts and crafts and a memorial bonfire.
  • Augusta Health Hospice - Shenandoah House - A non-institutional facility in a home- like setting for hospice patients who do not have a caregiver available. Award will provide financial assistance for residents when needed.
  • Blue Ridge Area Food Bank- The BackPack program will supply nutritious food to low-income children during weekends and holidays, when they do not have access to free lunches and school-based resources.
  • Blue Ridge Legal Services- Award will provide free high-quality legal advice and representation to low-income elderly persons in our area.
  • CASA - Award will expedite placement of vulnerable children into safe, permanent, and nurturing homes, as part of the Court Advocacy for Abused/Neglected Children Project, preventing their re-victimization, and improving mental health and educational performance.
  • Community Child Care Center-Provides child care on a sliding-scale basis for children whose parents work, are in job training, schooling, or have special needs. Award will provide scholarships to low-income families who do not qualify for DSS assistance.
  • Family Resource and Referral Center- award will provide support for in-home visits to at-risk families to help prepare children to be ready for school, in addition to funds to develop off-site supervised visit kits.
  • Nelson County Pantry- Award will provide emergency and supplemental food to needy residents of Nelson County.
  • Rebuilding Together- Performs critical home repairs for low-income, elderly, disabled, or disadvantaged homeowners in our community. Award will allow for roof replacements, wheel chair ramp construction, and barrier-free bathroom construction, among other projects.
  • Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic – Through a collaborative partnership, the award will provide audio books, playback equipment, and member support to area schools for students with print disabilities.
  • Salvation Army – Staunton – Award will support the Neediest Families Program, a program designed to meet the financial, emotional, and material needs of the poorest area families.
  • Shenandoah Resource, Conservation, and Development – Collaborative program to monitor water quality and analyze bacterial reductions in the Pogue’s Run Watershed, situated along an entrance corridor to Staunton. The watershed will serve as a demonstration site to study stream health, stream restorations, and reforestation for area schools during fieldtrips and workshops.
  • Shenandoah Valley Community Focus – Funding will support a student tutor for children who have been suspended or expelled from school due to violent behavior or substance abuse. The program’s objectives are to help these students avoid future negative behaviors, learn resistance skills to substance abuse, and set positive future goals.
  • Special Olympics of Virginia- Award will allow local athletes and coaches to compete in the Special Olympics Fall Championship Competition in Virginia Beach.
  • Staunton Music Festival- Award will provide a free concert series as part of the renowned Staunton Music Festival, providing world-class caliber classical music to underserved areas in our community.
  • Talking Books Center - Award initiates a community awareness campaign to increase the number of patrons served by the center, in addition to assisting with recruitment, public support, and funding.
  • Valley Aids Network- Award will provide emergency rental, utility, and heating assistance to Valley residents diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The program provides ongoing case management services with an emphasis on restoring financial stability, wellness, and self-reliance.
  • Valley Hope Counseling Center- Award will provide low-fee anger management and substance abuse counseling services to low-income, uninsured local residents, helping to break the cycles of violence and substance abuse.
  • Valley Mission- Award will Purchase materials for improved and increased case management, anger and conflict resolution courses, and workplace essential skills education for mission residents.
  • Valley Symphonic Concerts- Award will sponsor professional musical performances and education to local students during the In-School Music Program, designed to enhance student interest in classical music.
  • Verona Community Food Pantry- Award will secure approximately 500,000 lbs. of nutritious food to serve needy families in the Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County Area.
  • The Wildlife Center- Award will support the Wildlife Center’s compelling environmental education programs to public elementary schools in our area.