The Youth Philanthropy Council Awards $10,000 to Local Non-Profits who Serve Area Teens
Shenandoah Valley Community Focus, Waynesboro YMCA, and Valley Hope Counseling Receive Funding
April 22, 2010—Staunton- The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge announces $10,000 in competitive grants to agencies serving our community youth. Members of the Youth Philanthropy Council will present the grants at an awards reception at 5:30pm on April 27th at the P. Buckley Moss Museum.
The Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) was established in the fall of 2008 after it was noted that 63% of The Community Foundation’s annual competitive grants were awarded to youth programs. The Community Foundation identified a unique opportunity to promote youth development and leadership by broadening experiences in philanthropy. “There is no one better to determine the needs of youth in our community, and the most successful solutions, than the youth themselves,” noted Christiana Shields, Grants Manager for the Foundation and advisor to the YPC.
Now in its second year, the YPC is currently comprised of two students from each public high school in the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County, who are selected annually by the principal or guidance counselor. The nomination and selection process identifies students in 10th and/or 11th grades, who will serve a two-year term for consistency and leadership development. Members of the YPC must demonstrate a motivation to serve, leadership potential, a willingness to learn, and strive to be of good character in order to serve as a role model for the youth in our community. The goals of the YPC are to: promote youth development and empowerment through experiences of philanthropy; encourage and support community initiatives about which youth care; and engage youth and adults in partnership through giving and serving for the common good. The Foundation’s Board has appropriated $10,000 in grant making funds to the YPC each year. The YPC uses these funds to support area non-profit programs that affect teens. In the past two years, their funding has improved the lives of approximately 600 teens, not including the fourteen council members who admit that their perspective on their community has been transformed.
A needs assessment was conducted by participants amongst their peers who identified critical community needs in the areas of teen sexuality and pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse including tobacco, and college or career planning. Sessions were held on leadership and decision-making skills, key grant components, and processes to evaluate grant proposals. Applications were reviewed and debated, and final recommendations were presented to the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation.
Michael Bugas, a senior from Fort Defiance High says, “Youth Philanthropy has opened my eyes to all the needs that challenge our community. I believe that the Councils’ generous contributions to the organizations will ultimately ripple across the area and have a lasting impact on many lives.”
The Youth Philanthropy Council is proud to announce the following grant awards for 2010:
Shenandoah Valley Community Focus - Shenandoah Valley Community Focus will provide anger management counseling to referred youth who have displayed drug abuse or defiant, disruptive behavior at school. This is a pilot program to try to reach youth before their behavior escalates into expulsion or court involvement.
Waynesboro YMCA - The YMCA Midnight Basketball program will provide area youth with a positive alternative to otherwise unsupervised time, and thereby reduce gang activity in the community while providing education on substance abuse, smoking cessation, and teen pregnancy prevention.
Valley Hope Counseling Services - The Valley Hope Counseling Center will provide low-fee adolescent counseling services. Participants will work with a counselor for guidance on managing stress, developing effective coping strategies, and making well informed decisions about a healthy future.
“We were given many viable applications that tackled needs within our community. I feel privileged to live in an area in which so many beneficial organizations coincide. It is an honor to be part of the grant process and to have the ability to sustain these organizations through the use of resources. With our funds, they will work in various ways to better our community, and I am positive they will achieve their goals,” comments Jordan Driskill, a junior at Waynesboro High School.