$31,464 awarded to local organizations
In its first grant round of the year, the Williamsburg Community Foundation presented grants totaling $31,464 to nine local nonprofit organizations at its Grant Award Luncheon on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at the Ford’s Colony Country Club. This includes $9,780 in donor-advised grants, which are awarded by donors to the foundation who chose to underwrite some of the applications received this grant round. The luncheon was sponsored by generous gifts from Oleta Coach Lines, Inc. and Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.
Fall Grant Recipients were treated to lunch and given a chance to tell those present about the programs that are made possible by WCF and its donors.
Colonial Heritage Community Foundation (Senior Services) $5,000
This grant will support the Senior Champions Program, which provides adult day services for seniors in greater Williamsburg. The program provides socialization, stimulation, and supervision in a safe community setting, and offers the family caregivers much needed respite from their demanding responsibilities.
Early Childhood Music School (Children & Young Adults) $3,000
This grant will support Elliot’s Song, which provides specialized music education to preschool children in our community who are at risk for academic failure due to financial or developmental disadvantages.
Girl Scout Council of the Colonial Coast (Environment and Conservation) $2,778
The grant will support renovation of the Holly Hill Site at Camp Skimino, which is located in Williamsburg and open to the public. Renovations will include repair of the tent platforms, running water to the site, and burying electric connections.
Literacy for Life (Health and Community Wellness) $3,000
This grant will support a new curriculum, the Workplace Excellence Series, which will train adult learners in verbal and nonverbal communication, time management, corporate culture and writing for the workplace.
Olde Towne Medical and Dental Center (Health & Community Wellness) $2,906
Olde Towne will use this grant to purchase medical equipment and bilingual educational materials for prenatal patients. Olde Towne’s Prenatal Clinic is the only one in the area for uninsured women, with approximately 1,500 patient visits annually. The majority of these are uninsured; 35% are Spanish-speaking.
Virginia Peninsula Foodbank (Children and Young Adults) $4,000
The BackPack Program helps children at risk of food insecurity. Children receive portable bags of nutritious food over the weekends during the school year, which is especially important for children who receive free and reduced lunch at school during the week, but do not have access to those meals on the weekends. This grant will benefit 250 children in WJCC public elementary schools.
Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra (Arts and Culture) $3,000
This grant will support “Carnival of the Animals,” an interactive, multi-sensory concert that will focus on music about animals. The concert will incorporate a professional orchestra, Virginia Regional Ballet dancers, artist Bob Oller, narrator Elisabeth Reiss and two student piano soloists.
Donor-Funded Grants
In addition to our endowment funds, the Foundation also works with generous donors who have established donor-advised funds to support the causes they care about. The following organizations received donor-funded grants:
Covenant Christian School (Children and Young Adults) $5,000 from the Beck Family Fund
Williamsburg Area Faith in Action (Senior Services) $2,780 from an anonymous donor
Colonial Heritage Community Foundation (Senior Services) $2,000 from an anonymous donor
Williamsburg Landing Outstanding Service to Seniors Award
Greg Storer and Kathy Kammer presented the first annual Williamsburg Landing Outstanding Service to Seniors Award to Rita Smith of Williamsburg Area Faith in Action and the Hospice House Guild Volunteers. The Williamsburg Landing Fund was created at the Williamsburg Community Foundation to support an annual award to honor those who have exhibited distinguished and exemplary service in the field of senior services within greater Williamsburg.
Rita Smith receives first annual Williamsburg Landing Outstanding Service to Seniors Award from Greg Storer and Kathy Kammer
Carol Occhuizzo, Audrey Smith and Bernice Todd receive the first annual Williamsburg Landing Outstanding Service to Seniors Award from Greg Storer and Kathy Kammer of Williamsburg Landing
2015 Scholarship recipient Jeremiah Antle spoke at the Grant Lunch about his work and studies. Pictured here with his mother Cathy Antle, and Carter Sonders (Scholarship Committee)”