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Williamsburg Community Foundation awards $25,000 in spring grants

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A grateful atmosphere filled the Ford’s Colony Country Club Wednesday, when donors and beneficiaries gathered for the Williamsburg Community Foundation’s spring grants luncheon. The foundation awarded more than $25,000 to seven local nonprofit organizations.

“This event exemplifies the Williamsburg Community Foundation’s mission,” said Kate Slevin, the foundation’s distribution committee chairwoman. “We are grateful to all of you engaged citizens working to better the community.”

The Avalon Center, which offers shelter and support for victims of abuse, received $2,250 toward its Summer Strong Resiliency Camp, designed for children 9-17 who have been victimized by crime.

Child Development Resources received $3,500 to purchase CPR, first aid and defibrillator equipment to ensure its staff are certified in those areas.

Another child-centric organization, One Child Center for Autism, earned $4,000 for its Applied Behavior Analysis program, which offers behavior therapy for those with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Grove Christian Outreach Center received $2,500 to aid with its Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which assists low-income residents in the Grove area of James City County who need help with evictions, utilities, prescription medications, gas vouchers and transportation.

The Rx Partnership, which works to supply medications to individuals in need, also received $2,500.

“They have a really good finger on the pulse of the community,” said Curtis Shifflett of the Rx Partnership. “It’s a tremendous validation of the work we do.”

The money will help fund the organization’s new generic drug program, which capitalizes on the cheaper prices of generic options over name brand ones. The program operates in partnership with another of the day’s recipients, Olde Towne Medical Center.

The center, which provides medical services to those in need, walked away with $1,910 of its own to purchase new equipment for routine physicals.

On the artistic side, the foundation also awarded $2,500 to the Virginia Regional Ballet, which intends to start a dance program for children with special needs.

The $25,876 grant total includes more than $6,700 given by donors who chose to underwrite some of the grant applications submitted.

“We want everybody to be able to dance, no matter what,” said Adelle Carpenter, the ballet’s studio director.

William Massey, CEO of the Peninsula Agency on Aging, received the Williamsburg Landing Outstanding Service to Seniors Award during the luncheon. He expressed the same positivity that permeated the event.

“Success, I think, is almost always a result of working in collaboration and partnership with others,” he said, adding that Williamsburg exemplifies this.

The community foundation now looks toward its round of grants in the fall, which culminates in another awards luncheon in October.

“It is a very difficult process for us to go through and make these decisions,” said Nancy Cote Sullivan, the foundation’s executive director. But she said she’s grateful to be able to help as much as they can as they work to support a diverse array of organizations throughout the year.

Interested?

The deadline to apply for a fall 2018 grant is July 18. For more information, visit williamsburgcommunityfoundation.org.

Birkenmeyer can be reached by phone at 757-790-3029.