Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards $24,550 in grants from its Larry Woodrow Vest Fund to Local Non-Profits

Foundation for Roanoke Valley has awarded $24,550 to non-profit organizations through its Larry Woodrow Vest Fund. The Fund supports a wide range of community needs and focuses on charitable organizations providing services to Floyd County residents.

 Floyd County Historical Society was awarded $4,800 to purchase a computer, wireless networking, and website upgrades to allow the Historical Society to make available on its website a number of archived photos.  Med-Ride was awarded $5,000 to provide transportation services to/from medical appointments for Floyd County residents.

Partnership for Floyd was awarded $5,000 to pay for the completion of a park pavilion.  Virginia Cooperative Extension was awarded $6,250 to support a food/nutrition program for low-income families in Floyd.  Young Audience of Virginia was awarded $3,500 to cover local artist’s fees and material costs for four Arts-in-Education performances and two hands-on workshops for its Curriculum Plus Project.

 

Foundation for Roanoke Valley, the region’s community foundation, currently administers over 250 named endowment funds on behalf of the community and works diligently to help local individuals and families establish permanent charitable legacies that will touch the community now and for generations to come.  For more information, visit Foundation for Roanoke Valley’s website at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call 540-985-0204.

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Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards Initial Grant From Kinder Fund

Foundation for Roanoke Valley announced that it has awarded $50,000 to the Roanoke Valley SPCA to support its efforts to open a low-cost Spay-Neuter Clinic in Roanoke. The multi-year grant comes from the Foundation’s Phalia M. and Guy M. Kinder Fund, which was established within the community foundation last year through an estate gift from Mr. and Mrs. Kinder. The endowed fund will support agencies that prevent cruelty to animals, underwrite research toward the cure of animal diseases, make possible the professional education of animal caretakers and strengthen or implement programs that promote the positive relationship between animals and humans.


Alan Ronk, Executive Director of Foundation for Roanoke Valley noted, “The Kinders shared a special love for animals, especially their cats. In their fund agreement, they made special mention of their desire to help with capital building projects that would benefit cats. The Foundation is happy to support the Roanoke Valley SPCA through this initial grant from the Fund, and we are especially pleased that the agency will name the clinic room dedicated exclusively to cats in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Kinder.”

Carolyn Schwanhausser, Director of Development for the SPCA added, “The Roanoke Valley SPCA is very grateful to Foundation for Roanoke Valley for this leadership grant in support of our vision and pursuit of ending euthanasia of homeless cats and dogs in our community. Like the Kinders, our dream is a community where every pet is guaranteed a loving home. By preventing the birth of unwanted litters of kittens and puppies through spaying and neutering, we will save lives and stem the tide of pet overpopulation. Additionally, studies have shown that the procedures can make pets easier to manage, less aggressive and healthier. This grant brings us closer to realizing our goal to open a low-cost, high volume Spay and Neuter Clinic serving the greater Roanoke Valley region.”

The Clinic will be located on Peters Creek Road and will serve Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, Clifton Forge, Covington, and the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, Bedford, and Roanoke. The facility’s services will target pets from low-income households, pets being readied for adoption, and stray free-roaming animals. By providing an affordable, accessible solution to pet overpopulation, the Clinic can reach those pet owners who otherwise would be not able to afford the surgery.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley, the region’s community foundation, currently administers over 250 named endowment funds and awards approximately $3 million annually to benefit the community. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call 985-0204.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards Salem Farmer's Market $14,000 For Its EBT/SNAP Program

The Salem Farmers Market will once again be able to match funds dollar-for-dollar in its EBT/SNAP program this summer thanks to a generous grant from Foundation for Roanoke Valley. At Monday night’s City Council meeting, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Alan Ronk, presented a $14,000 check to Salem City Manager, Kevin Boggess, and Laura Reilly, who oversees the program in Salem.


“Our unrestricted Community Catalyst Funds are powerful and flexible resources that enable us to move quickly to address important local needs and opportunities,” says Ronk. “We are delighted to provide this funding to the City of Salem and the Salem Farmers Market and look forward to the many good things that will come from the grant.”

Foundation for Roanoke Valley, the region’s community foundation for over two decades, awards millions of dollars annually to hundreds of non-profit and governmental organizations. This grant specifically designates $12,000 to directly match EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) funds and $2,000 to purchase additional wooden tokens.

“Two of Foundation for Roanoke Valley’s current priority-grant focus areas are basic human needs and economic development,” he says. “We felt that this program offered a very compelling opportunity to provide healthy, home-grown produce to those who could not otherwise afford it and, at the same time, to support the efforts of local farmers to bring such produce to the market.”

The Salem Farmers Market began this program last summer not knowing how it would be received. Shoppers at the market, who are part of the SNAP or former food stamps program, can basically double their money when shopping for fresh food on the market. For example, this grant will allow a family to get $20 worth of fruit and produce for just $10.

“This money will make a huge impact on those in need in our community and we are very grateful to the Foundation for their support,” says Reilly. “We were blown away by the reception this program received last summer and we believe it has the potential to double the number of people it helps this year.”

FIRST YEAR FIGURES WITH THE EBT/SNAP PROGRAM ON THE SALEM FARMERS MARKET IN 2011

JUNE 25 - OCTOBER 15

Total EBT Transactions 233

Total EBT Dollars from VDSS $4,589

Total Match Dollars $4,589

Total dollars spent by EBT participants $9,178

CONTACT:

Mike Stevens
City of Salem
Communications Director
(540)375-4112 office
(540)353-2041 cell
mstevens@salemva.gov

Laura Reilly
City of Salem
Horticulturist
(540) 375-3028
lreilly@salemva.gov

Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards $50,000 to Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation

Virginia Western Community College and Foundation for Roanoke Valley announce the award of a $50,000 grant from the Foundation’s Community Catalyst Funds to continue the Community College Access Program (CCAP) for the Roanoke Valley. Through CCAP, local high school graduates have the opportunity to go to college and earn an associate’s degree or career certificate at no cost.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley and Virginia Western share the same aspirations for the Roanoke area—to meet current and future community needs for an educated and prepared workforce, to create opportunities for students throughout the Roanoke Valley region, and to shape a healthy, caring community.

“Supporting educational programs is one of our priority focus areas, and this major grant to CCAP further demonstrates our commitment to providing leadership, resources and inspiration for philanthropy throughout the communities we serve in western Virginia,” said FRV Executive Director Alan Ronk.

Administered by the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation, and currently available in Salem City, Roanoke City and Franklin County, CCAP is serving more than 160 students in the current academic year. The Educational Foundation is seeking additional partners and funds to launch the program in the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, and Craig. A $7 million College Access Campaign is currently under way to fund CCAP across the region. Foundation for Roanoke Valley is one of the first partners to commit funding to the region-wide CCAP.

“Dedicated partners in our community like Foundation for Roanoke Valley are joining local governments, businesses and individuals with the goal to give students across the region access to higher education,” said President Robert H. Sandel of Virginia Western Community College.

CCAP supports as many students as possible based on student need and available funds. The program was launched in 2008 with the pilot phase in Salem and expanded to Roanoke City in 2009. In fall 2011, graduates of Franklin County High School began participating in CCAP.

Roanoke City and Roanoke City Public Schools, as well as Salem City, are program sponsors for CCAP in the respective localities. Other sponsors include the Roanoke Women’s Foundation, Advance Auto Parts, Appalachian Power, Carilion Clinic, MFA, Ingersoll-Rand and Trane in Roanoke City; LewisGale Regional Health System, Richfield Retirement, Quantum Medical, Waldrop Development in Salem City; and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission for Franklin County.

“Through CCAP, Virginia Western seeks to provide every local high school graduate with the opportunity to attend college and graduate with a degree or certificate,” Sandel said. “Support from every locality of our service region will help Virginia Western continue its mission of providing a quality and affordable education, and training tomorrow’s workforce.”

About Virginia Western Community College

With more than 12,800 students on the college’s main campus in Southwest Roanoke City, to our satellite locations at the Roanoke Higher Education Center in Downtown Roanoke, Greenfield Education & Training Center in Daleville, and the Franklin Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia Western Community College is committed to providing affordable, accessible, and quality educational opportunities and workforce training to meet individual, community, and global needs. To learn more, visit http://www.virginiawestern.edu/.

About Virginia Western Community College educational foundation, Inc.

The Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. is an independent not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to enhancing awareness of Virginia Western and securing private and public funds. Through the Community College Access Program, student scholarships, faculty development and capital projects, the Educational Foundation awards more than $400,000 annually. Separate from the college, but committed to expand upon Virginia Western’s accomplishments and to help it realize its fullest potential in the years to come, the Educational Foundation is governed by a board of directors that supports the college's educational initiatives through annual and major gifts campaigns. Our mission is to foster life-long relationships that build advocacy and support for Virginia Western. To learn more, visit www.virginiawestern.edu/foundation.

Submitted by: Josh Meyer, Virginia Western Community College