Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards Grants to Local Nonprofits from Doran Fund

Foundation for Roanoke Valley announced today it has awarded more than $47,000 to local nonprofits from the Foundation's Earl D. and Carrie Leigh Doran Fund.  The Doran Fund, established through the estate of local barber Earl Doran, has a number of purposed, including supporting agencies that help individuals and families confronting catastrophic, life-altering circumstances and to agencies that provide support to battered woman.

 

Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia was awarded a grant of $25,000 to expand its life skills training program for brain injury survivors.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 18,000 individuals living with long-term effects from brain injury reside in BISSWVA’s service area. Over the last decade, medical technology coupled with improved service delivery has increased the national brain injury survival rate.  Mae Johnson, Director of Development and Marketing, noted, “With this grant, we will now be able to provide more brain injury survivors with individualized, intensive training sessions designed to enhance the quality of life and improve independent life skills.  We are honored and grateful to receive this grant.”

Children's Miracle Network was awarded a grant of $10,000 to support a "Good Samaritan Fund" to offer assistance to patients and families with expenses such as gas, food vouchers, and hotel accomodations.  "Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, support Carilion Clinic Children's Hospital, is beyond grateful to accept this gift from the Earl D. and Carrie Leigh Doran Fund.  This money will help east the difficult conditions that unexpected hospitalizations can create." adds Erin Hildreth, Executive Director of Children's Miracle Network.

 

The ALS Assocation, Inc. was awarded a grant of $7,830 to purchase durable medical equipment for its loan closet located in Roanoke, VA.  ALS is a progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease that causes the progressive loss of voluntary muscle control.  Most health insurance plans do not cover that necessary equipment and services needed to allow ALS patients to maintain a confortable quality of life and few resources are available to help those diagnosed with ALS and patients depend on our help.  "With the cost of care and medical equipment for a person living with ALS topping $250,000 a year, the free care services our Chapter provides are crucial," says Judy Taylor, Interim Executive Director, "One of the most important services for the Roanoke area is our free medical equipment loan closet which can help to make daily tasks easier and keep these individuals independent."

 

Sexual Assault Response and Awareness, Inc. was awarded a grant of $5,000 to provide care and assistance to battered women.  SARA, Inc. is the sexual assault crisis center for the Roanoke Valley and provides 24-hour crisis intervention, emotional support and advocacy to victims as they negotiate the medical and legal systems after experiencing the trauma of sexual violence. SARA provides free, on-going counseling as victims rebuild and move forward with their lives. “The grant award from the Doran Fund will enable SARA, Inc. to continue to provide services to victims of sexual violence and abuse through our 24-hour crisis hotline and will allow us to revamp and revitalize our volunteer programming and in the long run, strengthen our volunteer corps. 

Foundation for Roanoke Valley is the community foundation serving this region.  The Foundation has worked for more than two decades to administer and make grants from hundreds of named endowment funds on behalf of the community.  For more information, visit Foundation for Roanoke Valley’s website at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call 985-0204.

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