Charleston, WV- The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (TGKVF) Board of Trustees approved the distribution of grant funding totaling $651,300. This funding supports people in our community like John, who is trying to make a better life for his family.
John, a single dad, was referred to Good News Mountaineer Garage (GNMG) while living in a homeless shelter with his two children, one of whom is deaf and has other special needs. John volunteered at the shelter 40-60 hours a week as his work activity. GNMG provided John with a 2010 Subaru Outback. After he received the vehicle, he was able to get a full-time job to support his family. He still volunteers at the shelter and hopes to one day be able to work there so he can help others the way he has been helped. He called GNMG around Thanksgiving to tell them that one of the things he is most grateful for is his donated car because it changed his life, helping his family move from receiving state assistance to independence.
TGKVF awarded seven responsive grants totaling $130,500 to Basic Needs and Arts & Culture programs and eight grants totaling $222,300 in the Foundation’s proactive areas of Education, Health, and Community Economic Development (CED) for a total of $352,800. A West Side 2.0 Initiative project was funded in the amount of $33,500. Continued generous support from an anonymous donor will provide funding for three emergency Aid and one Dental Health programs for a total of $265,000.
Charleston Ballet, Inc.-Charleston Ballet 2019-20 Season: $17,000 (Arts & Culture)
Funding will provide support for the Charleston Ballet’s 2019-20 season, including assistance for guest artist expenses for nine to ten performances throughout the season. All performances will exhibit educational and cultural diversity components, including BALLET FOR ALL and 21 st Century Learning Programs.
Multi-Cultural Festival of West Virginia, Inc.-Multifest 30th Festival Anniversary Celebration: $6,500 (Arts & Culture)
In 2019, Multifest celebrates 30 years as a diversity festival with recreational and educational developments for the state of West Virginia. Over the three-day festival, diverse entertainment, food, clothing, and art vendors participate, attracting people both regionally and nationally. Funding will support event equipment rentals.
Charleston Light Opera Guild, Inc.-Oklahoma! Support: $7,500 (Arts & Culture)
Funding will support set construction, props, and rentals for Oklahoma!, the Charleston Light Opera Guild’s final production of its 70th anniversary season.
Rea of Hope Fellowship Home, Inc.-Rea of Hope Utilities: $22,000 (Basic Needs)
Funding will support Rea of Hope’s mission to help West Virginia women suffering from alcohol and/or drug addiction by teaching the life skills and self sufficiency required to reach sustained recovery, while promoting safe and affordable housing.
YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter for Homeless Women & Families-YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter for Homeless Women & Families: $27,500 (Basic Needs)
Funding will assist with operational support of the YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter, a licensed 75-bed facility. This community-based program provides shelter with supportive services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to single women, women with children, men with custody of their children, Veterans, and intact families.
Regional Family Resource Network-Project Bottle and Diaper Duty: $30,000 (Basic Needs)
A team of community-based organizations from Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam counties have come together to create a system that will place or strengthen baby pantries in these communities that provide diapers and formula to low- income families. Funding will assist with diaper and formula needs in all six counties.
Religious Coalition for Community Renewal, Inc.-Samaritan Inn: $20,000 (Basic Needs)
Funding will support food and utilities for the Samaritan Inn, a transitional residential living facility with supportive services for up to nine adult men who are in active recovery. Residents work with staff to establish individualized goals designed to overcome obstacles to permanent, independent living. Men are required to work, pay a small program fee, maintain their own living area, share cooking and cleaning responsibilities, participate in a life skills curriculum, undergo substance abuse education, and volunteer in the community.
Good News Mountaineer Garage-Closing the Transportation Gap in West Virginia: Develop a Pilot Project to Assist Working Families to Attain Car Ownership and Facilitate Transportation: $35,000 (CED)
Funding will assist with designing an innovative multi-phase program to provide low- cost car ownership financing for struggling households lacking transportation options. This program will allow low-income families throughout TGKVF’s service areas to purchase reliable transportation to access work, healthcare, and education. The first phase of the project will determine best practices by evaluating similar programs elsewhere, reach agreements with partners to operate a pilot project in TGKVF’s target counties, and obtain funding for the pilot. Phases 2 and 3 will implement the pilot and expand statewide, respectively.
Future of Nursing West Virginia-WV Nurse Entrepreneur: $21,000 (CED)
In its second year of support from TGKVF, the Future of Nursing WV Action Coalition will collaborate with nursing and business partners to provide the identification, education, coaching, and ongoing networking that nurses need to build and sustain independent health businesses in Kanawha, Putnam, Boone, Clay, Lincoln, and Fayette counties in West Virginia. This project will add specific content needed by Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) to establish primary care practices in rural areas.
EnAct, Inc.-Graduation Mentoring Program: $16,600 (Education)
EnAct’s Graduation Mentoring Program provides one-on-one, individualized support to help Boone and Clay County high school students with credit recovery, academic success, and life beyond high school. This continued funding will support the cost of stipends for AmeriCorps members and the required supplies to implement the project.
West Virginia State University Foundation, Inc.-WVSU STEM Scholars Academy: $47,700 (Education)
This first year grant will assist the WVSU STEM Scholars Academy prepare traditionally- underrepresented high school juniors from South Charleston and Herbert Hoover High Schools for future success in attaining degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and employment in lucrative STEM careers. This program will combine innovative teaching with ongoing mentorship, professional development opportunities, hands-on STEM-related research experiences, and a weeklong college preparation camp which will culminate with a trip to Washington, D.C. to explore career possibilities in STEM fields. Funding will support staffing, mentor stipends, and supplies.
Southern Appalachian Labor School-Accent Education: $17,000 (Education)
The Accent Education project at Southern Appalachian Labor School will serve rural, at- risk students in the Upper Kanawha Valley and western Fayette County during the summer of 2019 and the 2019-20 school year. The project will provide core academic support with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) emphasis and enrichment opportunities for students and their families in a safe environment. In its fifth year of support from TGKVF, this project will make a dedicated effort to seek sustainability. Funding will support staffing and supplies.
Women’s Health Center of West Virginia, Inc.-Oral Health Education and Dental Care for Low-income Pregnant Women and Infants: $33,000 (Health)
In its fifth year of support from TGKVF, and in collaboration with West Virginia Health Right’s dental clinic, this project will provide oral health literacy education and promote dental care access for low-income, Medicaid-insured, high-risk pregnant women, and parents of high-risk infants. The goal of the project is to increase access to preventative dental care, promote family oral health, and improve health outcomes.
Kanawha County Board of Education-Providing Care for Students on Charleston’s West Side: $42,000 (Health)
In its fourth year of support from TGKVF, the Health Care Coordinator, who serves jointly as Full Time School Nurse, will engage and educate students and parents at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School regarding practices and resources for holistic good health. TGKVF funding will assist the Health Care Coordinator/School Nurse to serve as a liaison between collaborative partners for planning and presenting family nights. Partners in this project include local farmers markets, the Lawyer in the School program, the Handle with Care program, Bridge Valley Community and Technical College, Family Care’s school based health center, and the school dental clinic.
West Hamlin Community H.O.P.E. Center-West Hamlin Community H.O.P.E. Center (Help Our People Excel) Sponsored by the West Hamlin UMC and constructed by the Lincoln County G-Getters 4-H Club: $10,000 (Health)
Funding for this project will support updating the West Hamlin Community H.O.P.E. Center’s kitchen to commercial standards. The Center’s purpose is to educate the citizens of Lincoln County with healthy alternatives including healthy eating habits, drug prevention, physical activities, and mental health. This is accomplished by exposing community members to exercise programs, providing special summer feeding programs for children, and providing a place for the public to gather for cultural events, special disaster training classes, and other activities. The Center also provides emergency shelter for volunteers and victims of natural disasters.
Appalachian Service Project, Inc.-Charleston Housing Revitalization West Side 2.0 Initiative: $33,500 (West Side 2.0 Initiative)
Appalachian Service Project, Inc. (ASP) is expanding its New Build Program into Charleston and plans to build one home and complete repairs to eight homes on Charleston’s West Side. As part of the program, local apprentices will be hired to work and learn alongside a professional ASP contractor consultant. Funding will support home repair and home reconstruction expenses.
West Virginia Health Right, Inc.-Dental Care for Impoverished Adults: $175,000 (Dental)
WV Health Right provides healthcare services, including dental care, within TGKVF’s six county service area. This third year of funding will be used to offset the cost of personnel salaries for the mobile dental unit and to provide consumable supplies for both the mobile unit and the onsite dental clinic. Residents from Boone and Clay counties who face economic and geographic barriers that impede their ability to access the onsite clinic will be served through the mobile dental unit. All other service county residents will have dental care access through the onsite dental clinic.
Risen Lord Catholic Church-Risen Lord Food Pantry, Backpack Program and Social Concern: $10,000 (Emergency Aid)
This third year funding will support the Food Pantry and Backpack program established to help the less fortunate in Clay County, especially those who have been affected by the flood in the summer of 2016. The program’s mission is to alleviate hunger in Clay County, to foster the human dignity of all recipients and volunteers, to provide hands- on opportunities for neighbors, and to improve the health and well-being of Clay County residents in need by providing access to food and resources. Additionally, this program assists more than 100 elementary school students through a weekly year-round backpack feeding program.
Salvation Army-Emergency Aid Project: $50,000 (Emergency Aid)
Funding from the Foundation will be utilized to support core programs designed to meet the immediate needs of those in Kanawha, Putnam, Boone, and Clay counties. The Emergency Aid Project provides rental and utility assistance, aid to the homeless, direct aid to those impacted by natural disasters, and help with unexpected, unforeseen, and time-sensitive emergencies for at-risk community members.
Cabin Creek Health Systems Emergency Aid Project: $30,000 (Emergency Aid)
Cabin Creek Health Systems is developing a sustained and long-term strategy to partner with community organizations and Kanawha County Schools to implement a set of primary strategies for school-aged children impacted by the substance abuse crisis, their families, and the communities where they live. As part of this long-term strategy, Cabin Creek Health Systems is launching two programs in collaboration with community partners: The Summer Health Institute for teens and Mind Up training for elementary and middle school children. The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation is grateful to our community of generous donors who make these and other grants possible. The programs and work approved for second quarter 2019 distributions are supported by the following funds: Anonymous-Dental, Anonymous-WV Emergency Aid, F. Waldo Craig, Mary Lewis Dickinson, James F. Duncan Charitable, James F. Duncan-Homeless, General, Bernard H. Jacobson, Blanche E. Jacobson, McJunkin Jones, Alice Anne Koontz, Loewenstein #1, Nathan Maslow, Britt and Judy McJunkin, Mary S. Moses, Public Nursing, Nancy Gay Randolph, Ann Bond and Thomas R. Stephens, L. Newton and Katherine Thomas, and Paul and Opal Vaughan.
