THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $577,600 IN NEW GRANTS;

MORE THAN $12 MILLION GIVEN SINCE FORMATION

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region announced on January 17, 2012 a total of $577,600 in new grants to 45 non-profit community agencies at a reception at the IALR. The Community Foundation was incorporated in 1996 and has already returned more than $13.8 million in community grants and scholarships.

This year’s grants contain $250,000 in funding made available by a grant from the Danville Regional Foundation. A complete listing of the grants awarded from the Danville Regional Foundation’s support is below.

The following grants were approved by The Community Foundation’s Distribution Committee and Board of Directors and awarded from various funds as described below:

Air Force Association, Chapter 240 – ($1,500) – to provide matching grant funding to city and county K-12 science teachers (Herbert Sater Fund)

ATT Search and Rescue Dogs of Virginia – ($1,600) – to purchase a laptop computer and printer to assist in search operations and communications (Clarence L. Giles Fund)

Averett University – ($23,500) – to provide matching funds to hire a Director of Autism Studies to oversee expansion of the autism educational initiative and early intervention programs (Clarence L. Giles Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

Bachelors Hall Volunteer Fire Department – ($25,000) to assist in purchasing two new defibrillators for emergency vehicles (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund)

Boys and Girls Clubs of the Danville Area – ($20,000) to update and renovate the games room at the clubs in Danville and Chatham (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, Faye Carter Fund, Niles Daly Fund, Pat and Cathy Daly Family Fund, Philip and Frances Daly Fund, Herbert Sater Fund)

Brosville Community Volunteer Fire Department – ($15,000) to assist in purchasing a new ambulance in 2012 (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, Faith Home Fund)

Cascade Volunteer Fire Department – ($15,000) to assist in purchasing a quick-attack brush/wild land firefighting truck (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund)

Caswell County Partnership for Children – ($10,000) to provide a “Raising a Reader” program for low-income children in Caswell County (Ahmed Children’s Fund, James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, Claudia Vernon Smith Fund)

City of Danville – Division of Social Services – Neighbors Helping Neighbors – ($15,000) to assist eligible and vulnerable low-income households in payments for immediate energy needs (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

 City of Danville – Danville Police Department – ($5,000) to help provide Cops and Kids Summer Program for students to foster positive relationships with policemen (Faye Carter Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

Danville Area Choral Arts Society – ($1,500) to present a holiday music concert for the community (Clarence L. Giles Fund)

Danville Community College – Nursing Program – ($20,000) to purchase a birthing simulator for the college’s nursing students (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund)

Danville Concert Association – ($3,500) to help bring the Los Angeles Piano Quartet to Danville for a full-length public concert (John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

Danville Family YMCA – ($5,000) to purchase furniture for the YMCA childcare program (Faye Carter Fund, Harry Melton Hood Fund, James A. and Anne V. Robertson Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

Danville Pittsylvania Community Services – ($10,000) to provide oral healthcare for low-income, high-need adults with behavioral health disorders who are enrolled with DPCS (Faith Home Fund)

God’s Pit Crew – ($5,000) to assist in purchasing a 2012 Utility 3000R Refrigerated trailer for the transportation of products to increase their capacity for distribution (Clarence L. Giles Fund)

God’s Storehouse – ($6,000) to assist in purchasing new computers to better serve clients when checking in (James Russell and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, Clarence L. Giles Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund)

Gretna Little Theatre – ($5,000) to help grow programs in variety and number (W. Earl and Elise M. G. Allen Fund, Faith Home Endowment Fund)

Gunn Memorial Public Library – ($2,000) to help Caswell County residents continue their education and embrace new technologies with a fun, new method of learning through reading (Gamewood Technology Fund)

Mount Cross Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department – ($5,000) to help pay down the balance owed on a 2006 Freightliner Fire Engine/Emergency Crash Truck (Faith Home Fund, James A. and Anne V. Robertson Fund)

Oak Grove Residential Care – ($6,000) to correct a major problem with the facility’s fire sprinkler system (W. Earl and Elise M. G. Allen Fund, Audrey Millner Fund)

Pittsylvania County – Special Operations Team – ($10,000) to provide personal protective equipment and rope rescue training for members of the team (Faith Home Endowment Fund)

Pittsylvania County Literacy Program – ($2,000) to assist adult students in achieving their literacy goals by purchasing new and updated materials (W. Earl and Elise M. G. Allen Fund)

Pittsylvania County Schools – Tunstall High School – ($500) to assist with costs related to participating in the FIRST Robotics FTC Competition (Gamewood Technology Fund)

The Arc of the Southside – ($114,000) to prepare and move people with disabilities into the community workforce (Faith Home Endowment Fund)

The following grants were awarded as a result of The Community Foundation’s grantmaking partnership with the Danville Regional Foundation.

Blairs Fire and Rescue – ($25,000) to update the station to become an emergency shelter (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Caswell County Parish – ($24,000) to implement and operate a mobile food pantry in Caswell County (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Cancer Association – ($20,000) to assist with costs of cancer-related prescriptions for our local cancer patients in need of assistance (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Life Saving and First Aid Crew – ($23,000) to purchase an off-road, all-terrain emergency response vehicle to provide better access to the Riverwalk Trail (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville/Pittsylvania Regional Fire Training Center – ($5,000) to help purchase a forcible entry prop for training in forcing doors for the purpose of rescue or fire extinguishment (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville-Pittsylvania Habitat for Humanity – ($10,000) to purchase building materials to construct a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom house for a family at 652 Lee Street (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Science Center – ($18,000) to fund a portion of the fees for the traveling exhibits, Wild Music and Robots+Us (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Speech and Hearing Center – ($12,500) to provide speech/language pathology services and supplies to uninsured, low income and under insured citizens of the Dan River Region who present a communication disorder (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Symphony Orchestra – ($5,000) to assist in presenting a series of four free, live orchestral music concerts for the general public of Danville and Southside Virginia (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Danville Youth Grow – The First Tee of Danville – ($10,000) to promote the core values of The First Tee through an outreach effort to the community (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – ($13,000) to help develop a “STEM” University providing hands-on education to 300 K-12 students during out-of-school hours (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Keeling Volunteer Fire Department – ($9,000) to assist in purchasing replacement command lights for the front of the front line pumper and tanker (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Northern Pittsylvania Food Center – ($20,000) to provide food to those in need in the northern portion of Pittsylvania County (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Piedmont Access to Health Services (PATHS) – ($10,000) to enable ongoing access to basic mental health services for the low-income, uninsured in Danville/Pittsylvania County through the “New Lease on Life” Program (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Prospect Hill Volunteer Fire Department – ($15,000) to construct a garage addition to their current building for housing a mobile air unit (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Providence Fire and Rescue – ($10,000) to purchase a thermal imaging camera (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Riceville Java Volunteer Fire Department – ($4,000) to purchase equipment for pumper truck to assist in extinguishing large fires (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Semora Volunteer Fire Department – (3,000) to purchase replacement equipment for first responder/brush truck (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

The Salvation Army of Danville, VA – ($6,000) to address some much needed renovations to the facility (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Yanceyville Fire and Rescue – ($8,000) to purchase and install a mobile information system in a first-out fire truck (Danville Regional Foundation Fund)

Previously awarded grants:
The following grants were also recognized but have been previously awarded from donor advised and designated funds:

P. L. Anderson, Jr. Family Fund
Boys and Girls Club of Danville
First Baptist Church
Free Clinic of Danville
The Salvation Army

Gary A. and Sherry M. Carroll “Good for Youth” Fund
Westover Christian Academy

Christian Charities Fund
God’s Pit Crew
Little Life Pregnancy Center

James L. Clark and Henrietta Clark Fund
Danville Life Saving Crew and Rescue Squad
Moffett Memorial Baptist Church

Dan River Inc. Endowment Fund
Averett University
Danville Community College Educational Foundation
Danville Concert Association
Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History
Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber Foundation
Danville Symphony Orchestra
Free Clinic of Danville
God’s Storehouse
House of Hope
United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County

Davis Family Fund
Averett University
Bassett Memorial United Methodist Church
Danville Cancer Association
Longwood University
Martinsville Cemetery Fund
Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church

Gantsoudes Family Fund
Danville Cancer Association
St. Peter’s Greek Orthodox Church

Garden Club of Danville Fund and Alma Courtney “Sigie” Perkinson Rose Fund
Garden Club of Danville

Bobby Hawker Memorial Fund
Pittsylvania County Community Action

Holland Fund and Wynne’s Falls Fund
Cross Roads Reconciliation Services

Larry Donald Huskey Memorial Fund
Crisis Line of Virginia
Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation
Piedmont Access to Health Services

Kang-A-Rhue Children’s Cancer Fund
Ronald McDonald House of Roanoke

Keokee Fund
Piedmont Governor’s School for Mathematics, Science and Technology

Alexander Heath Light & Mary Nelson Light Mission Fund
Oak Grove Residential Care

Herman and Helen Melton Historical Fund
Pittsylvania County Historical Society

Miller Woodbury Fund
Cape Fear Academy

Moses & Louise A. Merricks Fund
God’s Storehouse
Mount Cross Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Wayles Harrison Cancer Fund

Morotock Arts and Culture Fund
Averett University
Danville Area Choral Arts Society
Danville Community College
Danville Concert Association
Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History

Benjamin M. Sugg Fund
Clover Cemetery

The Community Foundation’s next grant cycle will begin in June for projects to be funded in 2013.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is a public charity established in September 1996 by a steering committee of civic leaders to improve and enrich area lives through the generosity of donors.

The Community Foundation office can be reached at 541 Loyal Street, Danville, VA, 24541, (434) 793-0884 or their web site at www.cfdrr.org.

We were pleased to see that the Veterans Memorial was mentioned in today’s letter to the editor in the Danville Register & Bee. Yes, the bricks are Made in America!!

Here is Dave Newman’s full answer to the question on whether the bricks were made in America!

Yes indeed, they were made in No. Carolina from N.C. clay. The mortar was made in So. Carolina and the sand is from Aberdeen,N.C. Thus the name : “Aberdeen sand.” The masons were local born and bred and there were only local “good ole boy’s in his crew. The water used to mix the mortar came right out of near-by Dan River with most of the mud knocked out of it. Our engraver is a Pittsylvania County native.

And Lawrence McFall added,

In addition to Davis’ list of American-made items, you can add that the bricks for the fence columns were manufactured by Virginia Brick Company in Salem, Virginia and the steel for the fence was made by AmerStar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The workforce erecting the fence were all local men.

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2011/dec/21/consider-online-charitable-gift-ar-1560865/

 Nearly 200 supporters heard three stories of help. Elizabeth Marshall shared how grants from The Community Foundation helped patients at the Danville Speech and Hearing Center. Jeff Liverman described how The Community Foundation supported the Danville Science Center’s traveling exhibits. Rev. Freddy Vicks, Third Avenue Congregational Christian Church, discussed the transfer of the Robert and Bernice Milam Scholarship. A special feature this year was entertainment by the Danville Junior String Quartet.

 Debra Dodson, Executive Director, stated, “This is such a great opportunity for us to thank our many supporters. We thank them for proving that even though our region faces many challenges, together, we can truly make a difference. This past year we have fed the hungry, given hope to college students, filled our halls with music and art, and touched many lives.”

  Some highlights of The Community Foundation’s impact this past year include: -

 a)      Receiving gifts of more than $2.5 million, even during a down economy.

 b)      Awarding 74 college scholarships of $162,000.

 c)      Presenting grants of $1.1 million to 75 area organizations.

 d)     Continuing to convene a quarterly Funders Forum of eight area foundations.

 e)      Serving as the fiscal agent for the National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant to the Dan River Region Collaborative which has raised over $1.5 million for specialized regional training. The Collaborative has also just received a federal Social Innovation grant of $300,000.

 f)       Continuing to sell bricks and accept support for the local Veterans Memorial. We are close to selling 6,000 engraved bricks!

 g)      Introducing a completely new web site, www.cfdrr.org, which offers online giving for the first time. A grant from the J.T.-Minnie Maude Charitable Trust made the project possible.

Donors established ten new funds under the Foundation’s umbrella for a total of 94 funds with total assets of $24,208,216 as of June 30, 2011. The Community Foundation has returned more than $13 million in grants and scholarships to the region in its 15 years of history.

 The Community Foundation’s mission is to improve and enrich the lives of people in our community by encouraging the generosity of donors. Donors may establish their own endowment fund to support particular areas of interest or may make unrestricted gifts to any existing fund.

For more information, contact the Community Foundation at 541 Loyal Street, Danville, VA 24541, (434) 793-0884 or through their web site www.cfdrr.org.

“We are so excited to help open the doors of the future to so many students,” said Debra L. Dodson, Executive Director for The Community Foundation. “We have awarded 523 scholarships totaling more than $1,500,000 since the Foundation began in 1996.”

The Community Foundation awards 68 scholarships totaling more than $186,000 to area students, May 23, 2011

For more information, contact Debra Dodson at (434) 793-0884

Gideon Miller Cancer Fund started with Community Foundation, April 12, 2011

For more information, contact Debra Dodson at (434) 793-0884