February, 2008 Grants Announced

The Board of Trustees of the Williamsburg Community Foundation announces grants of $1,000 each to the Williamsburg Music Club (Grants-in-Aid Program), Williamsburg Women's Chorus (Annual Sing Fest), The Salvation Army (Red Shield Youth Program), and Child Development Resources (Replacement of Infant and Toddler Physical Therapy Equipment) in its first round of grants for 2008.

In this round, the Foundation’s Distribution Committee reviewed 8 applications from worthy nonprofit organizations in greater Williamsburg. Each year the Foundation distributes a percentage of its permanent endowment to be awarded as grants to nonprofit organizations in our community. As the Foundation’s permanent endowment grows so will its ability to fund new and innovative local programs.

The Williamsburg Music Club offers financial aid to young students who show promise, dedication and a desire to continue their musical education. The public is given the opportunity to see and hear these young people by attending the annual auditions and the student recital in September.

The Williamsburg Women's Chorus, founded in 1965, has been in continuous service to the community providing a rich heritage of women's choral literature in a variety of venues. With the establishment of an Annual Sing Fest, the Women's Chorus hopes to attract a variety of women of different ages, backgrounds and experiences to maintain the quality of its performances. This grant will be used to redesign their website which in turn will be used to recruit new members and advertise performance dates to a wider audience.

The Salvation Army's Red Shield Youth Program is targeted a high-risk, low-income youth who ordinarily are not involved in structured programming. The Red Shield Youth Program will provide opportunities for these young people to go out into their community and be exposed to museums, parks, planetariums, libraries, and theaters. They will also be given reading materials supporting each week’s theme, and paired with a mentor who will encourage them to read, question and understand their environment.

The Child Development Resources suffered substantial property loss in a flood back in October of 2007. This award will be used to help replace an adjustable folding therapy bench and positioning wedges, rolls and half-rolls. These items are used on a daily basis by the children who are there to receive physical therapy so they might improve their motor skills and achieve a better quality of life.