Community Foundation of
the Virginias, Inc.
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
Welcome to the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. Web site.
The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. promotes philanthropy by fostering charitable giving, serving our donors' interests, and effectively responding to the needs and opportunities of communities in Mercer County, West Virginia and Tazewell County, Virginia.
Through scholarships and grants in the areas of Education, the Arts, Culture and the Humanities, Health, and Human Services, the Community Foundation matches the generosity of the people of our area with the needs of area organizations and individuals.
Leave A Legacy
The Community Foundation provides you a method to positively
affect your community for generations to come
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First Book in Mercer and Tazewell Counties get Assist from the Foundation
The First Book program in each county received $1,000 from the Foundation to assist in providing books for low-income children in each county. Funding was provided from the Community Action Grant Fund, the Judge Jerome and Hilda R. Katz Memorial Fund and the Bluefield Daily Telegraph Literacy Fund.
The Community Foundation awarded grants totaling more than $50,000 to area organizations in 2011.
Foundation Grant Assists WE CAN Program
Eric Lester, Program Director for the WE CAN program of the Children’s Home Society in Princeton, is pictured at left receiving a grant award from the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc., presented by Foundation Executive Director James Shott.
The Community Foundation awarded grants totaling more than $50,000 to area organizations in 2011 in its 15th annual Grants Cycle.
The $2,000 grant will assist in the development of a Support Group to assist in adoptive and foster parenting, and will impact 15 such families in Mercer County.
The funds came from the Fannie Kate and Betty Gardner Bailey Fund, the Fund for Mercer County, and the Charles A. and Marjorie M. Peters Fund.
Children's Home Society Receives Foundation Grant
The grant of $1,800 will assist the Society in providing children referred to the WE CAN program with opportunities to attend performing arts events.
This initiative enables 80 children and 75 mentees to attend four performing arts events from October 2011 through March 2012, complete with pre-performance dinners at local restaurants.
The Community Foundation awarded grants totaling more than $50,000 to area organizations in 2011.
Foundation Awards Grants for 2011
The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. is pleased to announce the award of 33 grants for 2011. The Grants Committee is chaired by Robert Perkinson and comprised of ten members this year, including: Mary Azzo, Rich Bezjak, Phyllis Beaver-Horwitz, Kathleen Blaydes, Carole Dodson, Darryl Hudson, Doris Sue Kantor, Susan Cooper-Snyder, Bettye VanDyke and Pat Whittaker.
These awards totaling $50,094.86 represent the Foundation’s 15th annual grant cycle supporting local nonprofit groups. A total of $71,098.84 was requested from the Foundation.
With the inclusion of the 2011 awards, the Foundation has returned approximately $774,114 to the area since 1997 in grants and scholarships.
The Board of the Foundation is gratified to share this report with the community and those who have made it possible with their support and encouragement.
Organizations may request and submit grant application packets for the Year 2012 during the months of April, May and June. Evaluations will be conducted in July and August; the Board will finalize approval of grants in September. Grant payments will be made upon request thereafter.
“Magician’s Magician” Michael Ammar returns to Bluefield
Michael, who is the son of the late A.S. "Buddy" Ammar and Betty Ammar, became interested in magic as a child, and developed his interest to a level achieved by only a few in his field.
Called "the magician's magician" by David Copperfield, Michael earned the designation as one of the 100 most influential magicians of the 20th Century by The Magic Magazine, and many regard him as the greatest sleight-of-hand magician in the world.
His performance blends a unique combination of skill, humor, and motivation for an extremely entertaining evening. He has appeared on "The Tonight Show," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Merv Griffin Show." Michael lectures, performs and teaches all over the world, and has a long list of awards and honors, including these recent honors: the Distinguished Alumni Award from West Virginia University in 2003; Magician of the Year, Tannens, NY in 2000; and Best Close-Up Magic, World Magic Awards, in 1999.
The event takes place at Fincastle Country Club on Wednesday, August 10 beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a social period and cash bar, dinner at 6:45 p.m., and the show follows dinner.
This event is one of the Foundation’s two major fundraisers this year, the second being the Annual Dinner later in the year.
Seating is limited and tickets are $60 each, and are available from the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc., 304-324-0222. Featured Grant Recipient:Pikeview High School
A grant from the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc., helped Pikeview High School's track athletes with the purchase of a High Jump Mat.
The Ridge Runner Train is Back
on Track
Music was provided by the Bluefield High School Band and the Bluefield State College Community Singers, and representatives of both Bluefield, WV and Bluefield, VA municipal governments were on hand for the festivities.
The Foundation congratulates Lecia Smith, RR Committee Chair, Bea Paine, Co-Chair, and all members of the Committee for a job well done.
The train will operate on weekends through the summer.
Community Foundation Approves The Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc. is pleased to announce the awarding of 56 scholarships for 2011 totaling $52,675 from 17 individual scholarship funds. Scholarship recipients were chosen through a competitive process, and those recipients who are high school seniors will be presented their award at their school's Awards Ceremony. Other recipients will be notified by mail.
The following funds awarded scholarships this year:
The Scholarship Committee is chaired by Carole Dodson and includes members Mary Azzo, Gene Bailey, Carl Gillespie, Eugenia Hancock, Mary Raub, Jim Steorts, Susan Cooper-Snyder, Bettye VanDyke, and Susan Whittaker.
Congratulations to all recipients, and good luck in college!
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United Way of the
Virginias Executive Director Michelle Carter (center) and Vicki
Mays, member of the Tazewell County First Book Advisory Board
and a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of the
United Way of the Virginias, Inc. (right), receive a grant award
from Charles Carter, President of the Community Foundation of
the Virginias, Inc. for the First Book of Tazewell County
program and the First Book of Mercer County program.
Joanne
Boileau, Regional Director of the Princeton office of the
Children's Home Society of West Virginia, is pictured receiving
a grant award from the Community Foundation of the Virginias,
Inc., presented by Foundation President Charles Carter.
It
has been five years since West Virginia native and Bluefield
High School graduate Michael Ammar dazzled the local audience
with his "close-up" slight-of-hand magic performance, and he
returns for an appearance to benefit of the Community Foundation
of the Virginias, Inc. on August 10, 2011.
Saturday,
May 14 was the day that the Ridge Runner train in Bluefield,
WV's Lotito City Park was rededicated and put back into service,
and a large crowd of interested members of the local community
turned out for the occasion.Featured Grant Recipient:
Mercer County Opportunity Industries
A Sandra Gayle Monk Fund award of more than $1,900 for the purchase of a Printer-Ink Jet System that will allow the MCOI to provide an additional training area as well as an added income producer with improved environmental conditions.
A $2,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Virginia's Fund for Mercer County assisted the West Virginia Utility Assistance Program in assisting 158 Mercer County households, totaling 452 people.
The Princeton Senior High School Band Boosters utilized a $2,000 grant from the Community Foundation to help fund the second annual "Southern Thunder" marching band contest.
Officers, Directors Elected at Foundation Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc., was held on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at the Foundation offices on North Street in Bluefield during which the Board of Directors elected Officers for 2011 and a class of Directors to serve until 2015.
The Foundation wishes to express its appreciation for the service of four Board members whose terms have ended: Marty Gearheart, Earl Goodwin, Shelley Keene-Hicks, and Pat McCormick.
Officers elected for 2011 are: President, Charles Carter; Vice President, Julie Johnson; Secretary, Betty Gardner Bailey; Treasurer, Matt Martin.
Directors re-appointed to four-year terms are: Charlie Carter, Phyllis Beaver-Horwitz, Julie Johnson, and Doris Sue Kantor. The Foundation is pleased to welcome three new members to the Board: Lecia Smith, Rich Bezjak, and Susan Whittaker.
The organization’s success depends largely upon the efforts of its volunteer Officers, Directors and Committee members, and truly appreciates the selfless giving of their time and energy to the Foundation.
A complete listing of Officers, members of the Board of Directors, and members of Committees, as well as other information about the Foundation can be found on its Web site: http://cfvinc.org.
The Community Foundation was established to support the needs and interests of the people of Mercer County, West Virginia and Tazewell County, Virginia. The organization annually returns approximately $100,000 through its Scholarships and Grants programs.
Featured Grant Recipient:
Bluefield, Virginia Chargers Football Team
A $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation helped the Bluefield, Virginia Chargers football team purchase new equipment for this season.
Featured Grant Recipient:
Read Aloud of Mercer County
A $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation helped make the Read Aloud program in Mercer County possible. The project involves activities designed to make reading fun and important in the lives of elementary school children.
Featured Grant Recipient:
Child Protect of Mercer County Body Safety Program
The Community Foundation awarded Child Protect of Mercer County $2,000 for workbooks used in it's "Body Safety" child abuse prevention education program.
Featured Grant Recipient:
Mountain Kids, Inc.
Tazewell County's Mountain Kids, Inc. received a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation in support of its Kids Club art project.
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Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
128 North Street ● P.O. Box 4127 ● Bluefield, WV 24701
Phone: 304-324-0222 ● Fax: 304-324-7716
Email: admin@cfvinc.org
Member of the South Bluefield Merchants and Professional Association
Information Links
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