The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation Board of Trustees approved the distribution of grants totaling $887,107 for approximately 29 programs aimed at helping residents of area communities.
Community Economic Development
West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, West Virginia Rural Grocer Association: $26,271 — The West Virginia Rural Grocer Association project will increase the sustainability of small, independently owned grocery stores in the Foundation’s footprint through targeted assessment and technical assistance. Additionally, this project will create a fund that allows participating grocers to access equipment needed to create greater sustainability while the grocers work to better establish themselves, stabilize their businesses, and provide a much-needed service to their community.
Rivers to Ridges Heritage Trail, Inc., Rivers to Ridges Heritage Trail Marketing and Community Economic Development Initiative Year: $16,000 — In its third year of support from TGKVF, this project will continue efforts to use the River to Ridges Heritage Trail as a catalyst to improve the economy of communities in western Kanawha and northern Putnam counties by promoting the region as a destination for tourists and providing one-day travel opportunities for those living within the region.
Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley, Inc., GoodHOST: $21,271 — The GoodHOST program provides Goodwill participants experience and portable credentials within the hospitality industry.
West Virginia Women Work!, Step UP for Women Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program: $26,272 — Continued funding will support SUFW, a tuition-free training program of West Virginia Women Work! that helps adult students overcome barriers to employment. Funding will also support the launch of a new initiative based on retention of women previously placed, creating a self-perpetuating community that ensures the lasting impact of previous investments.
Education
Coda Mountain Academy of Music, Coda Tutoring, Organizational Growth and Program Support: $51,915 — A fourth year of support from TGKVF enables Coda Mountain Academy of Music to expand its innovative tutoring program in Fayette County.
The Education Alliance, Business and Community for Public Schools-AmeriCorps Mentor Alliance: $60,552 — The Education Alliance AmeriCorps Mentor Alliance is a dropout prevention, mentor-based intervention that creates a bridge between in-school and afterschool services that addresses student attendance, behavior, and course performance.
The Appalachian Reading Center, Inc., Dyslexia Services Coalition for Marginalized Youth in Foster and Kinship Care: $61,920 — Funding will allow The Appalachian Reading Center to continue providing tutoring to dyslexic and reading-deficient youth in highly distressed areas with an emphasis on Clay County.
West Virginia Department of Education-WV Schools of Diversion and Transition, Circumventing Dyslexia in the Facility Based Environment: $10,200 — The West Virginia Department of Education’s Circumventing Dyslexia in the Facility Based Environment program aims to identify and treat facility placed adults who are experiencing academic difficulties as a result of an undiagnosed or untreated dyslexia disability.
Legal Aid of West Virginia, Inc., Lawyer in the School: $20,000 — Lawyer in the School stabilizes the lives of Kanawha County students by providing free legal assistance to families on eviction, benefits, custody and many other issues.
Health
Fairness West Virginia, West Virginia Transgender Health Initiative: $27,000 — Fairness West Virginia, a statewide LGBTQ organization, will address health care disparities of transgender people by organizing a series of training sessions with health care professionals from TGKVF’s six-county region.
Keep Your Faith Corporation/Covenant House, West Side Grown Extension Project: $27,000 — West Side Grown Extension is a collaboration between Keep Your Faith Corporation, several local farmers in the Kanawha Valley and surrounding areas, Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary, Piedmont Elementary, Kanawha County Youth Report, and WVSU Extension to bring fresh, healthy, and local foods to elementary students and their families while promoting entrepreneurial skills and agricultural literacy.
Children’s Therapy Clinic, Inc., Comprehensive Therapy Services: $20,000 — Children’s Therapy Clinic will focus on comprehensive therapy services for children with disabilities and insufficient insurance or income who live in Kanawha and surrounding counties.
Think Kids, Inc., Addressing the Needs of Children of the Drug Crisis: $20,000 — In the second year of funding, the project will identify, assess and share how counties in TGKVF’s service area are responding to the health care needs and well-being of children affected by the drug epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic.
Lewis County Family Resource Network, Inc., Try This West Virginia: $25,000 — Try This West Virginia will build a regional healthy community network in The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s service area to generate healthy community activity among communities and across county lines.
Partners in Health Network, Inc., COPD Coordination Project: $39,350 — Partners in Health Network, as part of its Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project activities, will conduct a COPD Care Coordination project providing care coordination and pulmonary rehabilitation using a telehealth approach.
Arts & Culture
Natural Capital Investment Fund, CAN (Central Appalachian Network) Mini-grants for West Virginia Creative Placemaking: $15,000 — Utilizing the framework of previous West Virginia Creative Placemaking small grant programs, the project will channel targeted small grants to emerging, grassroots, and exploratory creative placemaking projects in communities within Boone, Clay, Fayette, Lincoln, and Putnam counties.
Stories you might like
Basic needs
Religious Coalition for Community Renewals, Inc., Transitional Storage Facility: $20,456 — RCCR is establishing a Transitional Storage Facility for individuals experiencing homelessness on Charleston’s East End.
Field of interest
West Virginia State University Research & Development Corporation, WVSU Health Grandfamilies Programs: $24,800 — The West Virginia State University Healthy Grandfamilies Program offers grandfamilies educational resources through discussion sessions combined with social work case management services.
Dental health
West Virginia National Hemophilia Foundation, West Virginia National Hemophilia Foundation Dental Project: $20,000 — This program will offer no-cost preventative care by a dentist experienced with bleeding disorders. Serving Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam counties, the program will standardize best practices for bleeding disorders and expand care to patients most vulnerable to complications.
New River Association, New River Health Association Dental Expansion Project: $30,000 — New River Health is expanding dental services to Fayette and surrounding counties, thereby increasing accessibility to a larger number of patients. Funding will support the purchase of equipment as well as dental services for low-income, uninsured children and adults.
Cabin Creek Health Systems, Cabin Creek Smiles!: $75,000 — The Cabin Creek Smiles! program provides individuals of all ages with appropriate oral health care designed to improve their quality of life and restore their smile.
Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education & Research Institute, Inc., Dental Assistance for CAMC Cancer Patients: $30,000 — The CAMC Cancer Dental Assistance grant will link low-income, uninsured or underinsured adults with dental providers so these patients can receive dental clearance prior to beginning cancer treatment and to connect them to a dental home.
Emergency aid
West Virginia Health Right, Inc., HOPE (Health Opportunities for Parents Everywhere): $34,000 — The HOPE program is designed specifically to improve sobriety among addicted expectant and new parents, decrease neonatal abstinence syndrome births, and increase maintenance of the family unit.
Camp Appalachia, Fire Safety System: $30,000 — The Camp Appalachia Fire Safety System project serves youth campers from Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam counties who are in foster care, have a parent incarcerated, or have been directly affected by the opioid crisis.
Mission West Virginia, Carry-on: $30,000 — Mission West Virginia will assist relative and foster caregivers in covering the costs of basic necessities for the youth in their care. Approximately 300 youth in foster or kinship care within Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln and Putnam counties will be served.
West Hamlin United Methodist Church, West Hamlin Community H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Excel) Center, third and permanent roof installation: $25,000 — This project will complete Phase 4 of the West Hamlin Community HOPE Center by completing construction of the Center’s top floor and roof.
Partnership of African American Churches, Surge Testing in Communities of Color in West Virginia: $40,000 — The Surge Testing in Communities of Color project will conduct COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and community education and awareness in communities of color across West Virginia.
West Side 2.0
Coalfield Development Corporation, West Side WRAPS (Workforce Readiness and Professional Success): $50,100 — The WRAPS program identifies people with barriers to employment who are eager to work and provides them experience, training, support and connection.
Special initiatives
City of Charleston, Celebration Station II: $10,000 — The Charleston Rotary, in collaboration with the City of Charleston and Kanawha County Schools, is leading the revitalization of the community portion of Celebration Station on Charleston’s East End. Celebration Station serves Charleston and Kanawha County residents. Grant funds will be used to replace old playground equipment with new, safer structures.
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 the fourth quarter of 2020 distributions are supported by the following funds: Anonymous/Dental Health; Anonymous/Emergency Aid; James F. Duncan Charitable Fund; Lloyd, Jr. and Margaret Erhard; JW, Jr. and Gabrielle Hubbard; Bernard H. Jacobson Cultural; Blanche E. Jacobson; Dorothy and Charles Jardin; F. B. Lamb; Stanley Loewenstein Memorial; Nathan and Sarah Maslow; Alfred and Lucy McClung; Margaret Ann Moyer; Pelzel Family; Nancy Gay Randolph; George and Josephine Rogers; L. Newton and Katherine Thomas; and Women Working Fund.
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