$130K to boost valley organizations

FISHERSVILLE – Blue Ridge Area Food Bank CEO Larry Zippin said the demands for his agency are up 30 percent in recent months due in part to the sluggish economy.

“This year’s clients are last year’s donors,” said Zippin, who said many now served by the food bank have faced foreclosure, loss of jobs and other misfortunes and badly need food supplies.

So Zippin was pleased Thursday to accept a 2010 grant of $8,000 from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge for his agency’s BackPack program.

The program provides nutritious weekend food supplies to school children in Waynesboro, Augusta County and Harrisonburg schools during the school year.

The $130,000 in community grants offered by the foundation on Thursday went to 24 civic organizations.

Christiana Shields, grants manager for the foundation, said demand for grants came from 50 applicants. A grants committee spent two months reviewing applications.

“There is a much higher need,” said Shields, who added that grants awarded Thursday ranged from $2,000 to $10,000.

Lee Warren, executive director of Rebuilding Together, an organization that provides home repairs to elderly and disabled homeowners, said the $7,500 grant will help purchase building materials.

“This is very important,” said Warren, who said Rebuilding Together works year-round and depends on volunteer labor.

Other organizations receiving grants on Thursday included:

• American Frontier Culture Foundation, for a partnership to complete construction of the West African Farm Exhibit, and to help young, non-violent ex-offenders in transition

• ARC of Augusta, to provide five scholarships to individuals with intellectural disabilities to attend ARC programs

• Augusta Health Hospice to help fund arts, crafts and a memorial bonfire for Camp Dragonfly, a bereavement program for children

• Augusta Health Hospice, to provide assistance for hospice patients when needed

• Augusta Regional Dental Clinic, to provide dental services to low-income area families

• Blue Ridge Legal Services, to offer legal advice and representation to low-income elderly

• CASA, to expedite placement of vulnerable children into safe and permanent homes

• Community Child Care Center, to provide child care on a sliding scale basis for children whose parents work, are in job training, schooling or have special needs

• Family Resource and Referral Center, to provide support for in-home visits to at-risk families to help prepare children to be ready for school

• Nelson County Pantry, to offer emergency and supplemental food to Nelson County residents

• Recording For The Blind and Dyslexic, to provide audio books, playback equipment and member support to area schools for students with print disabilities

• Salvation Army-Staunton, to support families

• Shenandoah Resource, Conservation and Development, to fund a collaborative program to monitor and analyze bacterial reductions in the Pogue’s Run Watershed, located along a Staunton entrance corridor

• Shenandoah Valley Community Focus, to support a student tutor for students suspended or expelled from school because of violent behavior or substance abuse

• Special Olympics of Virginia, to allow area athletes and coaches to compete in the Special Olympics Fall Championship competition in Virginia Beach

• Staunton Music Festival, to provide a free concert series during the Staunton Music Festival

• Talking Books Center, to initiate a community awareness campaign to increase the number of patrons served by the center

• Valley AIDS Network, to provide emergency rental, utility and heating assistance to Valley residents diagnosed with HIV/AIDS

• Valley Hope Counseling Center, to will low-fee anger management and substance abuse counseling to low-income, uninsured local residents

• Valley Mission, to purchase materials for improved case management, anger and conflict resolution courses

• Valley Symphonic Concerts, to sponsor professional music performances and education to local students during the in-school music program

• Verona Community Food Pantry, to secure 500,000 pounds of food to serve families

• The Wildlife Center of Virginia, to support the center’s environmental education programs