LETTER: Please be a helper
Please be a helper
At the Washington County Community Foundation, we seek to improve the quality of life in Washington County by promoting and facilitating philanthropy. A $50,000 grant we issued in late December 2020 to the Greater Washington County Food Bank from our Close to Home Disaster & Emergency Fund was made possible by generous donors who directed funds to help our local food bank provide nutritional food to local families who are struggling through the pandemic.
In the grant-making arena, each donor develops his/her own due diligence process regarding grants, just as we have developed a thorough due diligence process which guides our grant making. Many of our donors want to continue to support the GWCFB.
We believe that food insecurity will continue to be a significant need throughout the pandemic so it is likely that we will be issuing additional grants to the GWCFB in the coming months.
In our 25-year history, we have distributed more than $20 million in grants, with the vast majority of our grants issued to charities located in Washington County. We pride ourselves in being a resource for local charities, through our various grant-making cycles which benefit diverse local charities, through our educational programs for local charities, and through our community initiatives such as our annual day of giving that supports more than 100 local charities.
We are fortunate to live in a community that is full of generous hearts who want to help their neighbors in need. In this unsettling time, consider some words of comfort provided to Fred Rogers by his mother during times of crisis. She said, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” However you are able, please be a helper. Please give “Close to Home.”
Betsie Trew, President & CEO
Washington County Community Foundation{&end}