News

The Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Regional Affiliates (PACF) announced support for nonprofit organizations and charitable projects throughout the region through its spring Community Action Grant program. The PACF awards grants from a variety of funds created by individuals, organizations, and area businesses to support critical community needs. PACF’s grant awards this spring total $275,879. The Foundation’s three affiliates awarded an additional $10,500 in grants, including $5,800 from the Doddridge County Community Foundation (DCCF) and $4,700 from the Ritchie County Community Foundation (RCCF).

“Our grantmaking capacity this cycle was greatly enhanced by support from a variety of donor advised funds who have generously recommended grants to address the critical needs presented through grant requests,” said Marian Clowes, Associate Director for Community Leadership. “We continue to focus on addressing the most pressing community needs, including food insecurity, homelessness, and mental health and substance use disorders.”

To be considered for a Community Action Grant, an applicant must be a private, nonprofit organization or a public institution.  Either the applicant or program to be funded must be located in the Foundation’s eleven-county geographic service area (Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood counties in West Virginia, and Washington County, Ohio). 

The spring 2021 Parkersburg Area Community Foundation & Regional Affiliates grant recipients are:

• Belpre Performing Arts Boosters - $5,650 for band instrument replacement

• Boys and Girls Club of Washington County - $16,000 for gymnasium renovations

• Cairo Volunteer Fire Department - $7,500 for personal protective equipment for firefighters

• Calhoun County Livestock Program - $1,000 for facility upgrades

• Camden Clark Foundation - $23,000 to replace chemotherapy treatment chairs with new medical-grade chairs

• Children of Promise in Action - $5,000 for facility updates and to provide recreational services for Ritchie County youth

• Children’s Home Society - $15,500 for the Transitional Living Program to provide support services to youth who are experiencing homelessness

• Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley - $8,000 for operating support

• Colonial House - $800 to purchase an outdoor storage shed

• Consumer Credit Counseling Services - $5,000 to support a financial literacy program for individuals in active recovery from substance use disorders

• East Wood Volunteer Fire Department - $6,460 to replace outdated equipment

• Ely Chapman Education Foundation - $6,000 for STEAM activities during the Sensational Summer Camp

• Harrisville Volunteer Fire Department - $7,075 to purchase a mobile radio repeater and emergency pagers

• Little Kanawha Area Development Corporation - $2,000 to purchase equipment for a mobile business support project

• Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home - $10,000 for office and facility renovations

• Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center - $7,858 to replace and update seating and blood draw chairs in the laboratory department

• Nazareth Farm - $5,700 to support the costs of a new truck and supply barn

• Oil, Gas and Industrial Historical Association - $9,000 to refurbish windows for the Oil and Gas Museum

• Parents and Friends of the Hearing Impaired - $3,150 to provide hearing aids to low income individuals with hearing impairments

• Parkersburg Art Center - $9,000 to install fire suppression system

• Recovery Point - $15,000 to support upgrades and increase capacity at the Parkersburg facility

• Ritchie County Family Resource Network - $6,400 to establish a food pantry

•   Roane County Committee on Aging - $6,800 to assist with roof replacement for Amma Senior Center

• TEAM for West Virginia Children - $5,000 for the “Our Babies: Safe and Sound” to provide education about infant safe sleep and abusive head trauma prevention

• The Doddridge County Starting Points Center - $5,700 to expand the emergency food pantry

• The Education Alliance - $10,336 to provide training and resources for AmeriCorps mentors to integrate mental health best practices into mentoring program

• University of Charleston - $5,000 to produce a documentary on Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett

• Upper West Fork CAP - $2,325 for parking lot upgrade

• Voices for Children Foundation/CASA - $11,000 for operating support

• Washington County Career Center - $15,000 to purchase an Anatomage machine for instruction in medical courses

• Washington United Methodist Church - $1,400 to support the food pantry

• West Virginia Central Bee Keepers - $2,000 to support efforts to increase the bee population

• West Virginia Health Right - $6,500 to support the mobile dental unit’s services in Roane County

• West Virginia Symphony Orchestra – Parkersburg - $1,000 to support the upcoming “diverse and successful symphonies” series

• Williamstown Middle/High School - $7,000 to replace band equipment

• Wirt County Committee on Aging - $10,000 for kitchen remodeling and upgrades

• WV Extension Family Nutrition Program - $6,250 to provide produce markets at Wood County schools

• WVU Foundation- Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Program - $5,250 to provide assessments and equipment to children in the Parkersburg area with vision impairments

Doddridge County Community Foundation Grants

•  Doddridge County Starting Points Center - $1,800 to expand items available in the emergency food pantry to include fresh produce, dairy, meat, and frozen foods and to purchase an upright freezer and a refrigerator.
• Nazareth Farm - $4,000 to support the construction of a new truck and supply barn as part of its overall facility improvement campaign.

Ritchie County Community Foundation Grants:

• Harrisville Volunteer Fire Department - $1,900 to purchase a mobile radio repeater and emergency pagers for firefighters.
• Ritchie County Family Resource Network - $1,600 to start a food pantry to meet food access needs in the county.
• Ritchie County High School - $1,200 from the O. Eugene and Mary Scott Smith Memorial Fund to support professional development for RCHS teacher and band instructor Justin Hodges.

Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation

• Pleasant Hill Elementary School - $900 to provide literacy materials for the school’s two preschool classrooms. The materials will help preschoolers develop early reading skills.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our community, the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and Regional Affiliates (PACF) continues to respond. Thanks to the generous support of area residents, businesses, foundations, and organizations to its COVID-19 Relief efforts, the PACF has awarded another $38,250 in grants over the past two months, bringing total COVID-19 Relief grants to more than $390,000. This is the PACF’s seventh round of COVID-19 Relief grantmaking.

“Many families in our region still face food insecurity as a result of the pandemic, so several of our recent grants are helping organizations provide access to food to those in need,” said Marian Clowes, PACF Associate Director for Community Leadership. “We still have some limited COVID-19 Relief Funds available, particularly to address food access. Organizations impacted by COVID-19 are encouraged to reach out to us to discuss your needs.”

Several of the recent grants were awarded through partnership with the Sisters Health Foundation (noted with an *).  Agencies that received funding during the PACF’s seventh round of grants include:

• Calhoun County Committee on Aging - $7,000 to support the senior nutrition program.*
• Calhoun County Family Resource Network - $5,000 to purchase diapers, baby formula, and cleaning supplies to help individuals and families impacted by COVID-19.*
• Doddridge County Health Department - $3,500 to purchase personal protective equipment.
• Mason Community Action Group - $1,500 to provide emergency food boxes for seniors.
• Memorial Health Foundation - $10,000 to purchase tents for vaccination clinics.*
• No Hunger Food Pantry - $1,000 for food purchases (through support from the SDR and Ritchie Family Charitable Fund).
• Old Man Rivers - $5,000 to support food access programs.*
• O’Neill Senior Center - $2,000 to support the Senior Restaurant Meal Program.*
• Ritchie and Doddridge County Healthy Grandfamilies Program - $3,000 to provide tutoring assistance to children being raised by grandparents to support educational needs and to help navigate virtual learning.
• Wirt County Ministerial Alliance/Hope Shop - $250 to build a storage building to meet increase demand at food pantry.

The PACF is committed to granting 100% of donations received for COVID-19 relief back into the region. Organizations that have needs related to COVID-19 impact can contact the Foundation at info@pacfwv.com or 304-428-4438 to inquire about support.

Donations to support the PACF’s Hunger Fund and Safety Net Fund are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.  To learn more about these funds and the work that the Foundation is doing to address COVID-19 in our region, visit www.pacfwv.com/COVID19.

The Ritchie County Community Foundation, an affiliate of Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, announces the availability of grants for Ritchie County educators seeking support for professional development opportunities and for academic school improvement projects at Ritchie County schools through the O. Eugene and Mary Scott Smith Memorial Fund.

The Fund provides grants for individual teachers who are seeking to further their education, for groups of teachers pursuing professional development opportunities, and for schools for projects that improve the academic curriculum. Funds are not available for athletic projects at schools. Applications, whether for support for individual teachers, groups of teachers, or for academic improvement projects, must be submitted through a Ritchie County school. The application deadline is February 15. Schools must apply using the Foundation’s online Community Action Grant application form, which is available on the Foundation’s website.

The Fund honors Gene and Mary Smith, who were natives of Ritchie County and who were educated in Ritchie County schools. Gene and Mary instilled their love of education in their eight children who all attended Ritchie County schools. Three of them became teachers. Because of Gene and Mary’s influence, there are more than forty college degrees including two doctorates in their large, extended family.

Schools are encouraged to apply for this grant opportunity. Project requests also will be considered for support from other Foundation grantmaking funds, including funds available from the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation. For questions or more information, contact Marian Clowes toll-free at 866-428-4438 or marian.clowes@pacfwv.com.