In the Fall of 1903, 11 civic-minded ladies wanted to learn about Parliamentary procedures in order to be of benefit to society. They found their study to be so informative that, in a matter of months, they started meeting regularly in a small house in downtown Lynchburg to form a club. On November 25, 1903, 82 charter members united and founded The Woman’s Club of Lynchburg. This astounding response for membership inspired the club motto, “Zeal with Knowledge.”

Over the last 100 years, women throughout the Lynchburg community have joined together to grow The Woman’s Club of Lynchburg into a philanthropic organization. In 1969, the members established The Educational Endowment Fund (EEF) which is still their big project every year. It started by lending money to deserving persons who wanted to train in college, vocational school, nursing, etc., but since this endowment was established, loans have been replaced with scholarships.

“The program started as a loan program, but now it’s an out and out award,” Muriel Casey, current By-laws Chair and former Club President, explained.

Financial support for this endowment is obtained in a variety of ways. Among them includes contributing through the payment of dues and through the sale of a community cookbook.

Betty Drinkard, former Club President and current Publicity Chair, noted that “every dollar goes towards scholarships.”

Their mission is to give scholarships to deserving high school and college students. Subsequently, the endowment has helped hundreds through the years. This year alone, “The Club was able to give 30 $1,000 scholarships to deserving students as well as $4,000 to local charitable organizations in 2011,” according to The Woman’s Club Handbook.

The club has also been a strong supporter of a variety of philanthropic projects, including but not limited to, the Lynchburg Food Bank, the Miller Home, Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation in Brookneal, the YWCA Domestic Violence Center, CASA of Central VA, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, the Lynchburg Humane Society, Kid’s Haven, the Free Clinic of Virginia, Salvation Army Assistance Program and the Daily Bread. The organizations they support have varied throughout the years, but the common mission to provide financial aid has remained the same.

Virginia Pearson, current Club President since May 2011, explained that “every year about this time, we have a meeting for our philanthropic committee and look to add somebody else” to their growing list of nonprofits the club supports.

“Our purpose is to help our community,” Drinkard explained simply.

These dedicated women have learned to adjust to the changes of the culture. For many decades, the ladies met in the middle of the day for elaborate meals and high society tea. They would polish their silver and dress-up accordingly. Their time together was the epitome of Southern hospitality.

“In the past, we had the most beautiful teas and china and services. There were elegant centerpieces for the tables with lacy tablecloths and every food item was served on a silver plate,” Drinkard recalled.

Meeting times, locations and even expectations have changed over the past century, but the purpose has remained consistent. The members meet monthly for a midday luncheon and bridge club on the first Thursday of each month at Boonsboro Country Club. They have lunch and a program meeting with a guest speaker.

“Boonsboro Country Club rolls out the carpet for us,” Casey said.

The Woman’s Club of Lynchburg seeks to add to the cultural, educational and social growth of the City. During their monthly meetings, they welcome and invite a variety of notable speakers. One of the most interesting was a Monacan Chief they were privileged to entertain for lunch.

“We try to have good programs for our members,” Pearson explained.

To become a member, there is a procedure to be nominated by someone in the club. Then, the nominee must apply for membership and be voted in by the board. The average member is between 50 and 70 years old on average, but they are very quick to welcome younger members. In recent years, they have lost a lot of members because of career working women who cannot meet during daytime hours.

“Those things were not a part of our lives in those early days,” Casey recalled.

The Woman’s Club of Lynchburg has evolved with the times, but has never lost the vision. The purpose is ultimately for community support, cultural, civic, educational and social growth, but there is also a bond formed among the members. These ladies are friends and a support system for one another. The legacy that generations have left behind is their passion to engage in lives through the wisdom they obtain and with the resources they can generously offer.

“Zeal with knowledge”—this is their legacy; zealous passion instilled with a desire to learn and be used within their community.

“Anything that impacts the businesses within the City of Lynchburg really comes under our office,” Upshur said. “Maybe we can’t fix it totally within the staff and the folks we have here, but we are the business advocates within the city.”

The Office of Economic Development has serviced the community since 1983. In 2011 alone, they set aside more than $700,000 in incentives that created over 450 jobs, and generated $36 million in investments.

In addition, the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority (LEDA) is now excited to announce their recent partnership with The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust (GLCT). This partnership will greatly benefit the community by creating opportunities for businesses.

“It’s a real proactive measure,” Upshur said.  “It’s another way that businesses can engage in this community, to make it better.”

The fund, beginning with $50,000, will provide grants for programs that create jobs, provide entrepreneurial training and, overall, will support economic growth. Having a fund to specifically deal with issues impacting local businesses will hopefully create a stronger business community.

“We have a number of funds; this is the first one that really is truly for economic development,” Stuart Fauber, GLCT president and CEO, said. “This is a big step for us.”

Fauber says that the fund can be used on many different levels regarding economic growth, and hopes that the community will be as excited as they are.

“It’s an area that we need to be supporting in our community,” Fauber said.

With the current economic situation, he expressed the importance of economic development.

“[LEDA] wants to give to programs that are going to create a better workforce, more businesses, and a better environment for businesses,” Upshur said. She predicts that the partnership with GLCT will be continual and long-lasting.

The GLCT, founded in 1972, seeks to provide financial gifts for the City of Lynchburg, the City of Bedford, and Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties. Their 174 funding programs reach a wide spectrum, from children, youth and elderly, to education, health, arts and humanities. This is the first time, however, that a fund is specifically generated for economic growth.

“We feel like this has sort of been a missing link for us, and we’re very pleased to support economic development, which is very much needed in our time,” Fauber said.

Some of their 125 grants go to well-known charitable organizations, such as the Academy of Fine Arts, Habitat for Humanity, Lynchburg Humane Society, Lynchburg Public Library, Meals on Wheels, The Salvation Army, the YMCA and many more. This year, grants have also been awarded to 24 schools, colleges and universities, which include Central Virginia Community College, Liberty University, Lynchburg College, Randolph College and Virginia Tech.

The newly organized economic development fund is off to a positive start, with both GLCT and LEDA expressing optimism for a successful future.

“The $50,000 has been established at this point of time,” Fauber said. “The income will be paid out after one year.”

He hopes other businesses will get on board and look at the fund as a community project.

“We hope that the fund will grow considerably and be supported by the community,” he said.

Fauber adds that GLCT has had a “long and rich” history and is pleased to be celebrating 40 years of serving the community in 2012.

“The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust obviously is out there to serve the needs of the community,” Upshur said.

GLCT had a kick-off celebration in honor of 40 years at Lynchburg College on October 13, which is where the initial economic development endowment fund was established, and the check was presented.

GLCT has had a positive impact in the communities served, and has awarded over a million dollars to schools and charitable organizations this year.

“The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust has a wonderful reputation, and the Economic Development Authority here has a wonderful reputation,” Upshur said. “All of our partnerships represent two great organizations coming together.”

For more information about The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust or Lynchburg Economic Development Authority, visit their websites at www.lynchburgtrust.org and www.lynchburgida.com.

“Being an excellent problem solver he put these two ideas together and created the Hunters for the Hungry program, making it able for us to utilize an abundant natural resource to provide lean protein for people in need,” Laura Newell-Furniss, Director of Hunters for the Hungry, said of Horne.

Abundance is right. The program has donated 4,154,156 pounds of meat between 1991 and 2009. In fact, the annual distribution now is well over 400,000 pounds. This was all made possible by the successful hunters who donated the venison meat. Last year alone, over 4,000 hunters participated by donating deer. Currently, there are a total of 9,586 hunters statewide on the Hunters for Hungry mailing list.

The donation process goes through several steps before making its way into the bellies of those in need. The deer are first accepted by professional meat cutters, who process the venison through a step-by-step method of inspecting, cutting, wrapping and freezing. The meat is then distributed to food banks and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Virginia.

Hunters looking to take part may do so by taking their tagged deer to a participating meat processor or specified collection point. After picking up their processed deer, hunters simply donate a portion of the meat to the program. Those who donate an entire deer to the program are not required to pay any part of the processing fee.

“The hunting season runs from September through the end of March in some parts of the state, with the busiest months being October through December,” Newell-Furniss said. “The off months are spent raising the funding to pay the costs of having the donated deer professionally processed.”

For those who do not hunt but are still willing to donate, and for those wishing to help out during the off season, there are several other ways to contribute including monetary donations, volunteering and by purchasing merchandise. Monetary donations help offset the cost of processing the venison to supply to the local food banks. A contribution of $20 processes half a deer (roughly 25 pounds), $40 dollars processes one deer (roughly 50 pounds) and $80 will process two deer (close to 100 pounds).

In addition, volunteers for Hunters for the Hungry are needed year-round to distribute brochures to area sporting goods stores, sell raffle tickets, organize group fundraisers, locate processors, write for newsletters and more. The goal of volunteering is to help spread the word about Hunters for the Hungry’s cause and enable the program to reach more people.

For both hunters and non-hunters alike, the Hunters for Hungry merchandise store appeals to everyone with its wide variety of products. The store offers items such as apparel, prints, patches, decals and even a venison recipe book. Volume II of the Venison Cookbook features over 224 recipes for just $12. It even includes Newell-Furniss’ favorite recipe, Venison and Cream Cheese Hors d’oeuvres (see below).

Consider taking part this giving season. Not only does donating deer meat provide by using a natural resource, but it also eliminates potential waste. Last year, 407,796 pounds of venison were donated to provide 1.6 million servings to those in need. This season, Hunters for the Hungry hopes to exceed that number and supply healthy protein to many across the Commonwealth.

To learn more about Hunters for the Hungry, visit www.h4hungry.org or call 1-800-352-4868. All donations are tax deductible and can be sent to Hunters for the Hungry, P.O. Box 304, Big Island, Virginia 24526.

Venison and Cream Cheese Hors d’oeuvres Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups venison, cooked and shredded

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

DIRECTIONS

Combine cream cheese and butter, beat on medium speed until smooth.

Add milk, beat until smooth. Stir in venison, pepper and salt.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into one large rectangle.

Roll as thin as possible without tearing. Cut dough into 2 1/2 inch squares, then put a spoonful of the venison mixture into each square.  Fold over and press the edges together.  Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

“What I love about our agency is that what we do here is preventative,” Gorman said.

Previously, Gorman says he worked with kids who “had already fallen to pieces.”

“Here, the work we do is with kids teetering on the edge, and we’re here to push them back,” Gorman said.

With two primary branches of the program, community-based and site-based, approximately 500 local children are served each year.

“Our community-based program is what most people know Big Brothers Big Sisters to be,” Gorman said. “It’s where we match a positive, caring adult role model with a deserving child.”

The “big,” as mentors are called, is expected to spend anywhere between two and four hours per week with the “little.” Volunteers are expected to commit to an entire calendar year, spending roughly eight hours a month with the child. What the volunteer and child do together is entirely up to them.

“Volunteers pick up the child and go to the park, the mall, movies, out to dinner, whatever it is they choose to do,” Gorman said. “We do not tell them what to do. The activities themselves are whatever you and your ‘little’ find as common ground and want to do together.”

For time-crunched “bigs,” there’s the site-based program, which began in 1996 with hopes of accommodating volunteers who had a heart for impacting kids, but lacked six to eight hours a month to give.

“Site-based was created to allow them to get away from their job for an hour a week and have their lunch hour at a school where they are matched with a child,” Gorman said.

With the majority of time spent being during the child’s lunch or recess, and not leaving the school, options are more limited with this program.

“What you can do is go to the playground, get on the computer, play board games in the guidance counselor’s office, read, work on academic work or just sit and talk,” Gorman said.

For this program, the volunteer is asked to commit to an entire school year and spend one hour per week with the child. Currently, 22 elementary schools, middle schools and after school programs participate in the site-based program. Having fun while being a role model, mentor and encourager, are the overarching goals for volunteers within both programs.

In order to volunteer, applicants must undergo extensive screening. Multiple background checks are completed, including a state police criminal history and child protective services registry. Three references are called for each volunteer, as well as a face-to-face interview with the applicant. For the community-based program, an employee visits the applicant’s home to make sure it is suitable.

“We go to the home and make sure it’s a safe and appropriate environment for a child,” Gorman said. “If they have guns in the house, we need to see they can be locked up. If they have a pool in the back yard, we like to see that they have a fence around it.”

Volunteers also go through a light training program to better equip them for the tasks ahead.

“We put a lot of time and effort into making the right match,” Gorman said.

Volunteers are not the only ones who are screened; there are requirements and qualifications pertaining to the children as well. For the community-based program, boys between the ages of six and 13 are eligible. After acceptance, they are placed on a waiting list until a mentor is found.

“The sad reality is that we have a waiting list,” Gorman said.

Nearly 40 local kids are currently on the waiting list. After the age of 13, they are unable to make a match, however if the match is made prior to age 13, the relationship is encouraged to continue until the age of 18. For girls, accepted ages are between six and 15.

“The reason there’s a two-year difference there is because we have far more boys needing services than we do girls,” Gorman said. “Most single parent homes are mother run, rather than father run.”

Most of the children come from single parent and lower income homes, but this is not a pre-requisite. Aside from the age requirement, children are considered on a case-to-case basis.

The Lynchburg Big Brothers was launched in 1972 by Alton Jourdon of the Fort Hill Rotary Club.

“He obviously had an interest in serving children,” Gorman said.

In 1977, Big Sisters was added to the program.

As a nonprofit organization, BBBSCV receives funding in a variety of ways.

“We are a United Way partner agency, and glad to be one,” Gorman said. “They supply us with approximately 25 to 35 percent of our budget.”

Other funds are acquired through individuals and fundraisers, such as their golf tournament, and the Amazing Race for Amazing Kids Race. Still, volunteers and funding consistently remain BBBSCV’s primary need.

The good news is, Gorman says, if someone has a heart for giving back to children, BBBSCV is a great place to get plugged in.

“Anybody can do it,” Gorman said. “If you want to make a difference in a child’s life, you can do good here at Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

For more information about the organization and how to participate, visit www.bigcva.org.

“We’re training dancers from scratch,” Keith Lee, co-founder and artistic director, said. “We’re offering opportunity to people who normally wouldn’t have an opportunity to dance.”

What started as a small studio in the basement of a church has blossomed into a thriving studio. Although Dance Theater opened in 1999, Lee’s involvement in the world of dance began long ago. At the age of three, he was urged by his grandmother to take dance classes. In Brooklyn, Lee studied acting, singing and tap dancing at The Little Theatre.

“I was really doing more commercial type of work,” Lee said.

He had his first TV appearance at age 7. His many acting endeavors eventually inspired him into attending The High School of Performing Arts. Lee graduated with two Capezio awards for excellence in modern dance and ballet.

In 1968, at the age of 17, Lee was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and was promoted to soloist a year later.

“I was dancing a lot of principle roles by major choreographers,” Lee said. “But in the back of my mind I always wanted to choreograph, and I wanted to develop my own style.”

Following his dream, after dancing with ABT for seven years, he traveled to Europe with hopes of breaking into the industry. His ventures eventually led him to choreographing for the American Ballet Theatre, the Washington Ballet, the Geneva Ballet, the Oakland Ballet, the Garden State Ballet, the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, the Capitol Ballet of Washington, DC, the Memphis Concert Ballet and the Lexington Ballet.

When Lee and his wife, Charlotte Lester, founded Dance Theatre, they had high hopes of offering classes which would provide opportunity for all children. After several temporary locations, they found their permanent home in downtown Lynchburg, at 722 Commerce Street.

“The dust hadn’t settled on the floor,” Lee said. “There were renovations going on and we just came in and started our classes.”

When he first came to Lynchburg, Lee felt like dance classes were limited and desired to open a studio that would meet the needs of the community.

“The great thing about art is making something from nothing,” he said. “There was nothing here, and now we’re here.”

As a nonprofit organization, funds are brought in through classes, individuals, corporate sponsorships and other contributions. Scholarships, however, have always been made a priority. They now have sponsors helping with scholarship funds, but even before, Dance Theatre was willing to work with people.

“An important part of our mission is to be able to offer people who are not able to pay for classes a chance to come in and study dance,” Lee said.

Dance Theatre also strives to reach out to the community. They take their dancers to various locations such as schools, the Boys and Girls Club, Jubilee Center, YMCA, nursing homes and many other places.

“We’re an organization that goes into the community,” Lee said. “That’s a very important mission of ours.”

Most of the dancers, ranging from ages 3 and up, attend classes several times a week. Their reasons for taking classes, however, differ from dancer to dancer.

“This was just something for me to do growing up,” Elianalee Lee said. “Kind of a way to be with my dad.”

Keith Lee’s 12-year-old daughter has been dancing since she was a small child, beginning with the foundations class offered for 3- and 4-year-olds.

“I actually liked it, so I became more serious,” she said. “I basically live here.”

Alex Thomas, 13, was also looking for a place to dance. He considered himself open-minded and was looking for something new to try. Thomas participated in little league baseball for awhile, but decided to take a swing at dance to broaden his horizons.

“I kept on asking ‘Is there a place I can dance?’” Thomas said. “When I came here, this was the place I could dance; this is where I learned everything.”

Although he has tapped his feet in various genres of dance, his favorite style has always been ballet.

“What I like about Dance Theatre is that we’re all really close,” Elianalee said. “And when we come here, we just take our feelings into dance.”

Thomas agrees and expressed how dance can captivate you and be the “pick-me-up” you might need after a long day at school.

“Dance gets stress off my mind,” he said. “It just takes me to a whole ‘nother world.”

For Lee and his dancers, dance is simply a way of life. For him, his work at the Dance Theatre of Lynchburg is a culmination of a lifelong passion and a way to give back to the children in the local community.

“These children are very, very special,” Lee said. “That’s what it’s really genuinely about; them being really happy.”

The Clinic provides medical, dental and pharmaceutical care for low income individuals who do not have insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

“The people who come here either pay nothing, or they pay $2,” Robert “Bob” Barlow, Executive Director of the Clinic, said. “We do charge some of the upper-low income people a $2 fee to help our operating budget.”

That small fee can even help an individual feel their own self-worth, Barlow, who has worked at the clinic since 2002, contends. As for his job, he says he enjoys the many aspects of it and thrives on people receiving quality care.

“I like the interaction with patients the most,” Barlow said, adding that the most satisfying aspect of his job is when a patient who is truly in need, receives quality care.

Barlow told of a woman who was in dire need of dental care, and through the clinic’s aid, her life was changed.

“She had very rotten teeth,” Barlow said. “And here, she can smile.”

He said she is no longer afraid to open her mouth. For other patients who come to the Clinic, its low or no cost offerings mean clear vision, perhaps even for the first time in their lives.

“We even have reading glasses that we can give to people,” Barlow said.

For the higher income end of patients, the Clinic provides coupons that allow glasses to be purchased with a discount at stores such as Wal-Mart.

“None of our patients are going to spend more than $10 on a pair of glasses,” Barlow said.

The cut-off for assistance ranges from $18,000 for a single person and between $22,000 and $23,000 for two people. Most people can afford the $2 fee; however, the Free Clinic understands that even that small of an amount can be a hardship for some.

“If you have someone who is making $17,000, then $2 is not the end of the world,” Barlow said. “Versus someone who’s making $6,000, it is the end of the world.”

The cost was initially a suggested donation, but became a fee when the main people donating were the ones who truly could not afford it.

“The people who paid it were the $6,000 people and the people who didn’t pay it when it was a voluntary donation were the [ones making] $17,000,” Barlow said.

The $2 charge, now called an “administrative fee,” is waived on a case-to-case basis, so those who cannot afford it do not have to pay.

The Clinic only services adults 18 and older, due to the low income children’s program in Virginia, known as FAMIS (Family Access to Medical Insurance Security), which these children are automatically eligible for.

There are currently 68 free clinics in Virginia, including those in nearby towns such as Roanoke, Bedford and Franklin. All the free clinics are associated together through a state organization.

The Lynchburg Clinic’s yearly budget averages around $650,000, with only $100,000 given to them by The Commonwealth of Virginia and $125,000 from United Way. Remaining funds are raised through churches, individuals, businesses, foundations and fundraisers.

With the funds, the Clinic has supplied nearly $12 million worth of care.

“For every dollar that we can collect to operate the facility, we can provide $20 worth of services,” Barlow said.

The Clinic is able to offer a wide variety of services due to the fact that all the medical providers are not paid employees.

“There are only five paid people here who are full-time,” Barlow said.

All the free clinics use the volunteer model. Some of the doctors and dentists are retired with a license to practice, some work on their day off and others are students doing an internship or externship.

Over a thousand volunteers rotate in and out of the free clinic. Approximately 500 medical providers donate their time, along with 300 students and 300 lay people.

“That’s how we’re able to provide so much service for so few dollars,” Barlow said.

Yet, even with volunteers and donations, money is still a recurring issue.

“The thing that keeps me awake at night is the funding,” Barlow said. “I don’t worry about patient care; I think it’s better than in private practice.”

On the flip side of the coin, Barlow says people in the local community are very generous with their time, which creates no need to worry about finding volunteers.

“People here give,” Barlow said. “People want to give back.”

If you would like more information about the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, visit their Web site at www.fccv.net.

In 1877, Reverend Willard Parsons saw children’s need for a break from the inner-city streets. He asked his small congregation to provide country vacations to these children and the organization was launched.

The Fresh Air Fund came to Virginia in 1997, but is present in 17 states around the U.S. and has benefited more than 1.7 million children. Around the Lynchburg area, many families have chosen to take part in this organization each summer. The number of children helped varies from summer to summer.

“It depends on how many host families we can get each summer. If we get 10 host families, then 10 children can come,” Mary Poe, a FAF Chairperson, said.

The children that participate in the program range in age from six to 12 years, but if a host family enjoys having them, the child can return every year.

“Several families have had children come till they go to college,” Poe said.

Families have been providing summer care for these children for over 130 years. The Johnsons are one of those local families.

Kyrina and Robert Johnson of Lynchburg have been hosting children since 2007. Three different children have passed through their home and one of those has decided to come back again for a second summer.

The Johnsons, including their 8-year-old son, Lyzander, are excited to once again host 9-year-old Tafari from Harlem, NY.

“A friend had hosted the summer before our first time, so we heard about it from them,” Kyrina explained. “We thought it was an awesome program. We chose to move to the country from the city, so we both recognized the value of country living for a couple weeks for the kids—that’s the choice we made for our son.”

Even though Lyzander is an only child, his parents say he and Tafari get along great. The two boys clicked right from the start and have even kept in contact since last summer. Both of them are looking forward to this year’s visit.

The Johnsons participate in lots of activities while Tafari is here. Hiking in state parks, swimming in local lakes and playing tennis are just a few of them. The community is also welcoming to FAF children. Not only is Tafari able to go to karate with Lyzander, but also businesses offer their support with products and services.

Hosting a child can be a great learning experience. Kyrina shared what she has learned most from it.

“Children are awesome, no matter where they are growing up. We’ve met some unique and amazing kids,” she said, adding that she would readily recommend the program to others. “Absolutely. I think it is an opportunity for both the kids and hosts to grow. It’s a great experience for them to be thrown into a situation and develop a friendship with the child.”

If you are not the creative type, don’t worry. The Fresh Air Fund, together with your community, organizes events such as horseback riding, campfires and Luaus.

“You don’t have to have kids to host the child. Some kids have great experiences with aunts and uncles or grandparents. It’s awesome for them to have kids for a couple of weeks. It’s important for people to know that,” Kyrina said.

The Fresh Air Fund is a simple yet powerful program that can transform a child’s life. For the Johnsons, it has transformed the landscape of their last few summers, and hopefully, the ones of those to come.

“I really, really believe in the program. It’s an amazing opportunity for these kids who don’t have an opportunity to go fishing or hiking or any of those things,” Kyrina explained. “They would be in school all day every day during the summer if not for the program.”

For information on how to get involved or to make a donation, visit www.freshair.org

“I can’t tell you how I became president; that’s still a mystery to me,” Morrison said. “But, here I am.”

When she was elected president for a year, Morrison hoped to take on a large project.

“We really needed a big community project that would solidify the membership and make a significant contribution to our community,” Morrison said.

Her initial inspiration behind building a new spray park came from a magazine she was reading, which had a story about parks.

“The idea germinated,” Morrison said. “I went to talk to the board, and they liked it.”

The Rotary club, along with the City of Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department, will build the new playground adjacent to the spray-ground in Riverside Park, off of Rivermont Avenue.

“Everything just came together like magic,” Morrison said. “What is different and special about this park is that it’s defined as universally accessible. It will be user friendly for children and families of all physical and mental abilities.”

Riverside Park, which was originally built in 1923, will also potentially reach more citizens with this addition. Morrison said the equipment will be sophisticated, fun and built so that children with physical disabilities can enjoy a day at the park.

“If there are children in wheelchairs, there will be a way to get them in there and get them on the equipment and really have fun,” Morrison said.

The club has committed to giving $50,000 of the $85,000 needed for the playground within three years. Morrison, who is not the only one ecstatic about the addition to the park, has high hopes of raising the funds sooner.

“We’ve got to do it in less than three years,” said Naomi Amos, a member for 11 years.  “The more we can do to get young families into Lynchburg the better.”

Amos says she is excited to be looking over the park designs this month and hopes to get the ground breaking underway as soon as possible.

“We are very excited about this project,” she said.

The mission of the Rotary Club, which is a worldwide nonprofit organization, is to “provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards and to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.”

There are currently two clubs in Lynchburg—a morning and noon club. The noon club recently inducted nine new Rotarians, which brought their club up to a total of 70 members.

“We’re very pleased about that,” Morrison said. “It’s good for us to have new blood.”

Although both clubs have worked together in the past, the park funds are being raised solely by the noon group. The morning club, however, has offered to help with more “hands on” assistance such as mulching, planting and landscaping.

Rotary International was founded in1905, with the 280th club, the Lynchburg club, beginning in February 1917. Currently, there are over 32,000 clubs today worldwide, which are spread across 200 countries.  With their motto being “service above self,” they have undertaken many projects to benefit the community aside from the current park-building venture. Examples include a partnership with Rebuilding Together, High School Ethics Recognition Awards, supporting the Salvation Army, Rotary Centennial Skate Park and hosting the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival, which takes place every year on March 17, and has been a huge fundraiser for the club.

“We have averaged quite a nice profit,” Morrison said.

With both Rotarians and members of the community in attendance, the proceeds have been large enough to provide funds for organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Daily Bread and the Free Clinic.

The fundraising for the addition to Riverside Park has already begun and is currently underway.

For more information about the Lynchburg Rotary club, visit their Web site at www.lynchburgrotaryclub.com.

“It happened about two years ago, to the date,” Allethia Ingram, Director of Planning and Development, said.

Working from a temporary location may have been an inconvenient task, yet it did not prevent Lyn-CAG from fulfilling their mission of helping people. Founded in 1965, Lyn-CAG is a nonprofit organization that serves low-income families and individuals in Central Virginia. With over 25 services and programs, they impacted more than 11,000 people from 2008 to 2009. They strive to provide short-term assistance to those in economic need, with the goal of helping them to eventually reach self-sufficiency.

Currently, the greatest consistent need relates to housing issues. With utility costs drastically increasing, more and more people are in need of financial assistance.

“It’s just outlandish,” James Mundy, president and CEO of Lyn-CAG, said, referring to the fact that it is not unusual to receive an electric bill that is over $1,000. “Utility costs have gone through the roof, and we have people who are constantly needing assistance to pay bills.”

Traditionally, Lyn-CAG has served low-income citizens; however, with the current economy, more moderate-income people are seeking help.

“In the last two or three years, we’re seeing more moderate income folks who have either lost a job because their plant closed, or there’s a reduction in some other manner in the workforce,” Ingram said.

Financial needs are not the only source of assistance Lyn-CAG provides. They also offer housing for the homeless, childcare, emergency transportation services and more.

Lyn-CAG does provide services which help job-seekers find employment, which includes offering a certified nursing program. With 152 participants in the last year, the program provides an opportunity to develop a skill where the employment produces an increased income.

One of their larger programs, Head Start, has 12 centers and reaches out to families of pre-school aged children. The program for 3- and 4-year-olds helps enhance literacy and math skills to better prepare them for kindergarten. According to their 2008-2009 report, 1,250 children from birth through age 5 were provided with some kind of assistance.

The programs are designed to help people who are experiencing a difficult time financially, while giving them encouragement to get back on their feet. 

“We meet people at their point of need,” Ingram said. “It’s a one-stop shop here.”

Ingram told of a lady who lost everything in a fire and needed clothing for her children. Because of the donations Lyn-CAG had received, she was able to pick out what her family needed.

Food is another great need that Lyn-CAG is able to provide through their food pantry.

“You’d be surprised at the number of folks who will come in at the end of the month when food stamps have run out and they just need two or three day’s worth of food,” Ingram said.

Mundy said they do not want people to become dependent on their assistance, but they hope to provide help where it is needed.

“What we try to do is to give them the support they need to get where they need to go,” Mundy said.

Although they do receive both state and federal funds, Lyn-CAG depends heavily on grants and fundraisers. They accept furniture, small appliances and other household items; however, financial gifts, which are tax deductible, still remain their greatest need due to the fact that the grants they receive must be used in specified areas, thus limiting the availability of funds for unexpected needs.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities available at Lyn-CAG.

“We love volunteers,” Mundy said.

To volunteer or make a donation to Lynchburg Community Action Group, visit www.lyncag.org or call (434) 846-2778.

Executive Director Stacey Garrett, who has been with the Miller Home for five years, has witnessed the continued refinement that initial investment has made possible in the young women who have come through the doors.

“When Samuel Miller wrote this endowment to start this in his will, he was very clear on what he wanted this to be and it did evolve into something that has lasted a legacy, probably longer than he thought,” Garrett said. “The impact that it has had on hundreds of women in our community is amazing.”

In the beginning years, then the Lynchburg Female Orphanage Asylum, the home cared for up to a hundred girls at a time. Since then, it has scaled into a smaller home caring for anywhere from 10 to 15 girls at a time.

“Each girl’s story is different. They don’t come here sharing a textbook background. Their lives can be somewhat parallel, but it is completely different from girl to girl as to why they cannot live at home,” Garrett said. “This is a great place for a young girl who finds herself in that situation for whatever reason to have some opportunities to blend with the normal type of teenage life.”

Placement at the Miller Home is for girls who are considered “at risk,” be it from their previous environment, from influences around them or from themselves. While at the home, counselors and positive role models are available to the girls and they are encouraged to live life normally, participating in public school as well as any school activities.

“We are not a short-term placement, treatment placement or a pregnancy placement situation,” Garrett said. “Girls stay here for at least a year, sometimes longer, but the goal is to reunite and reconnect them with their home life.”

Garrett, along with the eight other staff members at the home, play a vital role in each of the girls’ lives, spending time with them, eating meals and snacks with them and making themselves available at all times. Two employees rotate on a four days on, four days off schedule, living with the girls on-site while part-time staff members attend to maintenance and food preparation. Other office staff members are at the home during the day and maintain an open door policy to encourage a home atmosphere.

Every day, a schedule is posted listing in detail the events of the day including who needs to be where at what times and who needs to be picked up throughout the day. This method of organization is essential to keeping track of each girl, as well as keeping everyone updated on what needs to happen on that particular day.

“We have included a mandatory study hall, along with a 30-minute exercise time, in addition to the clubs and practices that each girl is involved with each day,” Garrett said. “We also include weekly chores like dusting, vacuuming and other general cleaning responsibilities. It is a lot like the chores they would have at home.”

A behavioral program is in effect for the girls living at the home to instill values and responsibility. Daily, each girl starts with 30 points reflecting positive behavior. Throughout the day, points may be deducted for such things as lateness or disrespect, and at the end of the week, each day’s total is averaged, determining one of four behavioral levels. Maximum privileges such as cell phone and or television time, as well as dates and friends visits, are extended to the highest behavioral level. With each step down, fewer privileges are extended.

“We try to create a home atmosphere and instill in the girls that their actions can create consequences. Our goal is to give them opportunities to be as normal as our rules and regulations allow them to be,” Garrett said. “We see these girls come in as young women and mature into young adults. It is our responsibility to guide them in the right direction and prepare them for what is next.”

In its 136 years of operation, the Miller Home has never taken state or federal funding and relies solely on donations and volunteer support. Many board members are trained to be certified volunteers to house girls who have nowhere to go over the holidays or to those who just want to go out to the movies for the night. Other volunteers can come into the home to invest in and spend time with the girls. Each donation of time and or money allows the home to keep its doors open to girls who need another living option.

“We have been around a long time and have been able to take care of a lot of women,” Garrett said. “Their stories are real, their fear and lack of trust are real and some of their lives have been unfair. What some of these girls have come through … it is a wonder they can smile and get themselves up every day. To us, they are heroes.”