Annual Dinner Highlights the Power of Community with $286,633 in Grant Awards

BAF celebrated a successful year of charitable grantmaking by recognizing unrestricted donors, and the most recent Community Grant Program recipients. 

The Community Grant Program awards discretionary grants to charitable organizations serving Raleigh County in the areas of animal services, the arts, civic beautification, education, health & human services, and public recreation.

BAF has 84 unrestricted funds that award over $300,000 each year to charitable organizations that benefit Raleigh County. Over time, these funds have awarded over $4.2 million to support Raleigh County projects.

During the event, Beth Jarrell, Chair of the Empty Bowls project at Quota Club of Beckley, gave an inspiring speech on what it means to work together as a community. The Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held at the United Methodist Temple, The Place on April 13th from noon to 2pm.

​Sixteen volunteers representing a cross section of our community spent hours reading every grant proposal, scoring them, and discussing them to recommend grant awards. The BAF Board of Directors reviewed the committee grant recommendations for final approval.

BAF was joined by over 35 local organizations who were recognized for their project and grant award. The BAF Board of Directors approved a total of $286,633 in Community Grant Awards to support 46 organizations — The most grant dollars BAF has ever awarded at one time from this program.

Full list of Community Grant Recipients:

Active Southern WV - Equipment to Enhance Program Access
American Red Cross: Central Appalachia Region - Disaster Cycle Services
Appalachian Reading Center - Dyslexia Services for Low-Income Youth
AWAY (Women's Resource Center) - The Rehoming Survivors Project
Beaver Volunteer Fire Department - Explosive and Hazardous Gas Detection
Beckley Health Right - Restorative Dental Project 2024
Brian's Safehouse - There's No Place Like Home
Buckskin Council, BSA - Building resiliency in young people through scouting programs!
Catholic Charities WV - Basic Needs Assistance
Children's Home Society of WV - Exceptional Youth Family Support
Clear Fork Elementary - Safety First
Coal City Volunteer Fire Department - IRP Radios
Communities In Schools - GO with the FLOW
Ghent Area Volunteer Fire Department - Essential Life Saving Equipment
Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council - Girl Scout Outreach
Helping Hands Community Resource Center - 2024 Food Distribution
Hospice of Southern WV - Peaceful Pathway
Humane Society of Raleigh County - The HSRC Cat Colony Program
Just For Kids Child Advocacy Center - Therapy Dog
Lillian James Learning Center - Office Update and Cooler Purchase
Mountaineer Food Bank - Veterans Table Program
Piney Creek Watershed Association - Pollinator Garden Revitalization
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing - Beckley Program Support
Quota Club of Beckley - Empty Bowls
Raleigh County Board of Education - WV Dance Company Teaching Residency
Raleigh County Commission on Aging - Convection Oven
Raleigh County Community Action Association - Life Pack
Raleigh County Public Library - Adventure Begins at Your Library
Raleigh County Recreation Authority - Mobile Rec Equipment
Raleigh County Sheriff's Office - AED Project
Sophia Christian Academy - Safe Clean Water
Sophia Police Department - Portable Radio Project
Southern Appalachian Labor School - Protecting the Family Home IV
Southern WV Preparedness Partnership - Heads Up
Stewards Individual Placements - Beckley Area Youth Conservation Crew
The Carpenter's Corner - Commercial Freezer & Food
The Marshall University Foundation - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in WV
The Salvation Army - Boys & Girls Club Go Green Kitchen
United Apostolic Faith Church - Back 2 School Summerfest 2024
United Methodist Temple, F.O.L.K. Ministry - Feed Our Local Kids (F.O.L.K.)
United Methodist Temple, Service and Witness - Handicap ramps for families in need
United Way of Southern WV - Read Across Raleigh County
WVU Foundation - Expanding "BAF Portable Computer Lab"
WV COLLECTIVE - Youth Theatre Camp: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
WV Professional Dance Company - WV dance to Serve Raleigh County Schools
YMCA of Southern WV - Adult Water Rescue Manikins

BAF would like to thank everyone who helped make this dinner a success.

Thank you to our Donors. The vision you have to support organizations now, and leave a lasting legacy for the future is inspiring. BAF is honored to help facilitate charitable giving that advances our community.

Thank you to our local organizations. Each of you are critical to the success of Raleigh County. The impact you have on the community is unmeasurable, and BAF is honored to support your efforts.

Thank you to the many volunteers, committee members and board members who continue to support BAF, we are immensely grateful for your contributions.​

Thank you Karen Akers for being our photographer for this event, and many others in the past.

Anyone interested in donating to our unrestricted funds may mail contributions with “Power of Community” in the memo to BAF, 1210 S. Kanawha Street, Beckley, WV 25801 or click the button below to donate online. If you are interested in starting a fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email [email protected].

Support BAF's Unrestricted Funds