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].
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To build a legacy of helping others, contribute to the community, and instill the value of education, the Shady Spring High School Class of 1969 recently established the “SSHS Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund”. This scholarship will support matriculating seniors from SSHS attending a college, technical or vocational school in West Virginia. “As Co-Chairs of the SSHS Class of 1969 Scholarship Fundraising Committee, we are so excited to announce we have totally funded our scholarship with Beckley Area Foundation. We appreciate their acceptance to help with the security of these funds and collection of the applications that meet the committee’s requirements for acceptance. This past year (2023) we selected a very deserving student as our first award winner and are looking forward to all the future awards that we will be presenting. We want to thank all of our classmates that so graciously gave to fund the scholarship and make an impact on the life of someone special.” — Roy Shrewsbury, II, Drema Lovell Simpson and Terry Noel | Co-Chairs, SSHS Class of 1969 The SSHS Class of 1969 was diverse, but filled with comradery, as evidenced by the commitment to establishing a scholarship of posterity during their 50th year reunion. The foundational funding was realized within a short three years when they celebrated together in their 53rd year. Their very first annual $500 scholarship was awarded this past school year (2023) during Shady Spring High School’s 100th year! The Class of 1969 were so proud to launch this representation of their legacy! “I have always been amazed with the closeness and mutual support of my graduating class. When planning our 50th year reunion, an unusually large number of classmates showed up at each planning meeting — visiting and offering details and excitement to the upcoming celebration. When the agenda item came up regarding the scholarship project, it was magic. Who would have guessed that after all these years, the feeling of closeness and friendship would come flooding back? Nineteen hundred sixty-nine — the year the first manned, lunar walk occurred, and the year our classmates launched into our future! I am beyond proud of my classmates, and I treasure the experiences we’ve shared.” — Linda Bennett Bragg | Fund Representative, SSHS Class of 1969 Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “SSHS 1969” in the memo to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha St., 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].
Jack Jordan Roop was born in 1933 in Kentucky to the late William Gordan Roop and Delsie Mae Artrip. Jack spent most of his early life in the WV coal camp of Tamroy, where his father worked as a coal miner. As a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Class of 1951, Jack knew school wasn’t his favorite pastime, but adding and subtracting numbers came naturally to him. This ability led him to successful business ventures such as Bluestone Motors, Acme Bonding, Merchants Adjustment, Rosa Realty, Egnor Monument, and a cattle company.
Jack began his political career in 1976 after winning his bid as a Raleigh County Commissioner. After serving his term until 1982, he moved to the WV House of Delegates, where he represented the 27th District for five consecutive terms until 1992. He retired until Gov. Gaston Caperton requested his service as the Executive Director of the WV Regional Jail Authority. Again, he retired, only to be requested to serve on the WV State Treasury Staff. He officially retired in 2020 at the age of 86. Jack never forgot his community, city, county, and state. He proudly served his community and continually and humbly helped others. He loved people, never met a stranger, and had the ability to turn anything negative into a positive. He served on dozens of local boards and helped them tremendously through the years. He was Chair of the Board of Directors and founder of the Maxwell Hill Scholarship Fund. His pet projects were the Lillian James Center and the Raleigh County Commission on Aging. Mary Frances Roop was born in 1937 in Ohio to the late Carl and Virginia Hodges. Mary was a graduate of Mount Hope High School and began her career at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, serving for 35 years. She later became employed with the WV State Senate and the Raleigh County Clerk's Office, where she would meet coworkers who became her extended family. Mary was named the 2022 WV Democrat of the Year and served as a Board Member of the Lillian James Learning Center. Jack and Mary were faithful members of the Maxwell Hill Baptist Church. They were not ashamed of their faith and dedication to their Lord and Savior. This foundation guided them through relationships and life’s endeavors. Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “Roop Family” in the memo to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha St., 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]. Students First Program Awards $33,557.45 to Raleigh County Schools for Innovative Projects10/27/2023 Beckley Area Foundation began the Students First program in 1996, to provide funding support for creative and innovative instructional projects. This grant opportunity supports Raleigh County classroom teachers, Pre-K through 12th grade. This year, BAF announced they increased the max award amount for each project to $750, from $500. A committee comprised of current and retired educators, community volunteers and BAF board members reviewed applications utilizing a 'blind methodology'. This methodology does not present the applicant's name or school during the review process. Thank you to the volunteers who helped BAF review and recommend awards. "On behalf of the BAF review committee, we would like to say congratulations to all the grant recipients this year. It’s exciting to see the energy, engagement and creative thinking these teachers are going to bring to their classrooms to inspire their students’ love of learning. We would also like to thank all those who applied, and we look forward to seeing even more teachers apply next year." — Michelle Leftwich | Students First Chair and BAF Board Member The BAF Board of Directors reviewed the committee grant recommendations for final approval and awarded $33,557.45 to 55 projects, supporting 44 teachers at 17 schools.
Full list of funded projects:
BAF is very thankful to the Carter Family Foundation for their continued partnership of this program. Anyone interested in growing the pool of unrestricted funds that are used to address emerging needs and special projects, including the Students First Program, can make donations in any amount to any unrestricted fund. Mail contributions to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, WV 25801, or donate by clicking the button below. If you are interested in starting an unrestricted fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email [email protected]. BAF is honored to announce the establishment of the Stoutamyer Scholarship Fund, in memory of Raymond “Pody” Stoutamyer. Raymond taught science and biology in Wyoming County for nearly 40 years at Oceana and Pineville high schools. The scholarship is to benefit students with financial need from Wyoming East High School, to enable their quest for higher education while reducing their financial burden. Raymond, fondly known as Pody, was born in Augusta County, VA, August 20, 1933. He grew up spending summers on the farm and the remainder of his time in Rainelle, WV. He had many dear friends from Rainelle, and just as many wild, wonderful stories about growing up. He was well-liked, a multi-sport athlete, and quite a comedian. He joined the military and served in Korea as military police (MP) and brought great honor to his role in bringing home soldiers killed in the line of duty. He attended Concord college and met the love of his life, Nancy Louise Gunter. They spent the next 65 years together. They graduated from Concord and received master's degrees from Marshall University. He continued to play sports in college, where he joined the tennis team and played football briefly, because someone bet him that he couldn't make the team. His passion to teach made an impact on generations and he cared about each student's education to guide them to a better life. He was loved and respected because that is what he gave to his students first. His home was always open, and he and Louise hosted many impromptu gatherings on the back porch and badminton court. He also coached tennis for many years, and played well into his 70's. An avid outdoorsman, he loved to hunt and fish. He travelled to Canada to fish and fly fishing became his passion later in life. He was still a sharpshooter at 88. He loved to travel with Louise, her sister Daisy, and Daisy's husband Richard. They saw the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, etc., played many games of cards, and of course, kept score.
He was an amazing father to Rick and Chris Ann. He taught them to be curious about the world, love nature, be observant, conscientious, kind, competitive, free-spirited, fun, funny, take risks, and to follow their dreams. He was so proud of them and the lives they built with their families. He loved his three granddaughters with all his heart, and had wonderful relationships with every niece, nephew, and cousin. Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “Stoutamyer” 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]. Beckley Area Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the Shady Spring High School Class of 1986 Scholarship Fund, an initiative to empower students pursuing their post-secondary education after graduating from SSHS. The SSHS Class of '86 chose to leverage the "building over time" option provided by BAF, an approach allowing all donors to establish a fund while only requiring 20% of the startup costs upfront. This helpful option offers donors an extended timeline to raise the remaining funds. “Our SSHS Class of ‘86 is phenomenal - a close-knit bunch of friends full of class spirit. We grew up together and collectively appreciate how much our community supported us and helped us achieve our goals as we graduated. As a class, we started talking about establishing a scholarship at our first reunion. Now this scholarship is a reality! Especially as SSHS celebrates its 100-year anniversary, we are excited to award our first SSHS Class of 1986 scholarship to a student attending a 2-year or 4-year university, technical or trade school.” — Deena Salon | Fund Representative, BAF Board Member and SLYP Mentor The Shady Spring High School Class of 1986 Scholarship Fund seeks to recognize and support exceptional students. By alleviating some of the financial burdens, the scholarship aims to allow students to focus on their studies and maximize their potential. The SSHS Class of ‘86 encourages alumni, local businesses, and philanthropists to contribute and support the leaders of tomorrow. “I am beyond proud to be a member of the SSHS Class of 1986. Thirty-seven years later, many of us still maintain our unique relationships. We share in celebrating each other’s successes, family milestones, births of children and grandchildren, as well as grieve together when losing one of our own. Being able to give back to our high school and community by offering this scholarship is a collective vision we’ve shared for years. Seeing it come to fruition during the 100th anniversary year of Shady Spring High School is both exciting and fulfilling. I will be anxiously awaiting to congratulate our first recipients.” — Penny Jessup Lowery | Fund Representative Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “SSHS 1986” 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].
The Hedrick Family have been pillars of the Beckley community for many generations. Their dedication to those in need, those that need support, or a fresh start has always been the core of how they live their lives. Family, faith, and community dictated the importance of sharing and continues to this day.
The fund has been set up by Susan Hedrick and her children John Christopher Hedrick, and Mary Natalie Hedrick Fey in hopes of providing a fresh start and new beginning to so many leaving foster care. This designated agency fund was established to support the work of Brian's Safehouse and Sparrow's Nest. This "building over time" fund will help those with substance use disorders break the bonds of addiction and learn to live free from all chemical substances in a faith-based setting. "Building over time" is an option all new donors have when establishing a fund at BAF. Only 20% of the start-up costs are required and the organization has additional time to raise the existing funds. “The purpose of the fund is so the ministry will continue long after the founders are no longer able to be involved. We are excited about this opportunity; we have always relied on the support of the community for this ministry.” — Leon Brush | Co-founder, Brian’s Safehouse & Sparrow’s Nest Brian's Safehouse has been operating since 2008 and Sparrow’s Nest since 2016. These establishments are a place where men and women, who are fighting against addiction, can experience the life restoring powers of God in an environment free from the temptations of drugs and alcohol. Both organizations are a 12-month, in-patient program located on closed campuses. The programs are biblically based, acknowledging that complete restoration comes through Jesus Christ. They teach residents emotional, spiritual, and practical life skills while individualized treatment plans address underlying issues as well as focus on the resident's strengths and potential. Both organizations strive to enable residents to re-enter society as responsible, contributing citizens. “The structure, knowledge, and support I received from Brian's Safehouse completely changed my life. Today I am a successful, driven person whose achievements reflect the work the Safehouse put into me. I am grateful for everything they have done.” — Graduate, Brian’s Safehouse Anyone interested in donating to this fund may mail contributions with “Brian’s Safehouse” in the memo to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha St., Beckley, WV 25801 or click the button below to donate online. If you are interested in starting a designated agency fund or leaving a legacy gift, call BAF at 304-253-3806 or email [email protected].
Beckley Area Foundation is governed by a 15-member board of directors, each serving a three-year term. Members can serve no more than two consecutive terms. Over the past 38 years, a total of 103 Raleigh County residents have served on the BAF board and generously given their time and talents to support the day-to-day operations of our community foundation. “While membership is certainly an honor, this is a working board; the success of our organization depends upon time-consuming efforts of these volunteers. They work without expectation of personal recognition or reward.” — Dena Cushman | Executive Director, Beckley Area Foundation Rick Lay and Robert Doug Smith were elected to fill the vacancies created when Kevin Heath Bailey and Ray Morton rotated off the board.
Rick moved to Raleigh County in 2013 with his wife while searching for an area to retire. He attended Virginia Tech graduating with a B.S. in Computer Science. Prior to retirement, he was the IT Manager at Marathon Petroleum Company. Rick is currently a member and volunteer for Carpenter's Corner, he serves on the board of directors for the WV Woodturners Association, and he also serves on the board of directors for the Glade Springs Village POA. Rick and his wife Stoya currently reside in Daniels. They have a son, Chris, and two grandchildren Caleb & Liam. Doug grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from Waynesburg University in 1978. He worked for three years at a regional CPA firm in Wheeling, WV and moved to Beckley, WV in 1981. He was a partner in a large local CPA firm until October 2006, when he joined Vecellio Group, Inc. (VGI) as its Senior VP of Finance. Doug semi-retired in January 2023, but still serves as VGI's Director for Compliance and Tax. He also volunteers as an online financial coach for Crown Financial and maintains various credentials including CPA, CCIFP and CKA. Doug has served on various church and community boards over the years and enjoys spending time with his family. Doug and his wife Jody presently reside in Beckley. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Doug and Jody established the Natalie Jo Smith Scholarship Fund at BAF in 2010, in memory of their daughter. Currently, BAF's Board is comprised of the following individuals:
BAF's Community Grant Program awards annual 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. Fifteen 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. The BAF Board of Directors approved $220,553.28 to fund 44 projects between April 2023 and March 2024. Areas of Interest Breakdown: Health & Human Services - $129,040.47 Education - $36,401.61 Arts - $29,361.20 Public Recreation - $13,345.00 Civic Beautification - $7,405.00 Animal Services - $5,000.00 The Raleigh County Public Library's project in 2022 was a summer reading program called, "An Ocean of Stories" to help maintain the children’s reading levels between school sessions. Children 3-13 kept a reading log each week to show that they completed their book. The majority of children in the program read at least 8 books over the summer. Prizes and crafts were also incorporated into the program to help incentivize reading. “In Summer 2022, the Raleigh County Public Library put on a summer reading program for close to 400 children per week at our Beckley location. Thanks to area donors and organizations, our staff can help to make reading fun all summer long. We hope to see you this summer where we invite you to — Read Beyond the Beaten Path.” — Amy Stover | Director, Raleigh County Public Library Full listing of funded projects:
Anyone interested in growing the pool of unrestricted funds that are used to address emerging needs and special projects can make donations in any amount to any unrestricted fund. Mail contributions to BAF, 1210 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, WV 25801, or donate by filling out the form below. If you are interested in starting a named unrestricted fund, call the foundation at 304-253-3806 or email [email protected]. |
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