This scholarship is named in honor of Arthur, “Art,” John Leavenworth by Rhonda Leavenworth Johnson. Rhonda’s father was a longtime member of the Eureka Lodge #195 located in Bridgewater. He contributed money personally to this scholarship and was known to crush and recycle aluminum cans to increase the funds available to donate to needy students.
The purpose of this scholarship fund is to provide at least two awards each year; one scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior at Turner Ashby High School and one is awarded to a graduating senior from Fort Defiance High School. Consideration for this scholarship is given to applicants with financial need, who have demonstrated strong academic performance and community involvement.
2017 recipients of the Arthur John Leavenworth – Eureka Lodge #195 Scholarship are Megan Comfort from Turner Ashby High School and Blair Landram from Fort Defiance High School. Megan plans to attend Virginia Tech University, and Blair will begin at Blue Ridge Community College.
This scholarship fund is intended to support qualified graduate students in either the Seminary or the Master of Arts in Counseling at Eastern Mennonite University.
The Layman H. & Ruth S. Lantz Scholarship was established by an anonymous donor who wanted to honor her parents, who have made the world a better place to live though their lifetime support of so many worthwhile causes. Their devotion to their faith and deep commitment to service have been outstanding features of their lives for over eight decades. The interest and enthusiasm they demonstrate for higher education and training in the human service fields has been an inspiration to others.
Consideration for this scholarship is given to applicants with demonstrated financial need, clear future goals, academic performance, character, and a sense of calling for the human service field.
Sabrina Burress, the 2017 recipient of the Laymon H. & Ruth S. Lantz Scholarship is a pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the Counseling program at EMU.
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The George W. Shreckhise Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by Mrs. Judith Shreckhise Strickler in memory of her father. George Shreckhise spent a lifetime enjoying and working in agribusiness, with an emphasis, later in life, in the nursery business. Horticulture is plant science that includes the study of plant growth and plant interactions with the environment (soil, air, water) to improve human life through the cultivation of crops and the maintenance of a sustainable environment. This scholarship, named for Mr. Shreckhise, supports students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Horticulture. Consideration is given to academic standing, leadership qualities, and volunteer or work experience related to Horticulture.
The 2017 recipients of the George W. Shreckhise Memorial Scholarship are both students at Virginia Tech University:
Ella Reeves (Dublin, VA)
Rachael LaFlamme (Granby, CT)
Ella Reeves was also a 2016 recipient of this scholarship.
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Hundreds of the most generous community leaders gathered at the JMU Festival Student and Conference Center to celebrate National Philanthropy Day on Monday, November 21, 2016. This has become an annual event of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and an appropriate way to start the week of Thanksgiving.
Groups and Individuals were honored for gifts to the community, including Ted and Stephanne Byrd for their commitment to nonprofit organizations. “This community was our home, (growing up), and being raised here and seeing the opportunities that were provided to us, gives us the ability in turn to make sure those opportunities exist for our kids and maybe their children,” said Ted. Ted’s first example of giving was to the church, followed by participating in trick-or-treat for Unicef. Stephanne encouraged everyone to get involved by sharing with the crowd a favorite quote by Arthur Ash, “Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.”
Ted and Stephanne have been involved with countless nonprofit organizations. Unless they are on vacation and don’t have computer access, there is hardly a day that goes by when they are not working for an organization to make our community better. They are a true living example of what giving and serving means. Stephanne and Ted are visionary and dream big. They utilize their time to work on those things that will have a lasting impact on our community. Their commitment to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County is relentless and we are a richer, more vibrant community because of their gifts.
Both Ted and Stephanne have given to many nonprofit organizations, too many to list. Ted was thanked for his leadership and gifts to the Salvation Army, as well as, the Massanutten Regional Library, and the American Frontier Culture Center. Stephanne was recognized for her leadership and gifts to the Arts Council of the Valley, Shenandoah Valley Economic Education, both at the local and state level, and for the very breath and life she gave to The Community Foundation.
Giving isn’t about the donation but rather the difference it makes. Congratulations to Ted and Stephanne Byrd, 2016 Individual Philanthropist Award honorees.
Karen Komara and The Scarf Factory was also recognized at the event, as Youth in Philanthropy honoree. Karen, a fifth grade teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary School, taught her students an economics lesson by making scarfs and selling them for $4. The students learned the importance of giving back and selected the Harrisonburg Rockingham Free Clinic as the recipient of their proceeds.
Chad Layman, Kathy Sizemore and Stacy Farley were honored as the Spirit of Philanthropy for their work on a new event, K9s for Warriors Adventure Race, which raised around $200,000. K9 for Warriors program rescues dogs and trains them to be service dogs for veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
LSC Communications, (known formerly as RR Donnelley) was honored as the Corporate Philanthropist. LSC Communications have a culture of giving back to the community. Often employees recommend supporting project in and around the community.
Janet Wendelken was recognized for her professional accomplishments as the Sandra S. Neff Fundraising Executive Award. Janet has worked in the community for a long time, including work at MillerCoors, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, Rockingham Education Foundation, James Madison University and the RMH Foundation.
Congratulations to everyone.
As we continue to celebrate this Thanksgiving Season, thank you all for your gifts to this community as we Dream. Share. Build. Our Community.
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The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County (TCFHR) will work with Blue Ridge Architects to pre-qualify potential bidders for the Eastham House renovation project. This historic Harrisonburg structure, located at 317 S. Main Street, will be the new home for TCFHR offices in 2017.
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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Tax Credit Program is a way to support educational opportunities for local students and receive a 65% Virginia state tax credit on top of current state and federal charitable deductions. These state tax credits may be used in the tax year they are issued.
This program is similar to NAP credits, but is for individual or business donors interested in supporting scholarships at private K-12 schools in Virginia. Donations provide scholarship funds to support students of families that meet financial need criteria. The credits may not exceed the tax liability, but can be carried over for five succeeding years.
This year, the state has authorized up to $25 million in Education Improvement Tax Credits. The credits are readily available, but December 14th is a critical deadline to get this done for calendar year 2016 tax filings. It takes up to 2 weeks to receive the authorization allowing the taxpayer to make a qualified donation. Please note that donation checks may not be written before authorization is received.
The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County is an approved scholarship foundation for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Our staff will be glad to help you work through the process, and we can expedite application for these credits by sending forms electronically to the state. Program details and the Preauthorization Form can be found on the Virginia Department of Education website.
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HARRISONBURG — A couple’s love for agriculture is being passed on to future generations.
The CommunityFoundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced Thursday that it received a $1.7 million gift from the estate of Thelma Phillips. The gift will be used to create up to 11 scholarships for Valley students interested in pursuing careers in agriculture. It also preserves the legacy of the late Thelma and Bill Phillips.
For nearly 30 years, Bill and Thelma “Curly” Phillips of New Market rose before dawn to milk the cows, harvest vegetables and work their 285 acres in Shenandoah County. Bill Phillips was known for his willingness to help others. “He was the kind of person that, when it snowed, he was always out,” said Chuck Mathias, a friend of the couple. “He would open up our driveway and other people’s driveways.” And Thelma Phillips could often be found in the kitchen making treats.In addition to their generosity, the Phillipses are remembered for their love of farming. “They were just hardworking, good people,” Mathias said.
Thelma Phillips would help her husband in any way possible, whether making meals for the farm hand or drive Bill Phillips around on Sundays so he could see check in on other farms. “Their whole life was around farming, and anything she could do to assist him, she enjoyed doing,” said Revlan Hill, The Community Foundation‘s executive director.
In 1980, Bill Phillips died from a heart attack. Twenty-three years later, his wife established a fund at The CommunityFoundation to honor him. The foundation acts as a conduit between donors and charitable groups by managing property and money. In 2015, Thelma Phillips died at 86 years old.
Memory Lives On
The couple’s interest in agriculture isn’t being forgotten, however. In fact, their legacy could spark interest in future farmers. Through the scholarship fund, The CommunityFoundation will award $1,500 scholarships to seniors at Broadway, Harrisonburg and Stonewall Jackson high schools. “She always wanted to do a scholarship for those schools,” Hill said. “Her love for the area, her love for students, her love for farming — that’s what she wanted to support.
“Students can renew the scholarships every year for four years, said Ann Siciliano, the foundation‘s director of program services. Offering a renewable scholarship, Siciliano said, could encourage students who might not be interested in a career in agriculture to reconsider the field.Siciliano said students interested in applying for the scholarship must submit an online application, information about their involvement in agriculture, and a transcript. Applicants will be interviewed. A link to the application can be found on The CommunityFoundation‘s website,https://www.tcfhr.org/ and must be completed by March 30, Siciliano said. The foundation will present the scholarships to the recipients during each high school’s spring ceremony.
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In August, grants totaling over $9,500 were distributed to three local nonprofit organizations from the Hildred Neff Memorial Fund. The 2016 grant recipients are all nonprofit organizations that care for domestic animals.
The grants distributed will fully fund the project requests from the Rockingham/Harrisonburg SPCA and Cat’s Cradle of the Shenandoah Valley, Inc. The grant award to Anicira Veterinary Center will partially fund their $9,000 project request. Anicira’s Targeted Community Cat Project is still in need of $6,176 to be fully funded.
During her lifetime, Hildred Neff was a business woman who raised livestock and fruits and vegetables, and was co-owner of J.E. Plecker Florists. Hildred had a special love of animals and she contributed generously to organizations that promote their welfare. She left her estate to create the Hildred Neff Memorial Fund, which benefits agencies that provide for the needs of both domestic and wild animals. The fund was established at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County in 2014.
Next year’s Hildred Neff Memorial Fund grant application will be available in early 2017. Please visit our website for more information if you wish to apply. Grant applications are reviewed in August each year.
If you are interested in contributing to the Hildred Neff Memorial Fund to benefit the care of domestic and wild animals, please contact The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County at 540-432-3863, or visit our website.
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Although it’s still late summer, some people are ready to start planning for the season of giving. Gifts will be carefully chosen for family and friends, scrumptious desserts will be baked and ready to eat, and holiday decorations hung up around the house. What about giving back to the community though? Unfortunately most of us aren’t made of money so when it comes to charitable giving, planning a budget is a necessity. Here are a few tips to start planning for the upcoming holiday season!
Donate your clutter
Go through your house and clear out any unwanted items or things you don’t need that others could use more. Here are a few organizations to start with that accept donations:
Create a small giving circle within your friends and family to pool all your money together and make one large donation to the organization of your choosing.
Set aside part of your income
Try to set aside at least 3% of your income on a regular basis to ensure you’ll have a little something to give and still have a separate pool of money for family gifts.
Employer match donations
Most corporate employers have matching funds or grants that match its employees’ charitable contributions. Some matching gifts are dollar-for-dollar but others can be double or triple the donation.
Blood/plasma donations
When donating money isn’t an option, don’t forget you can donate blood or plasma and some places even compensate you for your donation with cash (which can then be donated if you wish).
Donate your time
Finally, don’t forget you can always donate your time. A lot of organizations are always looking for extra hands to help out in the busy season of giving. Even if it’s only an hour of your time, anything helps!
Aren’t sure where help is needed? Check out these organizations below!
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On a hot sunny afternoon at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, one by one, students arrived at the office. These students came to convince a review committee to select them to receive the largest scholarship award ever offered, thanks to a most generous donor of the Foundation. Some students were shy, others confident. Each student had earned an Associate Degree or completed the transfer program at a community college, and plan to attend a Virginia public university this fall. They also had other things in common: a strong desire to succeed, academic success, plans to give back and live productive lives.
We talked about life lessons learned from failure and what it meant to be successful. Each student had good reflections, like you must remember during any failure or challenge that “it’s just a bad day, not a bad life.” Another student noted it was important to surround yourself with good people and not to let the need to impress your friends influence you to make a bad decision you’ll regret later. Yet another noted when she was in a challenging situation and thought about cheating to get a good grade on a test, she remembered a poster in elementary school that read, “Cheaters never prosper!”
And what does success look like to these young people? We heard, “To get my bachelor’s degree because no one in my family ever completed high school” and “to do good to those around you, be kind, positive, and share a simple smile.” One felt success would be to “look back, be proud, have no regrets,” while another student thinks it important to “live a full life, making good of the time you have on earth.”
Each student showed humility, making the decision to choose recipients more difficult than the committee ever anticipated. We knew the gravity of this decision; it would change the life of two students. Conversations continued for four hours. There were no wrong answers.
After much thought and discussion, a decision was made. Two most fortunate students will be awarded the Late Ace Scholarship. Coming into the interviews, the students never knew the amount of the scholarship. The recipients will be contacted to learn that through the generosity of someone they do not know, their college debt will be taken care of.
What an amazing gift, and well, just another great day at the office!
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Hundreds of the most generous community leaders gathered at the JMU Festival Student and Conference Center to celebrate National Philanthropy Day on Monday, November 21, 2016. This has become an annual event of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and an appropriate way to start the week of Thanksgiving.
