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October 18, 2022 By Amy Pancake

Community Foundation Awards Grants from Charter Fund

The Hardy County Community Foundation recently awarded 8 grants totaling nearly $90,000 from the Hardy County Founding Fund, the Foundation’s first fund.

Established by Mrs. Ruth Cook Heishman when she created her will in 2003, this donor-advised fund primarily supports the schools in East Hardy County. However, this year, the fund advisors also recommended additional grants to support the Moorefield Schools and the two public libraries.

“Mrs. Heishman was a fervent advocate of a robust education, both as a learner and as a teacher,” said Amy Pancake, the Foundation’s director. “She graduated with honors from Ohio State University with a degree in bacteriology, and worked as a laboratory technician for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Later she became a substitute teacher for the Wardensville Schools where she taught every grade”.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Heishman frequently outfitted science classrooms with microscopes and other equipment necessary for the pursuit of knowledge, and bought hundreds of books for the school and public libraries. This legacy continues through The Founding Fund, and educators and students alike will continue to benefit for generations to come.

According to Pancake, this is the twelfth year of grantmaking from the Founding Fund, and the growth in the amount of annual funding demonstrates the power of endowment.

“In 2010, the Fund awarded just over $15,000 in grants,” Pancake said. She continued, “The amount has increased each year, funding opportunities and resources such as spectacular field trips (canoe trips to study the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, STEM challenges at the Air and Space Museum, hands-on geology lesson at the Shenandoah National Park, to name a few), books specifically designed for teaching core vocabulary to students with communication impairments, professional development for teachers, technology for classrooms, new books and technology for school libraries, visiting poets and theater groups, equipment for easier meat processing and preparation for annual Ham, Bacon, and Egg shows/sales, equipment to increase physical activity during school hours to help develop life-long healthy habits, supplies for hands-on exploration of different cultures, and funding to attend state and national educational competitions. This is just a sampling of the programs that have been funded over the years.”

Pancake said that grants this year will support similar activities, and is pleased that the opportunity to access some of the funding has been extended to Moorefield Schools.

For more information about the Founding Fund or other funds held by the Hardy County Community Foundation, contact Amy at 304-358-3431 or apancake@ewvcf.org.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

August 3, 2022 By Amy Pancake

Hampshire County Mini Grants to Teachers Application Now Available

The Hampshire County Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 9th round of Mini-Grants to Teachers. The online application is available here: https://www.ewvcf.org/grants-hampshire/

For the past eight years, the Community Foundation has been providing mini-grants to local teachers ranging in size from $75 to $500.  The purpose of the program is to show appreciation for the dedication and efforts of our local teachers, and provide them with a few extra resources to help them engage their students in new and creative ways.

“The program has grown steadily, with more teachers applying and more grants being awarded each year,” said Amy Pancake, the Foundation’s director. “In 2014, we awarded 13 grants totaling $3,200. Last year, we awarded 44 grants totaling over $20,000.”

In 8 years, the Community Foundation has provided 209 grants totaling $59,000 through this program. Recently, grants have helped teachers purchase materials and resources for a classroom STEM lab, a metal detector for hands-on teaching of Hampshire County history, materials to build a simulated ambulance for an Emergency Medical Services class, wireless headphones to set up a listening center, Choices Magazines as an addition to textbooks and lecture for presenting health information, and sensory manipulatives that promote curiosity and critical thinking skills, to name a few.

Kristian Haines, an art teacher at Romney Middle School, used a mini grant to purchase a variety of art materials in response to student requests to experience different types of art-making. She noticed that many students were using art to express their feelings about and process the challenges resulting from Covid-19 and wanted to give them multiple mediums for this expression. She reported an increase in student engagement with the addition of the new materials. Students were thrilled to be able to create pottery and use a new printmaking technique to create colorful self-portraits. Several pieces of artwork were entered in the Hampshire County Public Library’s annual art show.

Kristy Cheshire purchased flexible seating options for her kindergartners. According to Cheshire, making the environment as comfortable and fun as possible and giving her students opportunities to make small choices helps them feel safe and loved, which is very conducive to learning.

Amanda Whitacre purchased STEM Solar Car kits for her 8th grade science class. Since Covid, the hands-on activities her students enjoyed doing as a way to review content haven’t been possible. The individual Solar Car kits allowed the students to review electrical circuits, radiation, and the scientific method. They also provided an opportunity to explore engineering and the benefits of solar power.

Based on reports submitted by teachers, the Community Foundation estimates that these small grants have impacted 8,700 students. Additionally, many of the resources provided by the grants can be used year after year, so they will continue to benefit countless more!

“We feel strongly that these mini grants do more than help provide some much needed and relevant resources and opportunities for our teachers and students.  They also shine a positive light on education in Hampshire County, specifically the dedication and ingenuity of so many of our teachers and their enthusiasm when they have engaged even their most reluctant learners when given the tools to do so,” said Pancake.

The Mini Grants to Teachers program is supported primarily by the Foundation’s Partners in Philanthropy, corporate sponsors whose annual gifts support the Foundation in a variety of ways. Support also comes from a distribution from the Hampshire County Education Fund, Hampshire County Schools, and individual donors.

Pancake said the Community Foundation plans to continue this program as long as there’s public support and teacher interest. “We are also committed to growing the Hampshire County Education Fund, which can provide funding support for a wide range of education initiatives beyond the Mini Grants for Teachers program.”

Making a gift of support for this program is easy (and tax deductible). Checks may be payable and mailed to: HCCF, PO Box 40, Romney, WV 26757 with “Teacher Grants” in the memo, or donors may make an on-line gift here: https://www.ewvcf.org/donate/  and select the Hampshire County Education Fund from the drop-down menu.

For more information about the Mini Grants to Teachers program, or the Community Foundation’s other programs, please call Amy at 304-822-7200.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

July 11, 2022 By Amy Pancake

New Fund Honors Couple, and Others, for Building a “Community of Neighbors”

Capon Bridge will soon benefit from a new designated fund at the Hampshire County Community Foundation. The Capon Bridge Remembers Fund was established both in memory of the late Bobby and Genny Lovett, two beloved community mainstays, and in honor of the many men & women who worked hard to make the town “a community of neighbors,” as Community Foundation Director Amy Pancake puts it.

The fund will, upon reaching an endowment of $10,000, make annual distributions to four Capon Bridge nonprofits: the Capon Bridge Public Library, the Capon Bridge Revitalization Group, the Capon Bridge Volunteer Fire Department, and the Fort Edwards 4-H Club.  The spirits of the Lovetts as well as so many generations of Capon Bridge loved ones will live on and be remembered as those organizations dedicated to the town will benefit from this fund year after year.

Bobby and Genny Lovett were both longtime Capon Bridge residents. The two attended Capon Bridge High School together and met in band. They were married in 1960 and raised their children, Laura and Rob, in Capon Bridge. The pair worked in town for decades, he as co-owner of an excavating company and she as a kindergarten aide at Capon Bridge Elementary School. Along with their deep commitment to the United Methodist Church –Genny also helped co-found the Public Library in 1969 and Bobby served on the Town Council.

After Bobby and Genny’s passing in 2021, longtime friends of the couple Susan Sirbaugh Jaeger and Stephen Sirbaugh, along with Laura and Rob, were motivated to create this fund to serve both as a memorial to the Lovetts and as a “living, breathing continual remembrance of the generations that built Capon Bridge,” says Susan. The donors carefully selected the four charitable beneficiaries in light of their dedication to supporting positive community development in Capon Bridge. “It is in honor of all of our loved ones, who have done so much to create this vibrant town, that we come together to make sure these entities continue to thrive long in the future,” Susan wrote. Through this new fund, the legacies of all who came before and made Capon Bridge a strong, vibrant community will live on forever.

Those interested in supporting the Capon Bridge community, and those whose lives were touched by Bobby and Genny Lovett, are highly encouraged to learn more at www.EWVCF.org/HAMPSHIRECCF and donate to the Capon Bridge Remembers Fund today. Donations can be made online or sent to the Hampshire County Community Foundation, PO Box 40, Romney, WV 26757, with “Capon Bridge Remembers Fund” in the memo.

The Hampshire County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation and was founded in 2005 to build local, permanent endowment to generate annual charitable grants and scholarships perpetually. Donors build the vision to determine how monies in their funds are granted. Community foundations number more than 800 across America, with 26 in West Virginia, and focus entirely on working with local individuals to build local assets to meet local needs. For more information about the Hampshire County Community Foundation, call 304-822-7200 or visit www.EWVCF.org/HAMPSHIRECCF .

Filed Under: Uncategorized

June 29, 2022 By Amy Pancake

Grantee Spotlight – Moorefield Intermediate School Leadership Clubs

If you were to visit Moorefield Intermediate School during club day, you might experience butter-making, tomahawk-throwing, Lego championships, or an intense game of Rummy. You would also see projects from the Art and Soul and Craft Clubs displayed throughout the school. These are just a few of the activities students can engage in as part of the MIS Student Leadership Clubs Program.

The clubs are an outgrowth of the school’s commitment to leadership development. Using Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as a guide, the entire faculty is engaged in helping students become successful in school while developing their leadership skills through personal growth. The school hosted 13 different clubs during the 2021-2022 school year.

The creative arts clubs included the Art & Soul Club, Craft Club, Diamond Art Club, and Sketch Club. Last year, students engaged in drawing, painting, and tie-dyeing shirts. They learned watercolor techniques and about sketching with charcoal. Members of the new Diamond Art club created color pictures by placing tiny colored studs on discs. Students in these clubs enjoyed sharing their art with classmates and family, demonstrating new creative art forms they had learned.

The gaming clubs consisted of the Card Games Club and the Game-On Club, which focused on card and board games. Both clubs emphasize skills that compel students to use strategy, wit and logic to achieve success in a particular game. Students work individually and in groups to use critical thinking for successful results. These clubs also focus on using hands-on approaches instead of electronics for gaming.

The Outdoor Living Club, a favorite among students, was one of the largest clubs. Last year, students constructed and painted wooden tool boxes, learned to tie various knots, participated in a first aide class. They were also amazed by the opportunity to participate in axe throwing as members of this club.

Another favorite for students was the Science Club. This club had so much interest it required two classes last year! Students grew rock candy crystals, exploded ivory soap, and made homemade butter and bottle rockets. These projects allowed students to use imagination and innovation during construction and preparation of solutions and building materials.

The Energy Club focused on movement and stretching. Students used techniques such as yoga, aerobic activity, and meditation to help promote calm and reduce stress. Students shared those activities with classmates during classroom movement to ease daily tension and promote relaxation.

The new Karaoke Club proved to be an exciting and energetic club for students. By utilizing many genres of music appreciation, students learned not only to express themselves with singing but also developed the important skill of performing for an audience. This has given students who otherwise may be reluctant to participate in front of a group the confidence to perform in a public setting.

The new Theater Club was led by a teacher who had experience working with a local theater group. Students learned performance techniques, role play, and dramatic interpretation. They participated in production skills, costume selection and learned how plays and movies are developed and produced.

Like the science club, the Lego Club also required two classes to fit all of the participants! Students constructed Lego structures from pre-designed plans as well as from free form ideas. Students worked on some projects individually and others in groups. This club helped students develop cognitive thinking in developing structures, dexterity and precision in construction, and the ability to work collaboratively in a group-setting.

Moorefield Intermediate School has structured its Leadership Clubs Program to combine aspects of education into new and fun ways for students to learn new skills. These aspects of learning help to encourage cognitive thinking, team building, and social skills that will help our school and community thrive.

The Hardy County Community Foundation just awarded its sixth grant to the school to support the program.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

May 25, 2022 By Amy Pancake

Hardy County Community Foundation Announces Spring Grant Awards 

The Hardy County Community Foundation is pleased to announce nineteen grants totaling $20,545 to support local organizations and programs. 

These grants represent distributions from five endowment funds held by the Community Foundation.  

The Hardy County Community Impact Fund is an unrestricted grantmaking fund and provides the community foundation with the greatest flexibility to respond to the community’s current and evolving needs and opportunities. Grants from this fund include:

  • Baker Ruritan Club – $1,000 for relocating the club’s BBQ pit
  • Big Blue Wardensville – $1,000 for transporting youth to and from the community center
  • Children’s Home Society – $1,000 to help foster families purchase necessary safety items
  • EACHS Head Start – $1,500 for science-based educational materials to provide more hands-on learning opportunities, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion education materials
  • Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley – $1,000 to reduce registration fees for their 10-week program
  • Hardy County Health and Wellness Center – $2,000 to purchase equipment to start a youth volleyball league, and to offer free swim lessons for babies and youth
  • Lost River Projects – $1,000 for a summer live concert series, Music in the Park
  • Moorefield Intermediate School – $1,000 for their Leadership Clubs
  • Town of Wardensville – $1,000 for or building improvements for the War Memorial Building
  • Town of Wardensville – $1,000 for the installation of park benches in honor of the J. Allen Hawkins Park “founding moms”
  • Wardensville Lions Club – $1,000 for their Story Time early literacy program
Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley
Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley accept a $1,000 grant to offset registration fees for their 10-week program

The Deanna Wilson & J Cavanagh STEM Fund supports programs geared towards advancing interest and learning in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math among youth. This fund awarded a $1,000 grant to Moorefield High School to support the school’s Robotics Team, and a $1,000 grant to WVU Extension Service to purchase supplies and materials for STEM classes at 4-H Camp and at-home kits for family engagement.

The France Frye & June Orndorff Fund provides support for public parks located in Wardensville, WV. A $730 grant from this fund was awarded to the Town of Wardensville for general support for J. Allen Hawkins Town Park.

The Hardy County Heritage Fund is a donor-advised fund, which allows donors broad flexibility in recommending grants to varying charitable organizations and causes. The fund’s advisors recommended a $5,000 grant to The River House in Capon Bridge for their Color our World Summer Camp Program.

A new fund, the John R. and Agnes J. Mathias Fund, supports arts, culture, and music programs in Hardy County, and awarded its first grant this spring to the Lost River Educational Foundation. They received $315 to host free Make & Take community workshops.

According to Amy Pancake, the Foundation’s director, funding requests continue to increase.

“We received many exceptional applications, including requests from two new organizations,” she said. “We are so pleased and thankful to be able to support a diversity of organizations that are doing such impactful work in our community. Our grants connect our donors and nonprofits around a common desire to build a stronger community and we’ve certainly seen that happen with this grant cycle,” she added.


The Hardy County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Community foundations number more than 800 across America with 25 in West Virginia and focus entirely on working with local individuals to build local assets to meet local needs. 

To learn more about the Community Foundation including information about starting your own fund or contributing to an existing fund, visit our giving page  or contact Amy at apancake@ewvcf.org or 304-538-3431.

Filed Under: Blog, Hardy County

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