Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation

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Lost River Pride, Inc. Establishes Scholarship with Hardy County Community Foundation

Lost River Pride, Inc. has partnered with Hardy County Community Foundation to provide a $1,000 scholarship each year to one graduating senior from any high school in Grant, Hampshire, Hardy or Pendleton counties who has demonstrated support of and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, through the Lost River Pride Scholarship Fund.

Students can apply for the scholarship online at https://www.ewvcf.org/lost-river-pride-scholarship-application or through their guidance offices starting in early December. Applications are due by Feb. 28, 2024.

“Lost River Pride is excited to partner with the Hardy County Community Foundation to launch this new scholarship program aimed at providing financial support to West Virginia’s next generation of leaders and allies,” said Rob Hawks, president of Lost River Pride. “This scholarship is not only an important first step in demonstrating the dedication and commitment of the LGBTQ+ community to creating an enduring legacy, but also a shining example of how we can work together to create a more equitable and inclusive world for everyone.”

The Lost River Pride Scholarship is specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have actively engaged in activities that promote equality and oppose discrimination.

Any high school senior or prior year graduate with financial need enrolling in an accredited college, university, or community/technical/trade school offering a degree program of not less than two years who matches other qualifying criteria will be eligible. Preference will be given to students who choose to continue their education at a West Virginia institution.

For further information about Community Foundation Scholarships, including the Lost River Pride Scholarship, please visit https://www.ewvcf. org/grants-scholarships. For additional information, please call 304-538-3431 or send an email to [email protected].

Lost River Pride is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. It sponsors and produces the annual Lost River Pride Event, and related activities, serving the Lost River Valley lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) communities, by educating and advocating nondiscrimination, diversity, pride, inclusion, and equality among the LGBTQ+ community and their allies throughout the Lost River Valley and beyond.

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Hampshire County Community Foundation Announces 2023-24 Mini Grants to Teachers

HCCF Board Chair Michael Cheshire presents a mini grant to Slanesville Elementary School teacher Jackie Heath.

More than $10,000 in grant funding was dispersed to teachers and staff at Hampshire County Schools and EACHS Head Start through the Hampshire County Community Foundation’s Mini Grants to Teachers program, which has awarded more than $78,000 in teacher mini grants since 2014.

Teachers throughout the county are encouraged to submit their needs for new classroom programs through a simple application at the beginning of the school year. Each teacher is eligible for up to a $500 award. These awards are intended to help teachers motivate and challenge their students to learn. Examples of Teacher Mini Grant awards include books for classroom libraries, comfortable spaces for independent reading, STEM materials even including drones, music and art supplies. Counselors, librarians, and school nurses are also eligible to apply.

“The Mini-Grant program connects teachers to community support, often providing additional financial resources to facilitate exciting, innovative programs,” says HCCF director, Amy Pancake. “It is a great way to thank our educators for their tremendous impact in Hampshire County.”

Twenty-three projects were funded with the support of Hampshire County Schools and donors to Hampshire County Education Fund, including:

Augusta Elementary School
Charlotte Woleslagle – $360.00 – 5th grade comprehension novel study
Barbara Ray – $472.71 – Inspiring Genius
Destiny Mullan – $489.66 – A “Handy” Way to Learn
Jennifer Metzler – $500.00 – Hand 2 Mind Learning

Capon Bridge Elementary School
Christian Shank – $462.00 – Hands-on Sight Words: Engaging Activities to Boost Reading Skills
Ann Huffman – $425.00 – Bring on Cooperative Groups
Kelly Miller – $500.00 – Math and Reading Station, Organization and seating

Capon Bridge Middle School
Arianna Pownall – $500.00  – Dissecting & Lava Lamp Science Activity
Joyce Main – $500.00 – Anatomical models for science classroom
Patricia Crowley – $500.00 – Anatomical models for science classroom

EACHS Head Start
Kelly Rayner –  $500.00 – The Importance of Literacy and Arts

Hampshire High School
Michael Anderson – $478.00 – Airbrush Set for Class
Amanda Whitacre  – $500.00 – Earth and Space Science
Beilan Su – $500.00 – Science Calculators
Jessica Evans – $500.00 – Exploring Earth and Space Science
Tina Lee – $500.00 – Lockdown Buckets
Adam Feazell – $250.00 – FLEX Student Support
Mary Basinger – $492.18  – Strategies for Success in Math Classroom
Sadie Alkire – $500.00 – Pride & Spirit Yearbook
Lindsay McNelis  – $300.00 – Novels for English 9

Romney Elementary School
Lisa Hughes – $462.73 – Development of Executive Foundation Skills for Success

Romney Middle School
Crystal Rexrode – $500.00 – STEM Beautification

Slanesville Elementary School
Jackie Heath – $500.00 – Flexible Seating

Gifts to the Education Fund may be made at any time. 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 by going to https://www.ewvcf.org/donate/ and selecting the Hampshire County Education Fund from the drop-down menu.

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Scholarship Comes Full Circle – Stanley and Naomi Moyer Scholarship

The Stanley and Naomi Moyer scholarship will now be offered through the Hardy County Community Foundation.  East Hardy High School seniors can apply annually at ewvcf.awardspring.com.

Stanley Moyer was the founding President of the Hardy County Community Foundation and firmly believed in its mission of “improving the quality of life in Hardy County by Connecting People with Community Causes that matter to them most.”

Amy Pancake, the Foundation’s director, was overjoyed to be able to bring the Stanley and Naomi Moyer Scholarship home to the community foundation. “I started working for the community foundation shortly after it was established, so Stanley and I learned together. He was always so kind and patient, and so very encouraging. He made being a part of those early growing years a joy.”

During his last days, Stanley desired to have a scholarship established to give back to the East Hardy students he adored.  A Hardy County bus driver for 31 years, Stanley enjoyed mentoring and building relationships with the students that rode his bus, and he wanted to ensure that part of his legacy would be to help students financially achieve their college goals.

After his death, his wife Naomi, community members, and friends held annual fundraisers to carry on Stanley’s legacy through the Stanley Moyer Scholarship Fund. Naomi continued to award the scholarship until her passing in January 2021. She, too, wanted their memories and legacies to live on through the community and this scholarship.

Since Naomi’s passing, the scholarship was renamed the Stanley and Naomi Moyer Scholarship, and was recently transferred to the Hardy County Community Foundation.

“It certainly feels like a natural transition to continue the scholarship through the Hardy County Community Foundation, an organization Stanley helped establish and lead through its earliest years of growth,” said Pancake.  “It has come full circle, and is where it belongs.”

The community foundation 2023-24 scholarship application will open in December. High School seniors and their parents can check the application status by following the Hardy County Community Foundation on Facebook, or by checking the website for updates: https://www.ewvcf.org/grants-scholarships/

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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 [email protected].

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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.

Martinsburg Office
127 Crimson Circle
Martinsburg, WV 25403
[email protected]
304.264.0353

Romney Office
Post Office Box 40
91 South High Street
Romney, WV 26757
[email protected]
304.822.7200

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Vision

To build vibrant communities that provide opportunities for everyone living in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

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