| Late last year representatives from Calhoun Banks made a generous challenge gift of $2,500 to launch the 2013-2014 Little Kanawha Area Community Challenge Program. This community challenge program was launched on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation (LKACF) to build awareness for the need to grow permanent grant and scholarship funds to address the local needs.
The Foundation's goal is to utilize the 1 for 2 challenge match campaign to add $5,000 of community donations to Calhoun Banks' $2,500 challenge gift for a total of $7,500 by November 1st. To date, $4,185 has been committed with a goal of adding $815 by November 1st to complete the challenge.
As the last month of the challenge program draw to a close, the LKACF volunteers are encouraging community residents and businesses to make a donation of at least $10 to the Community Challenge Program. "If 100 people gave at least $10 to build local grant and scholarship funds for Calhoun, Gilmer and Wirt counties, we would reach our challenge goal which is fitting since this is the 10th year of service for Our Community's Foundation - LKACF, " commented Jim Bennett, LKACF Advisory Board Chair.
LKACF Community Challenge Program displays and donation envelopes are located at Calhoun Banks locations in all three counties to make it easy to give a gift to the community challenge. "Stop by one of the Calhoun Banks in your area and support the LKACF Community Challenge. Your donation can be earmarked for the LKACF Community Grant Fund, Gilmer County Community Grant Fund or the LKACF Scholarship Fund," commented Jane Winters, Regional Affiliates Manager for Our Community's Foundation.
In addition to other designated grant and scholarship funds, LKACF holds a community grant fund for Calhoun and Wirt Counties that currently provides a modest amount of annual funding to address local needs and is currently building a community grant fund to serve needs in Gilmer County. These local grant funds will provide vital annual support for local projects and programs in Health, Human Services, Education, Arts & Culture, Recreation, and Economic Development to continually improve the quality of life in these counties. The Foundation is also building a LKACF Scholarship Fund that will provide general scholarship awards for Calhoun and Wirt County High School graduating seniors.
Since LKACF is a young community foundation, these local grant and scholarship funds are small and therefore cannot provide the level of support needed to address the growing needs in these communities. The LKACF Community Challenge will provide resources needed to build these funds.
"As a local employer, Calhoun Banks, is invested in the Little Kanawha Area and we enthusiastically support and endorse the efforts of LKACF to build permanent funds. It is in our best interest to see Calhoun, Gilmer and Wirt Counties become more vibrant places to live. We would like to encourage other employers and residents to support the LKACF Community Challenge and help the community foundation build our local community grant and scholarship funds. By working together as a regional team, we can provide more substantial local grants that will improve the quality of life in these counties for those living here now and for the generations to follow," added Jim Bennett, Calhoun Banks President & CEO.
The Little Kanawha Area Community Foundation is a tax exempt public charity that was created in 2004 as an affiliate of Our Community's Foundation - the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) and its Regional Affiliates. As an affiliate of the PACF organization, LKACF operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is accredited as meeting National Standards for Community Foundations. LKACF builds and manages permanent funds to support Calhoun, Gilmer and Wirt counties with its own local advisory board which includes: Jim Bennett; Deb Hartshorn; Jean Simers; Pat Lydon; Leslie Maze; Ron Blankenship and Bob Radabaugh.
The LKACF volunteers encourage the community to support the Little Kanawha Area Community Challenge by contacting Jane Winters at Our Community's Foundation, 304-372-8588 or jane.winters@pacfwv.com or one of the LKACF advisory board members by November 1, 2014. All donations to this program will be acknowledged as tax deductible. For more information about this challenge program or LKACF, contact Our Community's Foundation or visit the organization's website at www.pacfwv.com
| 
