New River Valley Disability Resource Center (NRV DRC), an area nonprofit that works with individuals with disabilities, was one of forty-five grant recipients from the Community Foundation of the New River Valley’s (CFNRV) Responsive Grant program.
$1,250 was awarded to NRV DRC from three collective endowments: the Margaret and Sam Tollison Family Fund ($600), the Joann and J.B. Sutphin Endowment Fund ($420) and the Homer T. and Beverly A. Hurst Endowment ($230).
“It is an honor to be chosen as a recipient of a grant to help fund our LEAN program. We’re so grateful to the donors and the Community Foundation of the New River Valley,” said disability center advocate Tiffany J. Allison after accepting the check from Paula Alston, secretary for Community Foundation. “With these generous funds, NRV DRC will create a new program to help persons with a disability in the New River Valley.”
LEAN is an acronym for Loan Equipment for Accessibility Needs. It was conceived by the disability center in response to the ever-growing need of area disabled persons for equipment for short-term use. The money awarded by Community Foundation for LEAN will be used to purchase assistive/adaptive equipment. The equipment will belong to the disability center but is available on loan to those who have disabilities. In other words, persons with disabilities and a temporary need for equipment, can borrow an item — free of charge — until they can afford their own or until they can obtain one through their insurance.
The New River Valley Disability Resource Center is participating in Giving Tuesday, a fundraising effort supported by CFNRV for local nonprofits. This year’s Giving Tuesday event falls on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities observance: December 3.
Allison said, “The plan is to tie our organization’s fundraising effort to this observance. We’ve made our goal for Giving Tuesday enough to purchase two bariatric wheelchairs to add to our LEAN program.”
The Community Foundation of the New River Valley provides nonprofits many opportunities throughout the year for fundraising, grants and workshops.
For more information about the Giving Tuesday event or NRV DRC, call 540-266-1435.