Volunteer West Virginia announced today that over $200,000 in grant funding will be distributed in eight communities across West Virginia to boost volunteerism and develop volunteer centers. Funded projects vary from launching a VolunTourism pilot program in Tucker County, to supporting an online volunteer hub for Huntington and the surrounding counties.
Volunteer West Virginia received the funding from the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), which is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and the nation’s volunteer initiatives.
The 2018 VGF Grant Recipients are: The Fayette County Family Resource Network Inc. ($30,000.00), Tucker County Foundation ($26,419.50), Big Ugly Tri-County Volunteer Center – Step by Step. Inc. ($29,916.00), Greater Greenbrier Long-Term Recovery Committee ($29,993.00), City of Buckhannon ($23,885.00), United Way of the River Cities ($21,211.00), Community Connections Inc. ($17,937.00), and Main Street Ripley ($21,100.00).
In the case of Huntington-based United Way of the River Cities, Director of Community Impact Andrea Roy said the funds will support
www.UnitedWeVolunteer.org, an online hub for volunteerism in Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, and Mason counties in West Virginia and Lawrence County, Ohio.
“Our population is inspired to create positive change, and UnitedWeVolunteer.org will help lead that charge,” Roy said. “UnitedWeVolunteer.org is our region’s online connection for nonprofits to recruit volunteers and for community members to find volunteer opportunities.”
The VGF funding will also support Volunteer West Virginia’s development of a rural volunteer management training program. The training program will help communities build volunteer capacity and will include a disaster volunteer management component, which was identified as a community need during the 2016 Flood.
In conjunction with the grant announcement, Volunteer West Virginia kicked-off a year of kindness in West Virginia through their Be Kind, #VolunteerWV campaign. The campaign’s goal is simple: to spread kindness and volunteerism across the state.
“As West Virginians, we have the honor of waking up every morning in a community where neighbors still look out for each other and porch conversations are the norm,” said Heather Foster, Executive Director of Volunteer West Virginia. “Kindness is our way of life. A year of kindness asks us to focus on what’s important and is a reminder to honor our culture by getting involved and solving problems together through volunteerism.”
To learn more about the Be Kind campaign visit
BeKindWV.com to find a volunteer opportunity near you or contact Dana Bryant at (304) 558-0111.