JULY 9, 2009 ISSUE
Appalachian Women’s Fund Accepting Grant Applications
Application Deadline Is August 1
The Appalachian Women’s Fund is currently accepting grant applications for 2010. The deadline for applying is Saturday, August 1. Recipients will be notified in the fall with money allocated shortly thereafter.
“In an era of budget cuts and diminished funding, this money will go a long way to supporting the agencies that care for women and young girls,” said AWF President Patti Turner.
Last month, the women’s group held its annual Woman of Vision Awards Luncheon and Silent Auction. The fundraiser earned the AWF much-needed money for the purpose of providing grants in the areas of poverty and hunger, health care and education, as well as domestic and substance abuse.
Because the AWF is completely independent, its doors are open for funding in some of the regions hardest hit by poverty and most frequently overlooked by national charitable organizations. Though the nonprofit is based in Watauga County, counties eligible for grants from the AWF include Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancy.
“It’s important to remember our neighbors and to see the big picture when it comes to social issues. Poverty and abuse do not stop at the county line,” Turner said.
Grant Committee Chair Kathleen Kennedy-Olsen recall some of the projects funded in 2009.
“We were able to fund agencies in a variety of ways,” Kennedy-Olsen said. “Some were conventional and supported basic types of programming, while others were more outside the box. Being open-minded with funding is an important and unique aspect of the Appalachian Women’s Fund.”
OASIS Director Jennifer Herman received funding in 2009 for an expressive arts therapy program. At OASIS, the nontraditional art therapy for women and children who are victims of domestic violence has proven to be a valuable resource.
“When women and children are victims of a violent home, their world is turned upside-down,” Herman said. “Home should be the place that provides love and support, not violence and neglect. Expressive art therapy is an outlet for those who cannot articulate the pain they feel physically and emotionally. The ways in which people begin to heal are as varied as the ways in which they are hurt.”
To apply for a grant, click to www.appalachianwomensfund.org. Information regarding eligibility, deadlines and the grant process will be on the website. To join or learn more about the AWF, click to the same website or call the office at 828-264-4002.
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