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The devastation of the 2017 hurricane season is far-reaching, with catastrophic flooding in Southeast Texas to battered towns across Florida. Lives and communities are forever changed. While rescue efforts and emergency response are underway, we know from past disasters that recovery efforts will span years.
If you would like to support response and recovery efforts, we have compiled a list of trusted partners who will put your resources to work in the areas that need it most.
Emergency response addresses immediate needs like food, water and medical care.
Recovery efforts not only address needs that emerge once news coverage wanes, such as safe drinking water and transitional shelter, but also long-term initiatives that address chronic social and environmental challenges.
Natural disasters often lead to independent or fraudulent fundraising efforts. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Philanthropic Services team at 804-330-7400 if you wish to discuss a particular donation or grant recommendation.
While current projections indicate the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula may avoid the worst of Hurricane Florence, we also know that the region is likely to experience significant rain and high winds. This may lead to additional flooding, downed trees and power lines, and personal property damage. Above all, we encourage all of our partners – individuals and organizations alike – to heed warnings, get prepared and place your personal safety as the highest priority.
State and local officials have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival to boost preparedness efforts and to mobilize emergency managers and response teams so they can respond quickly once the impact of the storm is known. On a personal level, you are encouraged to make your own plans to ride out the storm.
For more details on steps you can take to be ready for Hurricane Florence or a future disaster, please visit www.vaemergency.gov or www.ready.gov.
Many people are compelled to help following a disaster. It is important to ensure that your time and resources are spent in response to actual needs and that they do not hinder response efforts.
How and where to donate:
As with most disasters, there are both immediate and long-term needs in affected communities. National early response and recovery organizations rely on donations to fuel their work and we will share information about what they are doing and how to help.
Similarly, we believe local community foundations are uniquely positioned to understand and identify the specific needs of their service areas, and they partner with trusted nonprofit partners to address and monitor longer-term response efforts over time.
Upon landfall, we will share more detail about efforts to address needs in our area. We will also collect information about response efforts in communities hardest hit by the storm and connect you with their community foundations.
Need more information?
We are here for you. Please call us if you have any questions and visit our website for future updates.
Learn about the Community Grantmaking Program
Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic supporters enjoyed a “Summer Social” generously hosted by Chesapeake Bank & Chesapeake Wealth Management on June 14th. It was a wonderful evening including food, beverages, and tours of the Clinic. Guests included Michael Winebarger of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors, Amy Dubois of the Mathews County Board of Supervisors, and many Clinic supporters and friends. Chesapeake Bank Executive Vice President/Retail Dianne Hall welcomed the attendees and acknowledged the good work of the Clinic. Clinic Board President Louise Theberge and Executive Director Arlene Armentor thanked Chesapeake Bank & Chesapeake Wealth Management for their outstanding community partnership, all donors for their support, and gave an overview of Clinic activities.
Members of the Chesapeake Bank & Chesapeake Wealth Management team take time out to celebrate the Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic. Pictured (L-R) Reggie Connaughton, Felicia Stovall, Ann Stingel, Stephanie Beach, Kasey Milby, and Steve Callis.
Clinic Board member Nancy Dykeman gives a tour of the Clinic to Gary & Karen Ward.
***Please note – all photo credits to Reggie Connaughton***
Gloucester, Va., (December 3, 2018) -- Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society (GMHS) celebrated its annual Holiday Open House Sunday, December 2, 2018. Approximately 200 GMHS supporters from the shelter's service region, which extends from the Peninsula to Northern Neck, enjoyed visiting with Santa Claus, creating holiday crafts and learning about GMHS' mission to improve the lives of all animals. GMHS staff fielded questions about homeless pets available for adoption and educated attendees about the shelter's mission and programs.
Coordinated by GMHS Volunteer Beverly Spencer, the event also included an Angel Tree. Tags with animals' gift requests were available for homeless pets from rabbits to cats and rats to dogs. The Angel Tree will remain up through the holidays. Tags may continue to be selected and gifts delivered during the shelter's business hours through the end of the year.
The Cookie Sale--a signature part of the event--proved successful yet again. A record-setting number of cookies were baked and donated by GMHS volunteers. Guests selected their own assortment of cookies, ranging from shortbread to chocolate chip brownies, which were packaged in a festive holiday box perfect for gift-giving. Proceeds from the cookie sale benefit the GMHS Angel Fund, which provides life-saving non-routine veterinary care for homeless pets.
“The GMHS volunteers are key to the success of our fundraising endeavors. They baked a truly impressive number of holiday treats, each unique and definitely tasty! A volunteer coordinated the event and most of the customer service during the event was provided by volunteers. Our volunteers are the true heroes of every event we throw and are the reason we can continue to support our community and its homeless pets with such passion and commitment," remarked Community Programs Manager Kristen Solada.
The event also included the sale of limited-edition Angel Scarves. Handcrafted by a GMHS volunteer, the scarves will continue to be available for purchase from the GMHS website until they sell out. One hundred perfect of sales will be donated to the GMHS Angel Fund.
New this year was the GMHS Miracle Wall, which is adorned with photos of homeless pets who have been with GMHS for 30-plus days. As a participant in Maddie's Fund Get 'Em Home Challenge, GMHS seeks to find forever homes before December 31, 2018, for all animals pictured on the Miracle Wall in the shelter lobby.
The day marked an occasion for members of the no-kill community to celebrate the giving spirit of the holiday season and the life-saving efforts of GMHS, and many attendees came bearing gifts of blankets, pet food and monetary donations.
GMHS Executive Director Nichola Redmond said, "The lives of homeless pets served by GMHS are transformed by our community's commitment. They make our work possible. Our open house was an opportunity celebrate that commitment, connect personally with community supporters and educate the public about how their heart for homeless pets and contributions to GMHS save lives."
About Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society
Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to “improving life for all animals by providing shelter, compassionate care, community assistance and education.” Founded in 1912 in Gloucester, Virginia, GMHS provides services for people in the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck through adoptions, educational programs, a pet pantry and low-cost spay/neuter programs both onsite and throughout the community. GMHS is registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under federal tax ID#51-020623. Registration does not imply endorsement.
For more information, visit:
· GMHS on the web: http://www.gmhumanesociety.org/
· GMHS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmhumanesociety
· GMHS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmhumanesociety/
· GMHS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmhumanesociety
CONTACT INFORMATION
communications@gmhumanesociety.org
After nearly 20 years serving as Regional Affiliate Director, Margaret Nost has announced her plans to retire at the end of January. She first joined the staff of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond in 2002 in a part-time role to shepherd the early growth and development of three regional affiliate foundations – the Gloucester Community Foundation, the Mathews Community Foundation, and the River Counties Community Foundation – established between 1996 and 2001 to serve five counties in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.
With a background in banking and an inherent ability to connect with people, Margaret was the right fit from the start. Community foundations were flourishing in cities across the country at the time but were lesser known or understood in rural communities. Working closely with the volunteer boards, Margaret expanded outreach, built trust within the community, and championed the community foundation as a strategic partner that brings deep community knowledge and expertise to helping donors achieve their charitable goals and to community organizations seeking to fulfill their missions.
Under Margaret’s leadership, the Gloucester, Mathews and River Counties Community Foundations now steward over 240 donor-established funds with assets totaling $56 million. This has translated into $23 million in cumulative grant support to a wide range of important community programs and initiatives in the arts, education, the environment, health care and so much more. This year marked a milestone as their respective community impact grant programs combined to award over $1 million for the first time.
“Margaret is the face of the Community Foundation in Gloucester, Mathews, Lancaster, Middlesex and Northumberland Counties,” said Sherrie Armstrong, CEO of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, which provides financial and administrative support for the affiliate foundations. “We join these communities in honoring Margaret’s dedication to and vision for philanthropy in the region and her ability to build partnerships for the greater good. We are grateful for her leadership and enduring friendship and we wish her all the best for a happy, healthy and much deserved retirement.”
As the regional affiliates have experienced this explosive growth, the local staff team grew to include Regional Affiliates Officer, Lincoln Boykin, and Regional Administrative Associate, Ashleigh Elliott. At this important time of transition, the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and its Affiliates are pleased to announce that Lincoln will move into the role of Director of Affiliate Foundations starting January 1. Since joining the team in February 2020, he has overseen community grantmaking and outreach to nonprofit and community partners across the five counties. He has proven to be a strategic fit for the role and has earned the approval of the Affiliate Foundation’s Board Chairs in moving to the Director position. Previously, Lincoln served as Associate Director of Philanthropy and Board Relations at American Rivers.
Margaret Nost has a heart of gold and, in many ways, she has been the heart of the communit(ies) she has served. In honor of her hard work, dedication to the mission, and compassion for others, the Community Foundation is establishing the Margaret Nost Heart of the Community Fund - an endowed fund that will be used to support annual grantmaking for all three affiliate community foundations.
If you wish to honor Margaret in this way, you may make an online contribution using the link below or make a grant recommendation from your donor advised fund.
Donate Now
In the fall of 2000, a handful of local volunteers came together to establish the Gloucester Community Foundation as a regional affiliate of The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. Fifteen years later, the results of their efforts are providing donors a vehicle through which their donations can stay in this community, providing much-needed support to make Gloucester a better place for all.
2014 was a year of incredible growth for the Foundation. Our assets grew by almost 60%, reaching $5.8 million at year-end!
With strong endowment management practices and local knowledge of the county, GCF’s goal is to make Gloucester a more vibrant community for all. Thank you for your support which helps us be responsive to the needs of so many non-profit organizations and government agencies. Together, we can help Gloucester reach its full potential.
View the full 2014 - 2015 Annual Report