The Founders Fund
What Is the Founders Fund?
Roanoke Women’s Foundation Founders Fund of Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia was established in 2016 to honor and recognize the role of RWF co-founders, Ginny Jarrett, and Kandy Elliott. The first award was given in 2017.
The purpose of the fund is to support RWF efforts to strengthen the community through increasing charitable contributions in the region and to promote women’s leadership in philanthropy.
Inquiries about gifts to the Founders Fund may be directed to cfwesternva.org
Award Winners
2023: Chris’s Coffee and Custard
$1,820
Chris’s Coffee & Custard is a unique coffee and custard shop that serves a wonderful cup of coffee, a delicious cup of custard or a tasty food item while creating opportunities for gainful and meaningful employment for individuals of all walks of life, focusing on our special needs community. Many of Chris’s employees are individuals that have special gifts and talents. Having a job creates pride, dignity, honor, and respect. Chris’s shop will provide opportunities for young adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities to enhance life skills, social skills, and unique job skills. “Our desire is to empower and enhance the lives of these special young adults, while promoting their independence.”
To learn more, visit www.chrisscoffeeandcustard.com
2022: Floyd Center for the Arts
$1,780
The Floyd Center for the Arts’ mission is “to facilitate and showcase artistic endeavors and creativity; to provide education in the arts throughout our rural community and region.” The Floyd Center for the Arts is a community arts center that is located in Floyd, Virginia, just miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The center celebrates and facilitates regional arts through classes, exhibits, community receptions and more.
To learn more, visit www.floydartcenter.org
2021: Good Samaritan Hospice
$1,670
The Founders Fund is awarded to Good Samaritan Hospice in memory of Marilyn Elliott.
This gift will support Good Sam’s plans to build the Good Samaritan Center for Caring. The Center will provide hospice inpatient care, serve as a permanent home for home hospice teams, include a community bereavement center, and accommodate administrative offices. Good Samaritan is the only community-based, not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider serving southwest Virginia. Good Samaritan offers holistic hospice and palliative care, as well as grief support to patients, families, and community members, regardless of ability to pay.
To learn more, visit www.GoodSam.care
2020: CHIP of Roanoke Valley
$1,530
Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP) of Roanoke Valley is an early childhood home visiting program. CHIP of Roanoke pairs pregnant moms, low-income children, birth to first-grade entry, and their guardians with a Community Health Nurse and Family Case Manager to help them access needed medical services, to assist with the management of chronic conditions and to provide developmental education, kindergarten preparation and regular child assessment and monitoring. These services work to help build parenting confidence and to provide support to families as they set and reach goals moving toward self-sufficiency.
To learn more, visit www.chiprv.org
2019: House of Bread
$1,580
House of Bread is a program for under-resourced women. “In friendship we share tools to help women make a fresh start — tools for restoring confidence, dignity and hope.”
Over the course of a six-week session, women learn job and personal skills through hands-on training, coupled with emotional and spiritual support, while baking and selling bread alongside volunteers from the Roanoke community. In addition to learning basic kitchen and baking skills, women receive ServSafe food handler and/or manager training, develop customer service experience, and partner one-on-one with mentors who work with them to set and meet goals.
To learn more, visit www.houseofbreadroanoke.com
2018: National MS Society – Virginia/West Virginia Chapter
$1,180
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) is a voluntary, non-profit, health organization dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS by advancing the cure, prevention, and treatment of multiple sclerosis and by improving the lives of affected individuals. When the MS Society was founded by Sylvia Lawry, more than 75 years ago, MS was neglected and poorly understood. What began as one woman’s vision and commitment is now a nationwide organization leading the global charge to create a world free of MS. The National MS Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible.
To learn more, visit www.nationalmssociety.org
2017: Mill Mountain Theatre
$1,050
Mill Mountain Theatre is a professional, year-round, regional theatre with roots in its community and excellence as its primary objective. It has proudly served the region and the industry for more than 50 years. Mill Mountain Theatre strives to inspire, entertain, enrich, educate, and challenge audiences of Southwest Virginia through high-quality, professional theatrical productions and experiences. We are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of theatre artists and audiences through conservatory classes and programming aimed at education and community engagement; and are committed to ensuring the long term economic and artistic sustainability of the performing arts in the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia.
To learn more, visit www.millmountain.org
