Six local organizations and volunteer groups received funding for projects and programs across Martinsville-Henry County
Martinsville, Va. — The Harvest Foundation awarded nearly $64,000 to fund six Project Hope grants at today’s grantee celebration, held at the Bassett Train Station Event Center.
Harvest President Kate Keller welcomed the crowd of nearly 50 people, remarking on the history of Project Hope, which began as a way for the foundation to celebrate its 20th anniversary with the community. However, since 2022, the program has grown to be a movement for volunteerism and community connectivity.
“Project Hope is about bringing energy and possibility to communities across Martinsville and Henry County,” Keller said. “These projects and programs funded today represent communities coming together and building meaningful connections. When everyone has a voice and support to create the positive change they want to see, we all begin to share in the hope of a brighter future. We’re excited to see the lasting impact this year’s Project Hope grant recipients will create across MHC.”
Speakers included Susan King Sabin, executive director of the Spencer Penn Centre, and Callie Hietala, a member of the Project Hope Committee, and the Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator for Martinsville City Public Schools.
Sabin spoke about her community garden project at Spencer Penn, which received funding in the Project Hope 2023 grants cycle.
“I had known for several years that I wanted to put together a community garden and farmer’s market for our community,” she said. “I just wasn’t sure when or how we were going to do that. I kept hearing more and more of our older population share how they were giving up their garden. They just couldn’t do it anymore physically. When Harvest announced the Project Hope grants, something clicked. This could be our opportunity to put this desire into motion.”
After research, surveys, and conversations with staff and volunteers, Sabin said her plan slotted into place. Even though she faced hurdles of not enough rain, too much rain, and changes in staff, she was able to call on many community partners and volunteers, including the Girl Scouts, Magna Vista’s Horticulture Department, local businesses, and the center’s board of directors.
Not only did the garden finally take off, but she said it produced a watermelon so big she couldn’t even lift it. And when it was harvested, that watermelon fed everyone who walked into the center that day, and everyone who came to the farmer’s market that evening.
To this year’s grantees, Sabin said, “Whatever your hope looks like, don’t give up on it. This process will challenge you and it will challenge those around you. Push to find the hope within it. Lean on those around you, like the Harvest staff, who will encourage you, problem-solve with you, and people who will travel the trenches with you. Because your project is going to make a difference here, and when one of us wins, we all win.”
Hietala spoke about her move to Martinsville-Henry County during the pandemic and how she gradually got to see the community in action. She congratulated this year’s grant recipients for choosing to “do something.”
“It’s easy to look around and see what’s wrong and give in to hopelessness,” Hietala said. “To say that this is the way it is and this is the way it’s going to be, and I just have to suffer through it. It’s easy to just sit there and complain and do nothing. It’s easy to say ‘Well someone needs to do this to make things better,’ but it’s hard to actually step up and be that someone.”
To this year’s grant recipients, she added, “The ideas you were bold enough to dream and brave enough to share with us, all born of a staunch refusal to give in to that feeling of hopelessness and from a certainty of purpose that you can do something to make this corner of the world we all share a better place. You all have given me hope.”
Danny Wulff, a member of The Harvest Foundation Board of Directors, emphasized the need for hope throughout Martinsville and Henry County, thanking the speakers and offering encouragement for this year’s grant winners.
Project Hope is designed to fund small projects that involve volunteers to build hope in MHC communities. Grant awards are typically capped at $15,000 and must be completed within a year. This year’s theme was Community Connections: Creating inclusive spaces, fostering meaningful interactions, and empowering community members to learn, grow, and connect.
A 13-member committee comprising local “hope builders” reviews grant applications and allocates funding for the program. Members of the 2024 Project Hope Committee include Maite Arroyo-Torres, Callie Hietala, Robbie Knight, Beth Marshall, Teresa Fontaine, Chloe Mayhew, Wayne Moore, Jonathan Martin, LaDonna Hairston, Tekela Redd, Sandy Hines, Tracey Shively, and Ron Morris.
The Harvest Foundation releases an RFP (request for proposals) annually for applicants to submit grant applications. The next application period will open in the summer of 2025. Call (276) 632-3329 or visit theharvestfoundation.org/project-hope for updates and to learn more.
List of Project Hope 2024 Grantees:
-
$4,800 to the MHC Pride Coalition for the “Pride All Year” project, implementing local pride community events and initiatives;
-
$5,025 to Smith Memorial United Methodist Church for the “Martinsville Henry County Social Club” program, offering support to individuals suffering from chronic mental illness;
-
$15,000 to the Salvation Army of Martinsville & Henry County for the “Community Garden, Mural, and Picnic Area” project;
-
$9,000 to Starling Avenue Baptist Church for the summer “Critter Camp” program;
-
$15,000 to the Preston Community Center for renovation and beautification projects at the center; and
-
$15,000 to the Virginia Museum of Natural History Foundation for the “Horticulture Opportunities Promoting the Environment (HOPE): Growing Strong Communities” project, which will create a greenhouse for local organizations and community members to use for education and social opportunities.
