| Nonprofits
Receive $5K Grants |
By Rebecca Plevin
Observer Staff Writer |
| Herndon nonprofit organizations Herndon-Reston FISH, the
Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic and Vecinos Unidos have each received
$5,000 grants from the Giving Circle of HOPE. The groups are
three of the 12 nonprofits recognized by the Reston-based
Giving Circle, which strives to promote volunteerism and philanthropy
in Northern Virginia. |
| The grant money is a "great help," said Marcia Di Trapani,
president of FISH. Di Trapani said the funds would help the
organization provide medicine and medical supplies to those
who cannot afford them. She said the medical donations often
go to people who are just coming out of the hospital and are
not yet covered by Medicaid or insurance. FISH finds out what
medications a client needs, calls the pharmacy to confirm
the prescription, and then authorizes payment of the medicine,
she said. |
| Last year, she said, FISH gave out $14,000 in medical supplies
to 215 families, and she hopes that this year, the grant will
help the group donate $50 more to about 100 people. |
| Meagan Ulrich, executive director of the Jeanie Schmidt
Free Clinic, said the grant would support the organization's
ongoing efforts to provide blood pressure screenings in the
Herndon, Reston, Centreville and Chantilly communities. |
| Ulrich said she would like to hold screenings at community
events, churches, thrift stores, hypothermia shelters and
in "places where people who don't have access to other services
would be." |
| The free clinic hopes to hold three or four screening events
each month, Ulrich said. She said the group would hold free
blood pressure screening trainings for community and medical
volunteers. |
| Barbara Sorenson, president of Vecinos Unidos, said the
grant would contribute to the group's summer education program,
which offers educational fieldtrips, activities and games
three days a week at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Herndon.
|
| Sorenson said the camp's "numbers have jumped so significantly
that it's costing us more money." She said the grant would
specifically help fund transportation for field trips, tickets
for museums and other events, and art supplies for when guest
artists visit the program. |
| Vecinos Unidos also offers a homework assistance program
for ESOL students at the NRC during the school year and Sorenson
said the nonprofit is currently looking for volunteers to
work with the students. |
| Grant recipients will be honored Jan. 18 at a reception
at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. |
