February 2, 2005
Cameron Foundation awards over $1 million to 25 local organizations that benefit the health and quality of life of residents served by Southside Regional Medical Center
The board of trustees of The Cameron Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants to 25 organizations totaling $1,065,006.00. The Foundation made its inaugural grant awards in October 2004, and this is the Foundation’s first round of grantmaking for 2005. There will be two additional cycles of awards this year, one in June and another in October.
Cleve Wright, president of the board of trustees, said, “The staff really worked hard to give each organization a thorough review. These 25 grantees have shown the potential to do a lot of good for their communities. The Foundation really appreciates the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people in our service area.”
The Cameron Foundation was established in April 2003 from the proceeds of the sale of Southside Regional Medical Center by the Hospital Authority of the City of Petersburg. The Foundation makes grants for project-specific, capital and technical assistance purposes. It is dedicated to providing resources that will improve both the health and quality of life for people living in the communities historically served by the hospital, including the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell, as well as the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Sussex and the portion of Chesterfield County lying south of U.S. Route 10.
Larry Tucker, chairman of the Foundation’s grants committee, noted, “this was a truly diverse set of grantees. While I was familiar with many of the organizations that received grants the first time around, I was not as familiar with this group. To me, that just demonstrates how much great work is happening here in our region. We hope to see even more folks apply for grants in the future.”
Based upon the board’s decision, the following 25 organization were awarded grant funds:
Alzheimer’s Association – Petersburg Branch, $10,000.00
Stony Creek Community Health Center, $30,000.00
UVA – Division of Medical Toxicology, $20,000.00
American Red Cross – Hopewell/Prince George Chapter, $18,970.00
American Red Cross – Southside Area Chapter, $25,000.00
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inc., $23,500.00
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond, $50,000.00
Happy Acres Foundation, $15,000.00
Hopewell-Prince George Healthy Families, $25,500.00
Meals on Wheels, $120,000.00
Memorial Child Guidance Clinic, $14,750.00
Prince & Princess, Inc., $30,000.00
Serenity, Inc., $15,000.00
Petersburg 2007, $28,900.00
Christmas in April* Petersburg, $33,586.00
Tri-Cities Habitat for Humanity, $40,000.00
Virginia’s Gateway Region, $39,000.00
Blackwater Regional Library, $7,400.00
Campus Community Partnership of Metro Richmond, $6,000.00
Junior Achievement, $20,000.00
Virginia State University, $200,000.00
Miles B. Carpenter Museum, $40,000.00
Chesterfield Center for the Arts at Chester, $25,000.00
Rawls Museum Arts, $2,000.00
Sycamore Rouge Theater, $225,000.00
The Cameron Foundation grant-making priorities are in the area of health care, human services, civic affairs, community and economic development, education, conservation & historic preservation, and cultural enrichment. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting organizations focused on empowering people to help themselves and which employ creative responses to problems. Improving organizational capacity and ensuring the sustainability of programs and services are of particular importance to the Foundation.
According to Handy Lindsey, executive director of The Cameron Foundation, “we are really pleased to see more grantees that are serving the outlying communities in our service area, such as Sussex and Dinwiddie. We’d like to encourage more groups from these areas to approach us about funding possibilities.”
The Foundations is governed by a board of trustees consisting of nine community leaders who serve without compensation. Current board members include: Cleveland A. Wright, President; Ann C. Taylor, Vice President; Dr. Jerry W. Isbell, Secretary; Kevin A. Hill, Treasurer; and Dr. Gurpal S. Bhuller, John H. Clements, James L. Thacker, Betty W. Thweatt, and Larry C. Tucker. You can find more information about the Foundation on its website, http://www.thecameronfoundation.org, or via telephone at 804-732-8900.