Gives Grant Stories
From Grants Awarded through WCCF Gives 2013
Making Hay . . .
That’s In-Stride with Therapeutic Riding’s Gives Grant Story.
“Make hay while the sun shines” is a familiar expression with an important message for all of us (not just members of the agricultural community). Taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves can be critical to success.
Perhaps with this saying in mind, In-Stride with Therapeutic Riding, a local charity that provides horseback riding to children and adults with disabilities, recognized WCCF Gives as an excellent way to raise funds to feed their noble beasts during a critical point in the year.
Much of In-Stride’s revenue is derived from its student lessons, which primarily take place between March and November. Since the horses require year-round care, the decrease in program income during the winter months places a considerable strain on the organization’s finances during that window.
In the weeks prior to WCCF Gives, members of the In-Stride team calculated the various costs associated with running their programs. They ultimately decided to focus their WCCF Gives campaign on raising money to feed the horses. For instance, one bale of hay costs $4.25, and In-Stride uses 6 bales of hay daily. Therefore, with a gift of just $25.50, a donor has the opportunity to feed the horses for a day! By demonstrating how a modest gift has the ability to make an impact, In-Stride inspired many individuals to support them during the day of giving.
“As we saw our real-time donations on the WCCF Gives website, we calculated how much hay we could buy with that amount and shared the information on Facebook and Twitter,” remarked Dana Flaherty, In-Stride Director.
In-Stride raised a total of $998 through WCCF Gives. Adding their portion of the bonus pool to those donations brought this charity’s Gives grant total to $1,368, which was enough to purchase two months of winter hay.
Not only did In-Stride walk away from WCCF Gives 2013 with a grant, but now the charity has a proven fundraising strategy that can be implemented again this year!
Providing Life-saving Training to Parents . . .
That’s Genesis’s Gives Grant Story.
It’s a terrifying situation. Your child needs CPR, and there’s not a moment to lose. Thankfully, a local charity gave you the vital training you need to handle this crisis.
Since 1973, Genesis of Pittsburgh has been providing life-affirming programs and services for pregnant women, children, and adoptive families.
The Genesis Center in Washington provides free classes to pregnant women and their partners, as well as the parents of infants and toddlers. Lessons focus on understanding the growing child, protecting their health and safety, and developing positive discipline skills and strategies.
Monthly, Genesis offers an Infant CPR Class led by the American Red Cross, which utilizes infant-sized manikins, anatomical models of the human body designed for use in teaching.
Prior to WCCF Gives, Genesis owned six manikins in “fair to poor” condition. Renting these training tools often proved challenging since the class size varies from month to month. However, using its unrestricted WCCF Gives grant (totaling $3,409), Genesis was able to purchase eight new manikins – enough for a full class.
“We have had two known cases where our clients have had to administer CPR to their infants and both were successful outcomes. One of these infants was just hours old, and the parents were told by hospital personnel that they did the right thing and saved their baby’s life,” remarked Lynda Jucha, Director.
Helping Survivors Reach their Destinations . . .
That’s DVSSP’s Gives Grant Story.
Imagine you have just fled an abusive household to begin a new life, leaving behind nearly everything you have along with it, including your means of transportation. How will you get to all the places you need to go in order to rebuild your life?
Thankfully, Domestic Violence Services of SWPA (DVSSP) offers its clients much, much more than a place to stay.
DVSSP’s entire unrestricted grant from WCCF Gives 2013 was directed towards the purchase of a van. These new wheels replaced a 12-year-old vehicle that was nearing the end of its lifespan.
“The $3,806 in unrestricted donations was the real gift, as transportation is one of our core services,” remarked Michelle Robinson-Ritter, Executive Director.
As they plan to move forward, clients often need rides to and from a variety of different locations such as medical appointments, legal appointments and court hearings, housing options, therapy sessions, as well as job readiness and education programs. DVSSP also uses the van to transport donated items to its shelters.
Michelle went on to say, “Whatever a woman may decide are her goals, DVSSP helps her achieve them.”
