In 2016, the Foundation awarded eight grants from its unrestricted endowment to nonprofits on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Eastern Shore Public Library System
$50,000 - to be used as part of the $5 million capital campaign to fund a new main library in Parksley, Virginia to serve the learning and literacy needs of the residents of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. espl.org
Smart Beginnings Eastern Shore
$16,151 - for Go and Grow Starter Packs, include new diaper bags filled with user-friendly resources for new parents, two appropriate children’s books and SIDS prevention infant sleep sack. The packets will go to every parent giving birth at Riverside Memorial Hospital. smartbeginnings.org
Chincoteague Cultural Alliance
$50,000 - to help with the renovation of the
CCA building, transforming the space from a 1950s classroom building to one suitable for performing and visual arts. chincoteagueculturalalliance.org
Randy Custis Memorial Fund
$20,000 - to be used to install new lighting on the girls’ softball field to allow for longer practices and increased access to the facilities.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
$25,000 - for the construction of a new educational work boat, Mary P to provide life-changing educational experiences to students, teachers and administrators in their local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
No Limits Eastern Shore
$18,000 - to be used for a productivity and sustainability project including a hot dog cart and an upgrade to Eastern Shore walking trails.
Virginia Tech Ag Research Center / Virginia Institute of Marine Science
$30,000 - to provide funding for an objective analysis of poultry expansion for the ongoing public discourse, bringing together agricultural scientists, extension agents, farmers, marine scientists, aquaculture industry personnel, land use planners from local government, local environmental groups and the general public to create relevant data for Accomack and Northampton counties.
Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs of Southeast Virginia
$20,000 - to provide funding to expand a sports, fitness, and recreation program, Triple Play: Mind, Body, and Soul. Triple Play is a dynamic wellness program that demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit, and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle.