Fall continues to be a whirlwind of activity. It is a busy time for most of the 67 counties under the NCCF umbrella. I know it is for the Sandhills region, where I am so fortunate to call my work “home.” There is a wealth of generosity and thoughtfulness from so many in this region. A few examples include:
Harnett County’s Citizen of the Year and 2013 grant awards ceremony in mid-October marked the many accomplishments of former Senator Robert Morgan and paid tribute to his love of Harnett County. He was instrumental in working behind the scenes to establish one of our largest scholarships for students entering the medical field who are from Harnett County.
In Hoke County the local affiliate has been involved in serving as a catalyst for civic engagement over the last two years by convening the medical community with the intention of better serving patients in Hoke suffering the effects of diabetes and obesity. There is an unusually high incidence of diabetes in this county. Doctors and other medical personnel have a monthly roundtable to share resources and technologies that will help them provide greater support to their patients struggling with these chronic health problems.
Moore County honored Pidgie Chapman and Ted Tawes as the 2013 Man and Woman of the Year in mid-October. It was such a heartfelt evening filled with admiration and love for their generosity and gifts of time to Moore County. This area is also excited about Moore Women – A Giving Circle, a new group that that will support the needs of women and children living in their county.
Lee, Montgomery, Randolph and Rockingham have also had meetings and events to support local nonprofits and students through scholarships. Rockingham County is excited about hosting an event in spring 2014 to honor four local high school juniors, one from each of the four local high schools. These students will be recognized for their volunteer time and talents to their community and awarded a gift to the local nonprofit organization of their choice in Rockingham County.
In November we celebrate nonprofits, foundations and philanthropy. “National Philanthropy Day” is set aside to celebrate many in our world who work to make a better quality of life for us all. Wikipedia provides the description of philanthropy as “private initiatives, for public good focusing on quality of life.”
That just about sums up each day at the North Carolina Community Foundation. We work with individual donors, our boards of advisors, members of the nonprofit community and a host of others who give their talents, time and/ or their resources to enhance their communities.
As we approach this holiday season, it is truly a gift to work with so many individuals and organizations making a difference in their communities. Let the celebration continue!