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Non-Profits Improve Quality of Life
by Bonnie Dawson & Dan Curran
Many are unaware of the numerous non-profit service groups that are based in Amherst County and constantly contributing to the quality of life.
Between them, all ages and income groups are served in some important way, and they all deserve your consideration for possible support, even if it is just volunteering some of your time!
The Amherst Association for Lowesville FCE (Family, Community, Educators), 546 Maple Run Rd., Am herst, Shirley Adams, 277-5681, mission is to strengthen individuals, families and communities through continuing education, developing leadership and community action. Projects include contributions to rescue squads and fire department, Thanksgiving boxes, school supplies and high school scholarships. Officers include Carolyn Crump, Karen Jones and Thelma Pollard.
The Amherst County Habitat for Humanity (ACHFH), 106 E. Court St., Amherst, Craig Cassell, Executive Director 946-7440, is an affiliate of Habitat For Humanity International, a Christian inspired, volunteer organization dedicated to building simple, decent homes in partnership with families that have no access to commercial mortgages. Carefully selected on the basis of need for housing, ability to pay the affordable no-interest mortgage and the willingness to partner, the families contribute 300 hours of “sweat equity” to the construction of their own homes. The purpose is to give people a hand up, not a hand out.
As a Habitat affiliate, 10% of locally donated funds are sent to Habitat International (unless the donation is designated for exclusive use in Amherst County) to be used solely to finance house construction in third world countries.
Volunteers are essential for committees, special events and ongoing office projects, as well as skilled and unskilled construction laborers.
The Board of Directors include Leon Parrish, Noel Depalma, Larry Janow, Rev. Stuart Jones, Robbie Rutherford, Kay Wright, Craig Pleasants, John Gregory Brown, Kenneth R. Bumgarner, John Batman and C.T. Wingfield.
To write and inquire about volunteering or about a loan, please call or email them at Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1397, Amherst, VA 24521, or email amhersthabitat@yahoo.com, or visit www.amhersthabitat.org.
The Amherst Co. Housing & Community Development Foundation, 102 East Court St., Amherst. Roy Prior, President 386-1894. This group fosters and promotes community for lower and moderate income citizens of Amherst County who need emergency repairs. They do these repairs using the services of Amherst High School students and their chaperones, and the Transformers, a Baptist organization that also helps to repair homes in crisis. The group has four board members, Tony Cash, Roy Prior, Glenn Sullivan and Becky Greco. This group needs board members, donations for materials, publicity and fundraising. They meet once a month and have been in existence since 2004. For more information, e-mail cashbrothersrealty@aol.com
The Amherst County Lions Club, 21 Buffalo Mines Rd., Roseland, Ronald White, President, 277-5616 mission is to serve our 
community and others by providing services and financial support to organizations and individuals in need. We have budgeted financial assistance to over two dozen projects in our community for year 2011.Our main ongoing project is to provide others better eyesight. Our club offers free eye exams and glasses to financially burdened people in our community each month. This includes free eye exams to all children entering elementary schools in Amherst County. The Lions club collects used eye glasses and refurbishes these glasses for others who can not afford to buy new frames/lenses. Good eye sight is not only a quality of life issue, but it is a necessity to maximize a child’s learning potential through the formal education process and function as future responsible adults in the workplace.
Another associated project is an annual donation to the Amherst Elementary public schools reading program. This program was initiated by the Lions club in 1999 and is a matching gift program between the school, PTO and in some schools the Ruritan club. For more information, call or e-mail ronaldgwhite@hotmail.com.
The Amherst Glebe Arts Response, Inc. (AGAR) PO Box 117 Clifford, VA 24533 Lynn Kable, President (434) 989-3215 was founded in March 2005, supports cultural and humanities education through the production of performances and presentation of events in the arts, humanities, crafts, design and arts-in-healthcare, as well as historic preservation, horticulture and educational activities about these fields. They sponsor lectures, and production of books, CD’s, websites, videos and traveling exhibit materials. They also will sponsor and manage arts and humanities programs, interior and landscape design projects for healthcare populations, including patient and caregivers, and workshops. Other officers and directors include Lynn Hanson, Ned Kable, Janice Augustine, Lillian Burks, Jean Higginbotham, Amy Moody PhD, Rebecca Massie Lane, Susan Steele and Anne Wilkins.
Their latest project is the painting of the old parking meters in the Town of Amherst. Also recently they produced three DVDs about different schools in the 19th century by interviewing schools associated with that era: like The Bear Indian Mission School; Central Elementary and Central High School; and the Madison Heights School. They would like donations of a good film screen and easels for art exhibits. To email them, go to AGARVA@aol.com.
The Amherst Co. Public Schools Education Foundation, Shelley Andrews, Executive Director (434) 316-3900 is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing education for the students and teachers of Amherst County. Their goal is to raise the community’s awareness of the importance of education and to enrich many classrooms by providing items not traditionally funded within the annual school budget. In the past, they have successfully worked to improve technology in the schools by funding computer hardware and software. Currently, they support educators and students by funding the mini-grant program, which awards up to $1,000 to deserving teachers twice a year. To date, the Foundation has raised over $200,000 for this rewarding cause. The officers are Grady Davis, Brad Maines, Wanda Burley and Dana Jackson. There are currently 16 members. The foundation holds three fundraisers throughout the year, and are always looking for people within the community that might help this organization and build partnerships with local businesses. If you are interested in these events or information please call or email educationfoundation@amherst.k12.va.us, or visit their website at www.amherst.k12.va.us.
The GFWC Amherst Womans Club, High Peak Rd., Monroe, Mary Riely Pettyjohn 929-7538, mission is to promote the cultural, educational, and environmental welfare of the community. Members are dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.
For several years they have presented beautifully illustrated dictionaries to all the third grade students in Amherst County, and two scholarships are offered to ACHS seniors. For more information, e-mail mriely@juno.com.
The Amherst Rotary Club, Randall Gravely, President, 946-7345 seeks to make a difference in the quality of life in their community as well as cooperating with Rotary International to improve conditions throughout the world. Their local focus is on education, and the club has provided scholarships to graduating high school seniors, totaling over $150,000.They provide a world globe to every 2nd grader in the Amherst school system. The object of Rotary is to encourage the ideal of service. They seek active and retired business and professional persons who live or work in Amherst who want to make an impact in the community. To learn more about the club, please contact one of our 40 members or the following: Linda Zirkle 946-7416; John Faris 946-5479; Bill Hathaway 946-2174; Edgar Kinnier 946-9064; Leif Aagaad Jr. 455-7725; Ed Kryspin 946-7883. Their website is www.Rotary7570.org, or e-mail vrgravely@yahoo.
The goal of Blue Ledge Inc. (Meals on Wheels) P.O. Box 1332, Amherst is to deliver nutritious meals to seniors and disabled 
individuals who have difficulty preparing food for themselves.
Volunteers deliver one meal a day, five days a week, to their clients, but the program is flexible so that clients can choose to receive food only a few days a week if that suits their needs.
Some individuals only need help in the short term (such as when recovering from an illness), while others have long-term needs. But no long term commitment is required, and clients (or their families) are charged only $3.50/day for their meal.
There are currently three delivery routes, mainly serving the northern part (north of Rt. 130) of Amherst County, but more routes are in the planning stage and will depend on client need. Food for two routes is prepared at Fairmont Crossing Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Amherst. Meals for the 3rd route, in the Temperance community, are prepared by Mountain View Market in Lowesville.
Sam and Gretchen Price started the program. The current Board members include Ashley Carter, Molly England, Sam Price, Gretchen Price, Leslie Graves, Nancy Bockstael, Dr. Joanna Harris, and their new coordinator Tammy Martin. Currently, their number of volunteers range from 15-20.
“Our goal is to help keep people in their homes,” said Molly England. “The clients love to see volunteers coming to visit them”.
The general public is encouraged to go on the website, www.blueledge.org, and check out what is going on, or email diva132524@aol.com, or call Molly England at 434-841-9288 or the coordinator at 434-942-4864.
The Clifford Ruritan Club Ned Kable (434) 946-0116, supports local organizations and gives out thousands of dollars to fire and rescue squads. They also volunteer to work for them. Their largest fundraiser is the annual Sorghum Festival, which includes all kinds of games, musical entertainment and vendors. They even hold the state joisting tournament, which is how the Amherst Lancers got their name. They would love to have some young folks become Ruriteens to learn valuable skills that are being lost.
The Episcopal Thrift Shop 195 N. Main St., Amherst. Alice Morse, Store Manager, 946-2321 is a community-based organization which helps people in need. The shop is run by St. Marks Episcopal Church in Clifford and Ascension Episcopal Church in Amherst. They have anywhere from 25 to 30 volunteers. None of the money goes to the church and they never have any idea of how much they will need. They have been in business for 20 years and have given away as much as $656,197. Cash donations as well as clothes and material goods are needed at the shop. Their website is www.ascension.dioswva.org or stmarksclifford.org.
Friends of Amherst County, Jeanne Vaughan, President, is a community-minded organization with a focus is on making a difference and being a positive force in the Amherst community. The officers are Treasurer, Vanessa Angus and Secretary, Jim Hall. They are a small group with seven active members but they welcome everyone. Their last project was donating backpacks full of supplies to needy kids at Madison Heights Elementary for the new school year. You can contact them at angusfour@aol.com.
…Continue reading about Amherst nonprofits on page 54 in the graphic at the top of the page.