If you’ve ever planted a tree, you know the lessons – and the rewards – of patience. For the tree to grow and prosper, basic resources are required – light, water, warmth and adequate protection. Sometimes, in addition, circumstances compel special supports and extraordinary care – extra watering, pruning, or focused care during a drought or flood.
Communities are much the same. Considerable resources are needed to create conditions for stability, growth and prosperity. Positive things must be sustained and enriched – inspired outdoor spaces, civic enrichment, cultural programming, vital public services, churches and schools. Critical needs compel us to respond in different ways – food for the hungry, care for the disadvantaged and shelter for the homeless.
These are the sunlight, soil and water of our community. These are the things that help a community grow and thrive.
Right now, COVID-19 is challenging communities in ways we would never have imagined. Sadly, it effects likely will impact us for weeks and months to come. Families, businesses, and our entire community – like trees – are seeking light, warmth, and protection as we adjust to ever-changing conditions.
Thankfully, caring and generous people are tending to our “community trees.” Healthcare workers. Community volunteers. First responders, police and fire departments. Teachers who have continued to educate our youth in new and different ways. Social service agencies. The list is so very long.
Your Community Foundation of White County is honored to be one of those caregivers.
Thanks to generous everyday people who want to help care for our community, CFWC recently awarded a grant of over $13,000 to seed United Way’s COVID Response Fund. These dollars came from our Community Grants Fund, an unrestricted fund available to address ever-changing needs and opportunities within White County. We are honored by our donors’ trust and by the invaluable partnerships we share throughout our community.
In a time when many things seem so uncertain, know that there are people tending to our “community trees” with patience, commitment, and accountability.
You have many opportunities to be the sun, soil, and precious rain in this community…to help plant and nourish trees that will provide fruit and shade for generations to come. A gift to your Community Foundation that benefits our Community Grants Fund – whether large or small – is a simple, yet powerful, way to care for our “community trees.”