January 2023
A Message from the VRTA President
Philanthropy Report
VRTA continues to live up to the label of being a charitable organization. The Executive Committee along with the Board of Directors are asked to agree on the recipients of the donations based on the research of members. These selected members are charged with recommending organizations whose mission and focus align with those of VRTA. Each year, the Committee and the Board agree upon the amount of each donation. Below is a list and an abbreviated description of this year’s recommendations:
America Red Cross/Virginia: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. They provide humanitarian relief by helping people, communities, and nations come back from some of the most devasting situations. The organization collects and maintains around half of the United States blood supply from millions of donors. They respond to emergencies every eight minutes and to a disaster’s immediate aftermath within two hours of notification.
The AARP (The American Association of Retired Persons) is an organization that looks at the needs of the aging population. It was started by Ethel Percy Andrus in 1958. Their Mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. Their vision is to create a society in which all people live with dignity and purpose. The vision statement identifies a future, while the mission statement brings the strategies to achieve it.
The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Policy: This organization advances racial and economic justice in Virginia by advocating for public policies that are designed in partnership with people most impacted, and shaped by credible, accessible fiscal and policy research. Their research and analysis contribute to advocacy in Virginia and highlight root causes of systemic inequality in innovative solutions to advance justice. They have done such things as securing access to healthcare for nearly 550,000 people with low incomes through Medicaid expansion to protecting state funding for K through 12 schools.
The Legal Aid Justice Center Just Children Program is Virginia’s largest children’s law program. They rely on arranging strategies to make sure the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable young people receive the services and support they need to lead successful lives in their communities. Through coalition building, policy advocacy, and litigation, they make lasting improvements for all children in Virginia.
Virginia Capitol Connections is a political affairs and public policy magazine that is published quarterly. For more than 30 years they have worked with maintaining effective working relationships with legislators and executive branch elected and appointed officials on all sides of the political spectrum.
VPAP for Virginia News (Virginia Public Access Project) is a source of voter information, nonpartisan and independent with a deliberate balance of Republicans and Democrats on its Board of Directors. They do not lobby or take positions on issues. Their single focus is to give Virginians information they need to make their own decisions. The project was founded in 1997 with one simple premise: If Virginia’s campaign finance system relies upon disclosure, citizens should have the right to know who is giving to whom.
Virginia Voice is a nonprofit organization providing audio access to current newspapers and magazines and live audio descriptions for the performing arts to individuals who are blind or visually impaired or have a physical impairment that prevents them from using printed matter. They have more than 200 volunteers that provide an audio reading and information service to over 5,000 individuals in Central Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. Audio programs are broadcast over public radio stations such as WCDE-FM in Richmond and WHRO-FM in Norfolk. They loan pre-tuned radios that only receive their broadcast. In addition to their radio reading and information service, they recently launched a live audio description service. The first of its kind in Virginia. This service provides individual the opportunity to enjoy the visual aspects of theater, media, and visual art. They are a nonprofit organization funded by individual and corporate contributions and by grants. The Virginia Voice Live Stream is now available on all Echo/Alexa enabled devices. The readings are also accessible online at www.virginiavoice.org.
Jean Marrow
VRTA President
marrow.j@aol.com
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