Dear Friends,
This is the time of year when we are normally making final arrangements for the
Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities
’ annual Lynchburg Humanitarian Awards Dinner. Dinner Committee members would be actively reaching out across the community, VCIC staff would be putting the finishing touches on the program, and Noreen Turyn would be finalizing meaningful introduction videos for the 2020 Humanitarian Award recipients.
But we all know that this isn’t a normal year. After careful consideration and with a deep commitment to the health and safety of all in our community, the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Lynchburg Humanitarian Awards Dinner.
We had hoped conditions would improve in time for us to celebrate on our postponed date of August 6, but that still seems too risky at this time. Instead, we will recognize 2020 honorees John S. Capps, Owen C. Cardwell, Jr., Mary G. Holmes, The Mitchell Sisters (Kathryn M. Drayton, Louise E. Mitchell, Violet O. Mitchell), Kay Vaughan, and J.P. Vaughan
(posthumously)
at the May 2021 Humanitarian Awards Dinner. 2020 Dinner Chair Richard Tugman, Chief Executive Officer, PCHP, Inc., has kindly agreed to Chair the May 2021 event. We very much hope to see you there.
In the meantime, the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities’ important work continues. While we can’t bring our community together in the same room for trainings and dialogues today, we are finding other ways to educate, engage, and connect. Working from home, VCIC staff are adapting in-person trainings into interactive online workshops. In collaboration with civic and faith leaders, we are speaking out against bigotry and xenophobia. And we are doing all the behind-the-scenes program preparation work that we can do now, so that we are ready to make up for lost time as soon as we can gather together in person again.
We know that this is a difficult time for so many in the community, and we do not want to add an additional burden. However, if you had planned to contribute to VCIC this spring and are still in a position to do so, we would be most grateful for your
donation
that can sustain our critical mission and work in Central Virginia.
My colleagues and I welcome your updates, inquiries, and resource requests throughout the coming weeks and months as we all navigate this challenging time together. On behalf of the VCIC team, best wishes for health and connection to you and your loved ones.
Sincerely,
