Indian River Impact 100 welcomed another four nonprofits to the fold as their latest Community Partners, with Impact members voting to award $100,000 High Impact grants to the Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy, Crossover Mission, SafeSpace and the Veterans Council of Indian River County.
Outgoing board president Gladys LaForge who had been compelled by the pandemic to begin and end her term virtually, welcomed Impact 100 members to a second virtual version of the group’s Annual Meeting, during which the grant recipients were announced.
In a break from tradition, earlier in the spring, members had watched online videos by the 10 finalists, who had already gone through an intensive vetting process, about their impressive and noteworthy programs. Members were then given a period in which to vote for their choice of finalists.
LaForge thanked PNC Wealth Management for their sponsorship of the Annual Meeting, noting that while the year was unusual in many ways, “one constant has been the dedication of our sponsors to our mission and their willingness to support us, even virtually.”
“Although I’m disappointed not to be with all of you having our traditional glass of wine and anticipating the awards to our grantees, I am proud of this organization for prevailing its mission even in the most trying of times,” said LaForge.
A video montage was shown that featured photos from last year’s five Community Partners, who LaForge said “never flinched in the face of the pandemic.” The 2020 recipients were: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Treasure Coast Food Bank, The Source, Children’s Home Society and Camp Haven.
“We have $436,000 to award; four $100,000 grants and six $6,000 merit grants. I’m sure the decision on which nonprofits to vote for was difficult for our members, as it was for me,” said LaForge, noting that over the past 13 years, Impact 100 has awarded grants to more than 65 nonprofits, and that this year’s grants would put them past the $5 million mark.
Despite their reactions being virtual, the excitement was palpable as each of the recipients were able to briefly express their gratitude. When Vero Beach 32963 had a chance later to chat with the four, they expounded on their appreciation and surprise, each heaping praise on all the remarkable finalist organizations.
“I cannot express how grateful I am to everybody involved. Thank you so much! On behalf of the kids we serve, we can’t wait to share with you the impact that this grant is going to have on our organization,” said Phil Barnes, Youth Guidance executive director, referencing the Learning Center that the grant will fund.
“I would like to thank the ladies of Impact 100 from the bottom of my heart. This grant is going to have a profound impact on kids, especially teaching them trade skills and life skills that they’ll need to lead productive lives. I immediately went out of my office and told all our staff. There was definitely a lot of joy in that moment,” added Barnes.
“Thank you; I didn’t even think we had a chance,” said Antoine Jennings, Crossover Mission co-founder with Cathy De Schouwer. The grant will go toward construction of their Center for Achievement and Tutoring (the CAT).
“There were some agencies that really presented well. They were all really deserving, so I was very surprised that we won; I really wasn’t anticipating that. I didn’t think we had a chance, honestly, being a newer program,” added Jennings.
“Thank you so much; we are so grateful. This was the first year we felt that we had the kind of project that Impact would be able to fund,” said De Schouwer. “It was quite a process; the soul searching and then all of the admin and detailed writing. So, we’re incredibly grateful. I think Impact 100 is one of the most amazing nonprofits in town. It’s certainly a good day for Crossover Mission.”
“Thank you so much; we are so appreciative of your support,” said Teresa Albizu CEO of SafeSpace. “On behalf of the hundreds of victims of domestic violence, we really appreciate your contributions to the work that we do.”
Citing the importance of being able to respond to the high incidence of domestic violence, which has increased due to the pandemic, she said it was important for survivors to have access to resources in the community they live in.
The grant will go toward a 19-bed emergency shelter in Vero Beach. “We are totally thrilled about this opportunity,” said Albizu.
“The Veterans Council of Indian River County really appreciates the women of Impact 100 for their willingness to make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families, who either can’t afford or are unable to make repairs on their homes,” said Pat Geyer-Patton, Veterans Council consultant/grant writer. The grant will help improve the quality of life for veterans and their families.
“Thank you so much. Our chairman and our executive director and I all thought the same thing when the first three came up – that there was no way we were going to be the fourth, because there were so many other wonderful programs to choose from. So, we were overwhelmed at being one of the recipients.”
This year’s outstanding merit winners were: Childcare Resources, Indian River Healthy Start Coalition, Pelican Island Audubon Society, United Against Poverty, Ballet Vero Beach and Youth Sailing Foundation.
LaForge announced that Tracy Sorzano is the next president of Impact 100 and encouraged people to sign up for the 2021-22 membership year.
For more information, visit impact100ir.com.
Photos by Kaila Jones and Tania
