The year 2011 ended very well for several not-for-profit organizations in both Fluvanna and Buckingham counties as the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) paid out thousands in grants to groups for their efforts to their communities.

To Fluvanna County Habitat for Humanity, $10,000 was given and $5,000 was granted to the Fluvanna County Meals on Wheels. The two grants helped these two charities expand their services and purchase new items to help them accomplish their goals.

In Buckingham County, $89,000 was awarded to Ellis Acres Memorial Park. The park’s officials also received a $10,000 grant from the BAMA Works Fund (administered by local musicians, The Dave Matthews Band). Both of these grants were used by the park for renovations and upgrades to the 9.25 acre location.

The $5,000 grant offered by the CACF to Fluvanna Meals on Wheels, was according to Lisa Himes, who directs the organization, a “Christmas miracle.” Fluvanna Meals on Wheels was founded in 2007 to make and deliver hot meals to those that might be unable to prepare a nutritious meal for themselves. The group makes warm deliveries to elderly shut-ins and those with major medical difficulties. Many of those that are recipients of these meals are not just grateful for the hot food, but in many cases, the visit by the delivery person from Meals on Wheels may be that person’s only social interaction, which is sometimes what makes someone’s day who might be suffering from loneliness.

Himes was very appreciative of the grant because with the continuing slow economy, donations have decreased. The grant will be used to add more clients to Meals on Wheels list since they had a cap on the number of clients they could help this past year due to funding. According to Himes, the worst thing they could tell a client was that they would be unable to help due to a lack of funding. This year will be busy for Meals on Wheels as its two largest fundraisers will be coming in the spring. On March 12, it will hold its annual Antiques Appraisal Show and on April 12, the Miles for Meals, a 5K race will also be held. Donations to Meals on Wheels are always gratefully accepted either by online or by mail. Contact Fluvanna Meals on Wheels at 105 Crofton Plaza, Suite 8, Palmyra 22963, by phone (434) 589-1685 or online at http://mealsonwheelsfluvanna.org.

CACF awarded the $10,000 grant to another very busy Fluvanna Not-for-Profit group, Fluvanna Habitat for Humanity, as the group just completed the landscaping on its 14th home in 2011. The Ecumenical Christian Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide effort that seeks to help homeless people by building homes with mostly all volunteer labor. The finished house is then sold to a family that helped in the building of the house using an affordable down payment and low-cost mortgages. The mortgage payments are then used to help continue funding the building of more homes. Mike Himes, who directs the Fluvanna County affiliate, was very pleased with the CACF award. It will be used to purchase tools and a trailer for transporting the tools. With a more efficient way to move the equipment from site to site, the group can meet their ambitious goal of building three new houses per year. Himes announced three major fundraisers for 2012, which include a 5K race, a golf tournament, and the annual November appeals letter. He also wants to let Fluvanna County know that Habitat for Humanity is working on creating a subdivision for its proposed new homes called Cedar Ridge. It will be their biggest project to date that will last for the next few years and provide homes to deserving families. Fluvanna Habitat for Humanity can be reached by mail at Fluvanna County Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 276, Palmyra 22963 or by phone at (434) 589-3752.

A large grant of nearly $100,000 from both CACF and BAMA Works Fund was awarded to the Ellis Acres Memorial Park in Dillwyn in Buckingham County. The park was set up for the Buckingham community on the site of the historic first secondary school for African-American students active from 1954-65. A former student at the old school and now a park official, Wilbert M. Dean, said he needed “to sit down” when he received the good news about the huge grant. The money is being used to upgrade and renovate the old school building into an all-purpose building with rooms that can be rented out for guest functions. The monies will also used to upgrade the park’s outdoor restrooms and get other park operations started at the Virginia Tech-designed park.

Dean said the park is a place for all ages with walking trails geared towards both able-bodied and disabled hikers. The grants will also help Ellis Acres get its proposed educational programs started. Dean said out of the efforts of many Buckingham residents, “we will have one great park.” Donations are still very much appreciated and can be sent to Ellis Acres Memorial Park, 245 Camden Street, P. O. Box 36, Dillwyn 23936. The phone number is (434) 547-4900.