Chain of Checks donations presented to 6 local nonprofits

The annual Chain of Checks charitable campaign sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (NSV) and conducted over the 2024 holiday season has awarded $25,000 in grants to six local nonprofits.

“Due to the community’s outpouring of support, the campaign was able to expand the number of grants [from four to six],” Barry Lee Bowser, founder of Chain of Checks, said in a media release of the 2024 fundraising campaign.

With the theme of the most recent campaign being “shelter,” grants were presented to:

Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS) — $5,000 to help with the expenses of maintaining and operating a bus that transports 35 guests each night during cold-weather months to a local host church where people experiencing homelessness can enjoy a free meal and safe place to sleep.

Winchester Rescue Mission — $5,000 to put toward the purchase of 25 heavy-duty, easy-to-clean beds and mattresses for the nonprofit’s soon-to-open emergency shelter on Valley Avenue.

Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity — $5,000 to improve the marketing and outreach of its ReStore home improvement outlet on Millwood Avenue in Winchester, which raises money to help the nonprofit build and rehabilitate houses for families in need.

The Laurel Center — $5,000 to support its outreach programs so that victims of domestic and sexual violence are aware of the nonprofit’s emergency shelter and services on North Cameron Street.

Blue Ridge Legal Services Inc. — $2,000 to help it continue to provide free legal assistance to low-income residents of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Wesley Housing’s Senseny Place — $3,000 to help it provide affordable housing and support services for low-income older adults.

Applications for the 2024 Chain of Checks grants were submitted online through the Community Foundation NSV and reviewed by the foundation’s community-conscious selection committee. The $25,000 in awards came from the following sources:

Corporate sponsors Bill and Lois Reynolds, as well as the Gum family with White House Foods in Winchester.

Half of the proceeds from opening night of Frederick County Parks and Recreation’s “Winter Wonderland” holiday light display in Clearbrook Park.

Christmas movie fundraisers hosted by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Nerangis Management Corp.

Collection canisters at various local businesses including 16 Handy Mart/Dunkin’ Donuts locations and Solenberger’s Hardware in Winchester.

The Clarke County Community Band’s Berryville Christmas concert.

Online and mailed donations from individuals and businesses.

Applications for the 2025 Chain of Checks campaign will open in late spring at the Community Foundation NSV’s website (cfnsv.org). For more information, email Community Foundation NSV Executive Director Rebekah DesMarais at director@CFNSV.org or visit the Chain of Checks website at chainofchecks.com.

Since 1986, Chain of Checks has awarded a total of $2,009,703 to assorted nonprofits in the Winchester area, the media release states.