Boxerwood recently received a bold and inspiring gift from the Rockbridge Community Health Foundation (RCHF) and Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital (CRCH): an award of $32,000 for programs that serve youth and by extension, their families.
These two health-focused partners administer a generous endowment that annually supports initiatives that promote well-being in Rockbridge County. We are thrilled that this one-year award recognizes and strengthens Boxerwood’s ongoing efforts to do the same.
Boxerwood’s proposal, “Thriving Youth/Thriving World,” requested flexible, pandemic-era support for youth-related services for the upcoming school year, 2021-22. The funding supports Boxerwood’s ongoing efforts to provide programming that creates many of the conditions prevention specialists cite as critical for addressing Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) stressors. Groundbreaking research now draws strong correlations between childhood stressors and subsequent adult health. Boxerwood youth programming inherently include a number of ACE-protective conditions including opportunities to establish long-term trusting connections with others, to develop positive self-regard, and to spend time in the stress-reducing and restorative natural world. How exciting to know health leaders in our area recognize the connection between our work and broad, wellness goals.
The award is timely and needed. “We anticipate return to fuller school programming next year,” noted Catrien van Assendelft, BEA Executive Director, “but it’s been very difficult to gauge the funding available for that work. This grant clears the way for Boxerwood to do what it does best without as much worry about how we can pay for it. We can plan and serve the community and its children. It’s a wonderful investment in Boxerwood and those it serves.”
Thank you, Rockbridge Community Health Foundation and Carilion Community Hospital!
