Many nonprofits have needs not easily met by donors looking for more exciting projects. That’s why we’re especially grateful to the Rockbridge United Way (RUW) because RUW understands those challenges. Earlier this year Boxerwood was grateful to receive a $4500 grant from the RUW Charske Fund to help us meet an urgent but not glamorous need. The fund paid for the expansion of our main parking lot, increasing its capacity by about 50%.
The need became evident during the spring, as more people were discovering Boxerwood as an outdoor haven during the lingering pandemic. Many times the Boxerwood parking lot was full to overflowing on the weekends, with some visitors unable to find any space at all. Thanks to this generous grant from the Charske Fund, we were able to expand and improve. We hired a local contractor to grade the additional area and haul in several loads of gravel. We planned the expansion carefully, with an eye towards making sure that any additional run-off could be handled by our newly improved stormwater swale and catchment system.
With the parking lot addition completed, we can now safely accommodate more visitors. Equally important, the parking area is much more accessible to school buses, whose drivers faithfully (and effortlessly) dropped off hundreds of visiting school children this fall. We are grateful to Rockbridge United Way and to the Charske Fund for giving to us so that we in turn can give back to our community!
