Thank you for supporting the Peninsula Community Foundation in 2024! Your involvement with PCF is greatly appreciated. We wanted to share an update on our accomplishments we made Together this past year, which have directly impacted the lives of residents right here where we live and work.
Thank you for all that you do for our community and for how exceptionally well you do it.
The Peninsula Community Foundation 2024 Year in Review
By virtue of the generosity of our donors and sponsors, PCF had a record year putting dollars back into the Lake Norman community, as well as Western Carolina for hurricane relief efforts. Impact WE made Together………….
- We approved grants totaling $420,000 to 31 local charities.
- We collected and contributed $134,000 to six charities working in the Western Carolina hurricane-affected areas.
- In 2024, our donations total $554,000, compared to $314,500 in 2023.
How We Do It
Here are some ways TOGETHER we achieved this:
· Community-Centric Approach: Members of the Lake Norman community make up the all-volunteer PCF Board of Directors. They carefully evaluate both the needs of the community and the effectiveness of local charities. This ensures that donations are directed to organizations that most effectively use PCF funds to achieve tangible, quantifiable results.
· Direct Involvement: PCF grant recipient organizations benefit not only from financial contributions but also from the direct involvement of PCF board members and other volunteers in the Lake Norman community. This hands-on approach ensures that the PCF is not just about financial assistance. We strive to be active partners in creating positive change.
· Fundraising: Through an annual fundraising drive that begins in the Spring and a November gala event, the PCF encourages members of the community to support our mission. We could not do what we do without their generosity, and we are so grateful to them for their unwavering support!
· Proven Impact: Each year since our 2001 founding, the PCF has continued to rise to the challenge of meeting the exponentially growing needs of our neighbors in need within the Lake Norman community. The problems and challenges addressed by our charitable partners are immediate and require a community effort to fix, and the PCF is inspired to be part of the solutions! By improving the lives of others, we make a better community for us all.
What Did WE accomplish together in 2024?
Here is a list of the ways we supported some of our grant recipients in 2024:
· Ada Jenkins - Support the LEARN Works program that is the only free afterschool academic program in Mecklenburg County. They serve local elementary school students who are 1 to 2 grade levels behind their peers in Reading.
· Angels & Sparrows and Bags of Hope - Focus on the urgent daily issue of food insecurity, which is even more challenging in this high inflationary economy.
Bridge of Hearts and Discovery Place Kids/Huntersville - Bring joy and fun into the lives of children from low-income families.
· Caterpillar Ministries and The Lake Norman Community Development Corporation - Continue to address the crisis of affordable housing, as well as provide rental assistance and funds for critical repairs to aging homes and trailers.
· Cook Community Clinic - Provide support to the medical home of uninsured individuals and families in the Lake Norman community.
· Cornelius Early Scholars - Fund an additional preschool classroom to prepare children from low-income families for kindergarten.
· Hope House - Continue to fund the Car Repair Account to cover repair/ maintenance needs of Hope House residents so they can safely drive their cars to work.
Lit Little Smiles - Provide technology to children in extended stay hospital situations.
· Neighborhood CARE Center - Support programs that guide neighbors towards immediate and long-term solutions through relational and faith-based programs to empower them to have a stable future.
· Pottsville Heritage Group - Help support housing needs of the historically marginalized residents in the Pottsville neighborhood in Huntersville by making home repairs and improvements to revitalize the community.
· Safe Alliance - Reach more women who are victims of domestic violence.
· Seasons of Giving and Senior Community Connections - Reach out to more elderly neighbors to help them remain independent and engaged in the community by providing care, comfort, and companionship.
· Smithville Community Coalition - Sent 80 children to the YMCA summer camp. Many of these kids live close to Lake Norman but only saw the lake for the first time through this program. Also aided in the process of providing a brand-new HVAC system installed in a resident's home at no cost to the owner.
Non-Negotiables
While we would like to help everyone in need, we keep our focus solely on non-profits in the North Mecklenburg region. Charities that are in the business of education and health, as well as those that serve children and seniors are our priority.
If you are interested in donating to an organization that keeps your dollars local and one where you can easily find out where the funds go , the Peninsula Community Foundation provides that.
· The PCF board is comprised of 13 dedicated members. Each board member works closely with two or three specific non-profits and serves as their liaison, keeping the board informed of the work being accomplished and any needs they may have. They also make sure that the grant money is used for the purpose intended.
· A unique aspect of the PCF is its ability to pool money from various donors. For example, we had a local soup kitchen that had a very immediate need for a walk-in cooler that cost $15,000. Due to our long-standing relationship with them, they knew they could quickly reach out to us for help. Using the donations of five or six different supporters, the PCF was able to pool that money and grant the $15,000 practically overnight.
Thanks To You
None of this inspiring and often life-changing work happens without kind-hearted donors like you who are ready and willing to lend a helping hand to others. When you partner with the PCF, you bring tangible hope to people in need right here in the community that we share.
For that, we offer our sincerest thanks.
The Peninsula Community Foundation Board of Directors
