During class on 4/19 everyone shared the rubrics they graded and we found out who won the first $5,000 grant and the finalist for the other $5,000 grant. Unfortunately, the grant my partner and I wrote for Our Community Place (OCP) was not selected. The mission of OCP is to cultivate a community of restoration and hope by providing free cooperative community meals, recreational activities, meaningful work, rest from the elements, positive relationships, spiritual guidance, and some basic services for individuals struggling with homelessness. While it was discouraging to not have won the $5,000 grant for them, this experience gave me the knowledge to continue to advocate for OCP and become more involved in their programs.
OCP was seeking $5,000 to fund their new food-based enterprise that will employ two community members. When we first met with Eric Olson-Getty, the administrative director at OCP, he treated us with lunch at the very kitchen we were trying to gain funding for. Seeing first-hand the impact this program was making in the community was a great motivator as we got started. We were able to talk to some of the volunteers who were serving us and hear about what the program has meant to them. For me, this experience went well beyond our grant writing course. It made me want to become more involved in this community and develop relationships with those at OCP. I had been by OCP before, and interviewed the executive director for another class, but I had never experienced their programing first hand. In all my time volunteering in the Harrisonburg area I had never seen a group of people so happy and united by the work they were doing. I have now started trying to support their programs when I have the chance, such as going to their Friday lunches and buying a plate of food. I also hope to become more involved as a volunteer next semester and get to know the OCP community better.
While it is disappointing to not have been awarded a grant for the organization we were representing, I just wanted to highlight the impact this process has had on me outside of class. I have learned that the impact of this class goes beyond the $10,000. This class has helped over 40 students become more involved in the community and nonprofits in the area. As a nonprofit minor this is something that I value a great deal. It has been so amazing to hear my classmates talk about the nonprofits they were representing with such passion. This class has been such a blessing to the Harrisonburg community and the surrounding areas. I look forward to seeing what comes out of JMU’s partnership with the Learning by Giving Foundation in the future.