Five nonprofit organizations in the United States Virgin Islands will continue to expand their programs in 2025, thanks to the most recent grants awarded by Liberty Foundation, which total $50,000 in donations.
The five nonprofits in the USVI that received these grants were The Children’s Museum of St. Croix, Family Resource Center in St. Thomas, Friends of the Virgin Islands National Parks in St. John, Elevate WI, and Y-TEENS VI, both in St. Thomas.
“This donation allows us to connect with nonprofits in the USVI and provide resources for them so they can continue carrying out their invaluable work,” said Ravindra Maywahlall, Liberty VI’s general manager. “This is much more than just giving funds. We invest our time, resources and volunteers to help underserved communities in the USVI thrive. That connection means a lot to us.”
The leaders of these five nonprofits all agreed on how crucial the grants are to enable them to continue offering their programs to serve their communities and expand their reach.
“We have been in existence for 42 years and without agencies like the Liberty Foundation we would not be able to remain afloat, so I am really thankful, and I am grateful for what they are doing in the community,” stated Anya Stuart, executive director of the Family Resource Center. “We have got to see how we can make our Virgin Islands great, especially those in our community who are in need.”
Tonia Lovejoy, executive director of Friends of VI National Park, said that support from the Liberty Foundation has allowed nearly 1,000 school children in St. John to benefit from the organization’s School Kids in the Park program, which gives them a chance to learn about the park’s natural and cultural resources. The grant will also help fund their annual Earth Day celebration in St. John, where Liberty VI employees also serve as volunteers. “Each year, hundreds of young students participate in our annual Earth Day celebration on St. John. The Earth Day celebration on the Cruz Bay square is filled with informative booths and activities and culminates into a fantastic parade to celebrate our planet,” she added.
For The Children’s Museum of St. Croix, the grant money will not just help support its pop-up exhibits, it could also mean finally having a permanent home. “We are still going to be at fairs because that is our big outreach to communities,” explained Ellie Hirsh, The Children’s Museum’s director. “We have a property that we are renting with the option to buy, and we are hoping to put nature trails for nature learning and exhibits. We want to get kids involved in learning because we really believe that kids learn through play.”
First-time grant recipient ElevateWi will continue offering its programs to foster creativity for youths in St. Thomas. “The whole idea is to create a space where youth and those who are interested in becoming creators and artists can come to this space and learn and grow,” said founder and president L. Omar Ewen. “You can learn from beat making to learning to record music. We give vocal development and recently did a film production with four teenagers.”
The Liberty Foundation grant has also made a difference for Y-Teens VI, a St. Thomas-based organization that empowers girls and young women in the USVI through programs that help them develop leadership and professional skills that contribute to their personal growth.
“Liberty Foundation funds have made it possible for Y-Teens VI to expand their offerings for girls and young women beyond the workshops held on Saturdays,” said Donnalie Edwards-Cabey, president and executive director of Y-TEENS VI. “We are launching our technology after school program, with coding and graphic design.”
“Through their continued and generous support for our mission, our collaborators and sponsors made it possible once again for us to offer these nonprofit organizations in the USVI the resources they need to provide services and opportunities in the areas of education, social well-being and health, arts and culture, and environmental protection,” said Yadira Valdivia, Liberty Foundation’s executive director. “These donations are making it possible for people living in underserved communities to become the best version of themselves.”
Throughout 2024, Liberty awarded additional grants and sponsorships and carried out volunteer programs with other USVI nonprofits such as Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, Yellow Cedar Home in St. Thomas, Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Thomas, Queen Louise Home for the Children in St. Croix, Cancer Support VI in St. Thomas, Rotary Club of St. Thomas, the Benny Demus Foundation, Nanas Baby Home, Community Foundation of the VI, WTJX Public Broadcasting, and Our Town Frederiksted.
Since 2020, Liberty Foundation has awarded over $416,000 in grants and sponsorships, helping 27 nonprofit organizations in the USVI fund a variety of community initiatives that support childcare, education, culture, gender-based violence eradication, entrepreneurship and environmental protection in the USVI.
