With more than 200 residents on hand Friday to hear the good news, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands officials closed out another banner year by handing out more than 100 college scholarships totaling $340,750 to students on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
The foundation’s annual meeting is usually an inspirational event, but this year broke the bank, as officials also announced a record year of giving back to the local community, with $2 million invested in the scholarships, along with CFVI’s various grants and services. And, in the midst of a tumultuous economy, the foundation’s assets also jumped to $7.5 million — an increase of $1.5 million over the previous year, according to CFVI board chairman Ricardo Charaf.
But Friday’s event was not only about the money. CFVI’s accomplishments, and the impact its programs have had on the territory, was evidenced by the smiles on the faces of its donors, the enthusiasm with which its staff explained what it is that they do and the excited squeals of the students as they talked about their hopes and dreams for college.
The foundation houses a number of funds used to finance its community initiatives — from marine science programs at the university to daily living assistance for the downtrodden — and speakers got a chance Friday to talk about them all, as the assembly was allowed to move around 24 different discussion tables set up around the room.
At the table set up for CFVI’s Hassel Island Fund, for example, St. Thomas Historical Trust Executive Director Pamela Reid talked with residents about how the organization is trying to restore some of the island’s historical buildings, including Cowell’s Battery/Signal, used in the 1800s to flag ships in from the harbor, or alert the Danish to enemy vessels.
Listening intently at one of the table, St. Thomas resident Eleanor Todman shared her childhood memories of the signal house, which she used to watch from her window as her father went off to work on the coal ships.
"There were different signals for different ships," said Todman, whose grandson Louis Robles was awarded this year with a Lana Vento Fund scholarship. "One bar was used for a coal ship, and two for the cargo ships. We used to stare from the house and look at them coming in."
Reid told her audience that the trust is always looking for volunteers to help with the cleanup and restoration efforts, and said that anyone interested can attend a meeting at the agency’s headquarters downtown at 5:30 p.m. on June 23.
Speakers at other tables were making similar pitches, trying, in particular, to get the students involved in the community efforts. Near Reid’s table, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands head Michael Aiken was talking to two high schoolers about the Rapid Response program, which is also funded through CFVI. Applicants to the program, which also involves several other non-profits, are eligible for rental and other daily living assistance, which Aiken said has recently become more in demand as funding for various government programs are being cut.
Several students came and went from Vento’s table, as award-winning producer Ziggy Livnat played up his new program on CBS/TV2, which will soon air a number of three-minute spots on local sea life. Setting up his laptop on the table, Livnat gave them a preview of the first episode, on the conch. Livnat has been working on a Save the Sea campaign in conjunction with University of the Virgin Islands, which receives funding for various marine sciences programs through Vento’s Charitable Trust.
And as CFVI’s success stories abounded, so too did those of the students, who also treated the audience Friday with applause-worthy displays of talent. Early in the program, toddlers from the College Preparatory Early Learning Center had adults in fits of giggles as they performed the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "This Little Light of Mine." The center, according to CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown, is a recipient of one of the foundation’s early childhood grants, administered through The Family Connection program.
At the other end of the spectrum, recent high school graduate Jarvon Stout shared his award-winning Laws of Life entry — a poem entitled "Forgiveness" that showed a son’s struggle with relating to a father that he never knew.
While the programs and students were the main focus of the day, the meeting also contained a bit of business, as CFVI’s new slate of board members and officials were announced. Stepping down this year after nine years on the board was CFVI fund donor Trudie Prior, who described her time with the organization as "truly rewarding." Added to the board this year was Fintrac President Claire Starkey, who has been working with CFVI through the Haitian Relief Program, which brought one of the first teams of medical doctors into the earthquake-ravaged country in 2010.
Meanwhile, board members Catherine Mills and Vicki Saunders have agreed to serve a second term, while Charaf was re-elected as chairman for 2011-2012. Alda Monsanto will be serving as the first vice-chair, Marie Thomas-Griffith as the second vice-chair, Saunders as secretary and George H.T. Dudley as treasurer.
Thomas-Griffith, who is also head of CFVI’s scholarship committee, announced that 114 students had received scholarships this year. CFVI will be having a breakfast reception for its St. Croix recipients on Tuesday.
