Monthly President’s Letter: February 2024
Dear Community Members and Builders,
This past month has been a difficult one but also a source of hope and community.
Our nonprofit partner Ashley’s Place in Gallatin, TN had a pipe burst and reached out for assistance. Not only were we able to provide funding to help with the repairs but we were also able to connect with our community partners at DPR to reduce the costs of the repairs and resume services. After discussions at the Board and Grant Making Committee level, we recognized the need to increase our cap for emergency grants and we have now doubled it to $5,000 to help our nonprofit partners resume services.
Our Virginia community suffered a major loss and trauma mid-month when one of our apprentices lost his life to a fellow apprentice at the Manassas training center. Elijah Safadi died a hero protecting others. We support Rosendin, NECA, and IBEW Local 26 during this difficult time. We are working with the local teams to share community resources for our grieving community members. The Board approved an emergency grant of $5,000 to NAMI Prince William to assist the local community navigate this traumatic event. Here is a link to PTSD resources for our community members impacted by the recent tragedy – https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/resources_disaster_violence.asp.
Our very own Mario Flores completed his first marathon (Austin Marathon) and his fellow volunteers from Rosendin’s Pflugerville and Austin offices supported him and all the other runners at the Mile 18 aid station providing electrolytes and water as the runners completed the 26.2 miles.
Candid reaffirmed our Platinum Transparency Seal for 2024 which demonstrates to our donors and supporters how we share. It brings me pride to have that seal on our website as it demonstrates our accountability to our community.
Roadshows are in progress and our Communications Committee is out sharing what we accomplished in 2023 and our plans for 2024 and beyond. We are planning to distribute $1.3M in annual grants this year and we’re recruiting for TRF Camp Build planning teams in Virginia and Southern California. If you are interested in joining these planning committees, please reach out to Hope.
Finally, if you know middle schoolers in Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, and Southern California, please encourage them to apply for TRF Camp Build. Applications close on March 31st. Campers and guardians will receive notice of acceptance or waitlist status by mid-April. If you know of any companies or associations who are interested in sponsoring, please encourage them to become a sponsor.
In Community,
Jolsna Thomas
President
