Presently there are thousands of citizens throughout the Greater Fredericksburg Region struggling to keep their lights on, to pay their rent and to provide food for their families. It is for this reason the Rappahannock United Way Board of Directors have established The Barbara C. Terry Society Emergency Assistance Fund.

In recognition of the 30 years of service the retired leader gave to Rappahannock United Way and to our community, The Barbara C. Terry Society Emergency Assistance Fund will continue Mrs. Terry’s years of compassion and service to those most in need in our community.

This fund will provide emergency assistance to struggling households; helping families meet the needs of housing (rent and mortgage), food, utilities, and transportation. This one of a kind fund will also focus on helping families who do not qualify for other community based services and who are facing economic crisis for the first time. Please honor Mrs. Terry and her lifelong mission to better our community and consider making a contribution to The Barbara C. Terry Society Emergency Assistance Fund.

If individuals, groups or businesses are interested in making a contribution to this ground breaking fund, please download and mail your tax-deductible contribution to:

Barbara C. Terry Society
c/o Rappahannock United Way
3310 Shannon Park Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

 

Generous Contributors

Building Dedication Gala

The initial contributors to this fund received a special invitation to a building dedication gala in Barbara’s honor, which took place at Fredericksburg Square on the evening of Friday, April 23, 2010. With live entertainment, first-class dining and the auctioning off of Barbara's famous pies, the evening was truely one to remember.

At present, contributors have raised $56,200 for this fund. Ms. Dorris Buffett has also generously agreed to match this gift, resulting $112,400 to aid local individuals in need of emergency assistance.

View pictures from the event generously provided by Weadon Photography.

History of the Fund

In January 2009, as the national economic crisis was at its worse, our Board of Directors took the unprecedented step of allocating $85,000 of our operating reserves to provide emergency assistance grants to local working families newly affected by the economy.

In an effort to ensure grants were given to those individuals and families who were most in need and not eligible for other community based services, we partnered with the Salvation Army to identify households eligible to receive one time grants to meet basic needs (housing, food, utilities, transportation and employment). The Salvation Army had a history of screening individuals seeking assistance for the first time and could ensure said individuals had explored and exhausted all personal resources.

By June 2009, the full $85,000 grant had been distributed to over 66 households and 182 individuals. Unfortunately, however, The Salvation Army continued to recieve a high level of calls for Emergency Assistance; thus prompting our Board of Directors to establish The Barbara C. Terry Society Emergency Assistance Fund.