The Chaplin Youth Center won $760 for its Positive Alternatives to School Suspension (PASS) Program that provides suspended students with academic tutoring, community awareness education, character education and the opportunity to participate in service-learning projects. The grant will fund a new program for PASS that will teach step dancing to participants.

Caroline’s Promise, a nonprofit organization for Caroline County youth, won $2,500 for “Nursing Home Adoptions” sponsored by its Youth Ambassadors Program. The Youth Ambassadors, 45 high school students, designed a program to provide emotional support to senior citizens in Bowling Green Healthcare Center. The grant will provide materials, transportation and special events for senior citizens at the center.

Hospice Support Care Children’s Bereavement won $1,000 for Camp Rainbow, a weekend camp for children who have lost a parent, sibling, grandparent or other relative or friend. Children are partnered with volunteer “big buddies” during the weekend.

Hope House won a $1,000 grant for Camp High Hopes, a six-week summer camp at the YMCA for the children of Hope House and the Thurman Brisben Center.

Spotswood Elementary School won $630 for “Boys by the Books,” a program to encourage reluctant readers and to increase the male-oriented nonfiction library collection at the school.

Rappahannock Area Kids on the Block, Inc. won $725 for “Making the Right Choice for Me!,” a new program to teach high school students how to perform puppetry skits to show the risks of drugs, violence and other at-risk activities during summer programs.

James Monroe High School won $2,500 to sponsor “Challenge Day,” a nationally-recognized traveling program of skits and interactive activities that encourage high school students to make good lifestyle choices, to support each other and to create a safe and comfortable community in high schools.

Ladysmith Baptist Academy won $885 for its Youth Theater Program designed to introduce the theater arts to Caroline County students.

Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) is a three year-old program founded by the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region to encourage student volunteerism and philanthropy by engaging young people in decision-making about the distribution of grant dollars. The YIP steering committee of 30 area high school students reviews proposals from area organizations involving youth-based issues and makes recommendations for funding to the Board of Governors of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region. Over $50,000.00 has been granted to area organizations by recommendation of the YIP steering committee since its inception.

YIP grants are given twice a year. The grant cycles and  applications can be found on the Community Foundation website: www.cfrrr.org, or by calling Teri McNally, Executive Director, at 373-9292, for a hard copy.

Founded in 1997, the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region is a publicly supported, tax-exempt organization that benefits both philanthropists and charities in Caroline, King George, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and the City of Fredericksburg. For more information, call the Community Foundation offices at 373-9292 or visit the website at:  www.cfrrr.org