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Community Connects at FoxSmart Center
King George Education Foundation’s new FoxSmart Center helps close the gap for students in need, reduce burden on educators, and increase community partnerships.
A grant from The Community Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy program helped transform a former Vocational Technology building into a resource for the county. The grant supplied essential
equipment like school supply storage bins that make the space functional.
Two Community Foundation board members learned about the planned FoxSmart Center through the grant review process and were inspired to get personally involved.
The Community Foundation’s President-Elect, Michele Mansouri, is Executive Director at Access Eye. The practice traditionally offers discounted eye exams in the fall to patients who bring a donation of school supplies. Anticipating the new center opening, they selected the FoxSmart Center as a recipient of these gifts in 2017 and 2018.
Stu Ashton, the Foundation’s Secretary, also learned about the program. He decided to start a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser for the project: together, he and his friends and family donated over $1,000!
FoxSmart Center opened in August and already makes a difference. A once homeless family visited on the first day of school. They had made a down payment toward permanent housing and had little cash left for school supplies. Students displaced by Hurricane Florence received backpacks full of school supplies from FoxSmart Center.
Our generous community is ensuring that King George families do not have to worry about being prepared to learn regardless of challenges they may face.