Feeling the Love at Friendship Court

As long as I live in Charlottesville, I will never fail to be moved by the generosity of the people in this area.  Year after year, they support the many non-profits who are providing activities and services that make this a great and compassionate place to live.  As a non-profit, Piedmont Housing competes for charitable dollars.  We’re in “fundraising season” right now, the time when more than 90% of the charitable gifts are made in the US, and donors are making their decision about how to best invest their philanthropic dollars.

In the midst of all this, Piedmont Housing Alliance threw up a prayer:  we needed help to help pay for running gear for the ten girls from Friendship Court Apartments whom we are sponsoring in the “Girls on the Run Program.”  GOTR is an international program that combines running with activities that build confidence and character in girls and young women.  The program provided a shoe scholarship but we knew they would also need proper running clothing.

We launched our first ever crowd-funding effort, called “Keep the Girls Warm.” In seven days, our goal of $1,000 was reached, and exceeded.  One kind donor wrote these words that we plan to share with the girls on race day:

“This donation is dedicated to the girls who are going to change the world. May they find courage and compassion in their hearts, kindness in their souls, and power and strength in their bones to keep running.” -ktk