“I can’t help myself.” Walker Area Community Foundation 2015 Annual Report We live to help others. We volunteer to make a difference. We serve to make our world a better place. We give because ... we can’t help ourselves. Emily Byars is no stranger to our community. As a teacher, she taught many of our young adult leaders of today. Retired now, “Mrs. Byars” still loves to hear stories of students reaching their dreams. She writes, texts, calls and chats with former students giving encouragement and advice. Emily has a great love for those around her because of her strong faith. She speaks of God’s love at every opportunity, which has been numerous times over the last few months. • Our community lost one of our pillars of business and community stewardship when her husband, Steve Byars, passed away late in 2015. Steve saw his role in Jasper as that of a steward and gave selflessly to his community. He was involved in numerous civic organizations “I can’t help myself when it comes to educating the youth of our community.” in Walker County. • Together, they accomplished great things in the lives of others. Emily once promised a third-grade student that if he stayed in school and graduated with good grades, she would help him go to college. Steve honored her promise, and that young man is presently a student at Auburn University. • Emily is committed to continuing the pursuit of impacting the lives of her neighbors in need. Along with her children, Jill, John and Rebekah, Emily started the Steve Byars Fund at the Community Foundation. Steve lived knowing that being humble means that we are not on this earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others. His family is no different. Walker Area Community Foundation The year 2015 marked our 20th year as a Community Foundation. Twenty years of gathering people, funds and Bankhead Fund was started by Walter Will Bankhead and has a long history Jackson Family Fund was founded with the belief that orphans and foster of providing general philanthropic dollars for our nonprofits. children should be afforded the privilege of attending programs like Camp organizations together; 20 years of growing through prudent management and collaborations with other agencies; and McDowell. It will also provide educational enrichment experiences for children 20 years of grantmaking to respond to the most pressing needs of the community. Barbara Drummond Thorne Fund, given by her estate, offers financial aid without parents and will support the ministry of the Episcopal Church for the same. to the organizations that were closest to her heart. Jasper Recreational Fund supports the expansion of recreational oppor- Following a suggestion from John T. Oliver Jr., in 1995, Pat Willingham and the Community Health Systems Board Disaster Relief Fund focuses on meeting the emergency unmet needs of tunities and programs, making Jasper’s recreational package exceptional for set aside $6 million in proceeds from the sale of the Walker Regional Medical Center to begin the endowment for the Walker County residents who have suffered damage due to natural disasters. Alabama. Walker Area Community Foundation. This donation has served as a nucleus for funding worthy causes that might Drummond Company, Inc. (DCI) Fund provided aid first to present and Larry Drummond Family Fund supports general philanthropy in Walker County. otherwise be overlooked. retired employees of Drummond Company who suffered damage because of the April 27, 2011 tornados and continues to provide safe shelter for our com- Matthew Crump Fund supports the efforts of men and women engaged in Other leaders involved in forming of the foundation were the late J. George Mitnick and the late Larry Drummond. munity during storms. emergency response positions and provides material support to special needs citizens of Walker County. Together, Oliver, Willingham, Mitnick and Drummond created a foundation that serves as a cornerstone on which DTS Fund works to improve the quality of life and addressing the immediate solutions to our community’s greatest problems are built. needs in Cordova. Reed Family Fund supports general philanthropy while keeping in mind the importance of serving the basic needs of Walker County families. Engel and Mitnick Family Fund recognizes the importance of the Due to the wise decisions by our investment managers, the purchase and renovation of the Bankhead House & social services being delivered every day to our friends and neighbors in Walker Rotary Club of Jasper Fund is an endowment fund of the Rotary Club of Heritage Center and the faithfulness of our donors, the Community Foundation has been able to grow from its original County and will award grants to support their efforts. Jasper. This fund strives to improve the quality of life for families and individuals $6 million to more than $23 million. in our community. Excellence in Education Fund supports the Jasper City School system and its teachers with expenses not included in the general budget. Samuel Lee Smith Advised Fund helps children and youth live their lives to the fullest by making grants to encourage strong health, athletics, scouting, Faye and Lewis Manderson Fund seeks to affect positive change and religion and the arts, especially to those who need financial assistance. growth in Cordova through advancing and improving structures as well as providing programs that will benefit residents. Sherer Family Foundation Fund supports the aesthetics of our community The Community Fund and the fine arts of the Walker Area, its facilities, grounds and environs. The Community Fund, our only unrestricted fund, is an endowment that enables us to respond strategically to Friends of Camp O’Rear Fund supports the physical plant and surrounding environs of Camp O’Rear. Steve Byars Fund is created in the memory of Steve Byars who saw his community issues as they arise. Based on our knowledge and research, the Community Fund supports a wide role in Jasper as that of a steward and gave selflessly to his community. This variety of subject areas and organizations through a competitive grants process and other special initiatives. Health Action Partnership is a working group of Walker County fund will continue his legacy and support general philanthropy in Walker County. health-related organizations striving to improve the health and lifestyles of our citizens. Victims of Violent Crime Fund was organized to create awareness of victims The progress the Community Fund has already made shows the promising future it holds. The Community of violent crime in Walker County, Alabama. Fund has the ability to be the catalyst for real community change. If you have a desire to be part of the future of Walker County, please call (205) 302-0001, visit our website at www.wacf.org or come by the foundation’s office at 611 8th Avenue, Jasper AL 35501. Component Funds Donors who want to endow their passion and provide endless support to charitable causes may choose to establish a component fund. Component funds allow an advisory committee to focus on the charitable needs of our community and leave the administrative tasks to the foundation. These funds are a permanent source of community capital which will help the foundation to continue its work today and far into the future. Behind each fund is an abundance of success stories, so many that we cannot possibly fit them on one page. You can see, however, that there are family funds and organizational funds. Each one holds its own purpose and history but gains strength from being managed together. Donations can be made to any fund at any time. Ann Trotter has dedicated her life to children’s health. From 32 years as a swim coach and water safety instructor to 38 years of physical fitness education, Ann has influenced literally thousands of students. A longtime physical education teacher at T.R. Simmons Elementary School, Ann has worked for years to develop strong exercise habits in her students. From Whales Tales (a swimming and water safety program for students) to Jump Rope for Heart, which incorporates many diverse and innovative activities into her curriculum, Ann has varied her curriculum over the years to touch on things that students enjoy doing. • Ann realized her PE curriculum needed a boost, and when the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) program was offered, she accepted without hesitation. HEAL is a “When it comes to giving back to my community, I can’t help myself.” nonprofit organization that strives to improve children’s health measurably and reverse the growing epidemic of preventable diseases and childhood obesity. While the main focus is to improve children’s health, HEAL’s field of impact is far greater. HEAL motivates children and their families to adopt healthier lifestyles by eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of pure water and exercising daily. • Ann was recently named the Alabama State HEAL Hero, selected first among more than 100 other teachers across the state that implement HEAL into their school curriculum. She is celebrated for implementing the HEAL curriculum with passion, leading by example and transforming children’s lives and those of their families over to better health. • Ann Trotter and HEAL are both heroes in our book. Grants Awarded by Service Area ELDER CARE SOCIAL WELFARE Community Fund: Community Fund: Walker Area Community Foundation and its funds awarded $1,015,748 Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging American Red Cross in grants to nonprofit organizations in 2015. Christian’s Place Mission ENVIRONMENT ClasTran Community Fund: Community Grief Support Service ARTS & HUMANITIES Component Funds: Wild South Daybreak Community Fund: Camp McDowell – JFF Dilworth Church of God’s Celebrate Recovery Program Birmingham Children’s Theatre Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama – BF, LSF HEALTH Habitat for Humanity DesignAlabama, Inc.