Community Foundation of West Texas Annual Meeting & Recognition Luncheon

April 24, 2019 (Lubbock, TX) - The Community Foundation of West Texas held their Annual Meeting & Recognition Luncheon on Wednesday, April 24 and recognized five nonprofit organizations as well as two additional awardees for the outstanding service they provide to Lubbock and the South Plains. In 2018, the Foundation awarded $2.5 M in grants to nonprofits throughout West Texas! One nonprofit, Family Promise of Lubbock, received our Impact Award as well as a $1,000 grant!

Grantee honorees are listed below:

Impact Award Honoree

Family Promise of Lubbock

Family Promise of Lubbock has been providing homeless families with children the necessary tools to achieve self-sufficiency since 1998. Families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. With support from the Foundation, they created a program to address the education and training needs of families experiencing homelessness while providing a secure, homelike environment for the families. Family Promise provides access to affordable childcare so parents can work a full-time job. They also pay for GED testing for parents who wish to continue their education but are needing financial assistance to reach their goal.

Grantee Honorees

Morris Safe House

Morris Safe House was founded in 2008 to provide protection and care to small animals, primarily dogs, until they are placed in a loving permanent home. They strive to prevent animal cruelty and ensure healthy, happy dogs find their homes. Dogs are screened for transmittable diseases and are also spayed/neutered, are vaccinated and receive a lifetime ID chip to ensure safe return of the dog to their owner or to Morris Safe House prior to adoption. The Foundation has been a longstanding support of Morris Safe House and their mission. Over the past ten years, Morris Safe House has rescued over 4,000 dogs in the South Plains.

New West Contemporary Art Museum Plainview

New West Contemporary Art Museum Plainview (CAMP) began in 2017 as an initiative led by creatives in the Plainview area to revitalize an old warehouse to serve as a nonprofit arts organization focusing on the “new west” in contemporary art. With a grant from the Foundation, CAMP presented three major exhibitions, held a youth camp, and created a program to work with children in the Hale County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program. Various other community projects, like the East End Mural Project and Second Saturday events increased community involvement and awareness of what contemporary art is all about.

Texas South Plains Honor Flight

Texas South Plains Honor Flight (TSPHF) organized in Lubbock in 2012 and supports veterans in the South Plains. TSPHF received funds from the Foundation to take veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the Middle East to Washington, D.C. to see memorials built in their honor. The trip included a send-off, hotel, meals, visits to memorials/museums, and ended with a welcome home celebration at the airport. This past year marked the seventy-third year since the end of World War II. Statistics suggest that across the United States, eight hundred World War II veterans die each day. The priority now is to take as many of the remaining World War II veterans as possible to Washington, D.C. and honor our veterans.

Friends of Camp Mary White

Friends of Camp Mary White was founded in 2003 and provides girls and women rustic outdoor experiences which foster confidence, independence, and leadership. The 2018 Camp Mary White camperships provided by the Foundation allowed underserved girls in the West Texas area to attend summer camp and grow from their experience. These young women developed an affinity and respect for nature, grew healthy relationships with other camps, and gained more confidence in themselves. Their Camp Mary White experience also fostered a sense of belong and a connection to their camp community and helped the girls learn lasting life skills and create lasting friendships from their time at camp.

Philanthropist Awards

Heart of the Foundation Award

Robert Narvaiz