Our Recipients

Jill's Blankets - Recipient of 2nd Quarter 2025 Funds

The 2nd Quarter River City Givers meeting was held April 15, 2025 at the Wyndham Swim & Racquet Club. We held a 1/2 hour social time prior to the meeting for members to meet and get to know each other. Refreshments and snacks were provided during this time. This change seemed to be a hit for everyone.

There were 23 people in attendance and 5 of those decided to join as new members at the meeting! Please Welcome the following to our group which now totals 51 members.
Tara Bowmaster, Veronica Lyell , Vicki Vogt, Kelly McAuliffe, and Lisa Hamilton. We are delighted to add these women and hope the membership continues to grow.

Three members submitted charities for consideration.

1. Kathy Johnson, shared with the group the Charity called Jill's Blankets. This is a group of people who make and deliver polar fleece blankets to patients undergoing chemotherapy and who were friends of the founder Jill Ward. See more info on their website. https://jillsblankets.org/

2. Janice Louge presented information about Destination Church at Southpark Mall Outreach. Janice shared updated information since she last presented this charity..
More information on this organization can be found at https://www.destinationchurch.com/

3l Diane Schriewer shared details on a charity we previously funded in 2019. This charity is Worthdays and was established to aid children in Foster Care. Initially the goal was to present the child with a Birthday cake and some small gifts to make them feel worthy. It has grown in many ways where they also advocate for over 500 children who are not served in the best way with the bureaucracy of the Va. Foster Care system. Find out more at www.worthdays.org

Ballots were collected and the following two past recipients shared more about their missions and how our funds have helped them in their respective operations.

Bruce Slough, representing St. Francis Manchester, our Oct 2024 winner gave a brief overview of the organization and the financial challenges. He thanked everyone for their interest and allowing funds to be added to the general operating fund. They are the only Assisted Living Facility in Va. offering the type of service they provide.
Ken Jordon the board member for Launch for Life who was the Jan 2025 recipient shared many stories of ways they have assisted young boys and their mothers through their personal time and efforts thereby enriching the lives of many young boys and who do not have a father figure in their lives. Like wise the program is more successful when the Moms participate in the program.

The Winner of this quarters funds was awarded to Jill’s Blankets

NEXT MEETING: July 15, 2025 at Wyndham Swim & Racquet Club. Arrive at 6:30 to meet more members.
the meeting will begin at 7pm.

The greater the participation, the larger the benefits for the chosen charities so bring a friend!

April was In-Person! Sleep in Heavenly Peace - Henrico Chapter Newest Recipient

4/22/2022

About the organization that won:

HELPING CHILDREN IN NEED SLEEP BETTER. We fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. When it was brought to our attention that the need for beds went far beyond our own neighborhoods, we stepped up and took initiative. We're a national organization answering the call to a national problem.

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Idaho and across the U.S., too many boys and girls go without a bed - or even a pillow - to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That's where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in. We're a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Our organization has grown steadily over time, and we're working on opening more chapters in different states to serve more people. No kid sleeps on the floor in our town®.

Learn more at https://www.shpbeds.org/