With budgets tight and prices rising, school systems in West Virginia have to account for seemingly every penny to remain in solid financial shape. The challenge comes in giving students the best opportunities possible while also staying true to the bottom line.
Often, fundraising from community partners can make a huge difference.
During the course of the school year, Modern Woodmen of America, through its Matching Fund Program, shared support for area education in three ways this year. They raised funds for the Pendleton County Middle/High School cheerleaders, the Educators Rising club, and also to help with the costs of the Franklin School Association’s school carnival.
Last December, the PCM/HS Wildcat cheer squad returned to the Class A state tournament in Charleston.
Steven Barnett, the Modern Woodmen representative in Pendleton County, shared that “the events, which included a fundraiser drive by the cheerleaders, the strawberry sale by the Educators Rising club, and the school carnival by the Franklin School Association, Modern Woodmen provided a total matching donation of $1,350.”
He added, “These funds were used to help purchase new uniforms for the cheerleaders, pay for national conventions for the Educators Rising club, and paying for field trips for Franklin Elementary.”
The business model combines providing service to clients with service to the community through its fraternal model that focuses on “financial services, fraternal programs, and local impact opportunities.”
As Modern Woodmen explains on its website, “members contribute over half a million volunteer hours in a typical year. Volunteer efforts and monetary donations help organizations and individuals in need, from local parks and volunteer fire departments to food pantries and schools.”
Barnett also noted that he had the opportunity to assign a “Do-Good Grant” for the Franklin Community Garden. Members can direct “up to $200 every year to support any charitable cause of their choosing.”
“I enjoy gardening and was excited to hear about the community garden project and wanted to support it,” said Barnett who “was able to use the grant this year to purchase beds.”
