summer 2017 the catalyst celebrating a vision for … · which has driven the say yes guilford...

J. HOWARD COBLE SCHOLARSHIP Impacting the Future

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ANNUAL GRANTSImproving

Lives TogetherP10-11

Women’s Initiative Changing Lives

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S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 CELEBRATING A VISION FOR GIVING

H I G H P O I N T C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O NTHE CATALYST

E X C E L L E N C E | A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y | I M PA C T

F o r the past year and a half it has been my

privilege to serve as the 8th Chairman of the High Point Community Foundation. During this time I have been proud of our Board of Trustees’ willingness to invest their time, energy and resources into our Foundation and community. Most notably, they have provided the leadership and support which has driven the Say Yes Guilford initiative that is already dramatically impacting students all over Guilford County - especially in High Point. As you know, the program is focused on helping families whose annual combined income is less than $100,000 achieve the dream of sending their children to college or community college. I’m pleased to say that High Point has led the charge countywide to raise the money that will fund these scholarships for generations to come. This is a critically important long-term investment in our children, our schools and our local economy.

We’re more than halfway toward our scholarship endowment goal and currently rolling out the most important component of the initiative, which are the “Student Support Services”. High Point’s Fairview Elementary, Ferndale Middle and High Point Central High School, will be the first to receive these

community resources. They will address student needs like mental and physical health issues, legal needs, domestic violence, tutoring, food insecurity and many more. While scholarships are wonderful, the real key is preparing our students to be academically prepared when they graduate so they can take advantage of the scholarships.

Over five years ago our Board of Trustees approved a Strategic Plan which eventually led

us to three areas of focus: Education, Food Security and Community Cohesion. We are currently reviewing this plan and making adjust-ments that will guide us for the next few years. Areas of interest include: projects that address food insecurity issues, young leadership development, crime deter-

rence, women’s needs, creating and, in some cases, reclaiming safe and attractive places to gather in our downtown areas.

Our strength has been and will always be the community leaders who make up our Board of Trustees. They are people who not only know and love our community, but are also willing to roll up their sleeves and makes things happen. Doing the right thing for one’s community is rewarding and life-changing, but it’s also hard work and often challenging. We’re up for the challenge and we want to invite you to join us to transform High Point into a world class community it is meant to be. Sincerely, David Miller, Chairman

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

“Doing the right thing for one’s community is rewarding and often

life-changing.”

Board of Trustees

Executive Committee David Miller Chairman Ann Busby Vice-Chairman Martha Yarborough Past-Chairman Mark Nelson Treasurer Audrey Congdon Harris Secretary Eric Hill Shane Stutts Paul Lessard President [email protected] Sherri Scott Director of Donor Services & Administration [email protected] Karol Murks Director of Accounting & Grants [email protected] Robin Frank Administrative Coordinator [email protected] For a list of funds held by the High Point Community Foundation, please visit our website at www.hpcommunityfoundation.org Mynda Bullock Layout & Design

L’Tanya Bailey John Bencini Joe Blosser Ann Busby Audrey Congdon Harris Eric Hill Gayle Kearns John KennettWilliam Laney Harvey Lowd David Miller

Vicki Miller Alice Moore Mark Nelson Leah Price Barry Safrit Shane Stutts Jim White Ashley Williams Martha Yarborough Molly Millis Young

2THECATALYST SUMMER2017

4PRESIDENT’SPERSPECTIVEDonor Advised Funds

5 J.HOWARDCOBLESCHOLARSHIP Continuing the Power of the American Dream

6BILLHORNEY CELEBRATES100YEARS

High Point’s Champion

7NEWDONORADVISEDFUNDS The Fastest Growing, Most Flexible Way to Give

9 BB&TANDVANNYORKAUTOGROUPJOINFORCES New Support for Say Yes Guilford

102016ANNUALGRANTSThe High Point Community Foundation Awards $354,800 to Non-Profits

12MARSHASLANE High Point’s Faithful Friend

13 THEDRAELOSSCHOLARSFUNDPromoting STEM One Student at A Time

14THEBRAYTON FAMILY HPCF Women’s Initiative

15WOMENINMOTIONOFHIGHPOINTMoving Forward With Strong Leadership

16 HEARTOFHIGHPOINTFUNDMeeting Emergency Needs

17THEPRINCIPALS’FUNDFulfilling Unmet Student Needs

18FOUNDATION WELCOMESNEWTRUSTEES

Leadership at its Best

18BRIANASMALLEYHPU Bonner Leader

19 FOUNDATIONHASNEWENFORCER Karol Murks Earns Black Belt

20HIGHPOINT CENTRALSCHOLARSHIPRECIPIENTS

The High Point Central Class of 1960 recognized its 2016 & 2017 scholarship recipients

hpcommunityfoundation.org SUMMER2017

inside

THE CATALYST

CELEBRATING A VISION FOR GIVINGTHE CATALYST: (kat’l ist) something that causes activity between two or more persons or

forces without itself being affected; a person or thing that precipitates an event or change; a person whose talk, enthusiasm or energy causes others to be

more friendly, enthusiastic or energetic.

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THECATALYST SUMMER20174

T his past May marked the beginning of our 20th year of operations here at the High Point Community Foundation. Organizations, like people, go through seasons of life and our Foundation Family can look back and clearly see a journey that has been inspirational, educational, and tre-mendously impacting for the greater High Point community. It has certainly been a learning process; we’ve learned by doing, succeeding and occasionally failing, but always carrying on stronger and wiser for the experience. What stands out most to me has been the remarkably consistent succession of strong local leaders who have served on our Board and poured their time, energy, wisdom and resources into this unique entity that is very deliberately

designed for permanence… to last, literally, for generations to come. From a Granting perspective we have gradually evolved from a reactive granter to a more proactive granter to an initia-tive driver which now gives us the ability to impact High Point in ways we would never have imagined 19 years ago.

Of course, none

of this could happen without our Donors who have been generous and faithful to our mission and our vision. Our Donor Advised Funds have become a tremen-dous force for good locally, regionally and throughout our na-tion and literally the world. These relation-ships are precious to us and we consider it a great privilege to work with all of you in your philanthropic pursuits.

Over the past 1½ years we have also seen a wellspring of support for our Say Yes Guilford initiative which will transform education as we know it. While most of the gifts have come from individuals and

families, we have recently seen our corpo-rate sector step up with generous gifts from BB&T and the Vann and Ann York family of the Vann York Auto Group. It’s exciting and inspiring to see our business commu-nity taking ownership of our public schools.

We have been exceptionally blessed over the years and it has been a privilege to pass this blessing forward by giving back more than $45 million in grants to meet unmet needs in our community. As with any journey, it is not the miles you cover, but the people who stride alongside of you who make the experience worthwhile.

I believe our sojourn has revealed a people and a community who are changing and perhaps more significantly, growing into our fullest, God-given potential. Best of all, I absolutely believe the best is yet to come.

Thanks for your steadfast support and loyal friendship. Always, Paul Lessard

The High Point Community Foundation Exists To:• Build an endowment through donations of all sizes for the community that will provide for the changing

needs of the citizens of High Point for generations to come.

• Administer an Annual Granting Program that serves the needs of the greater High Point community by financially supporting nonprofit organizations and initiatives that are positively impacting lives in our community.

• Manage Donor Advised Funds, Special Interest Funds and Organizational Endowments for individuals, families, local businesses and nonprofit organizations; and assist them in fulfilling their philanthropic interests.

• Serve as a community leader, convening agencies and coordinating resources to make good things happen in the community.

For information, please visit our website at www.hpcommunityfoundation.org

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

“Our Donor Advised Funds have become a tremendous force for

good locally, regionally, throughout our nation

and literally the world.”

hpcommunityfoundation.orghpcommunityfoundation.org SUMMER20175

W hen veterinarian Dr. Ray Coble

came to the Foundation last year to talk about establishing a scholarship dedicated to his late uncle, we were thrilled to help his family with the project. We enjoyed hearing the fond memories Dr. Coble had to share about the former congress-man, Howard Coble, as well as his com-mitment to keeping the Coble legacy of service going. “We know how much Howard loved this community and how much he believed in the power of the American Dream,” said Dr. Coble. “He knew that this great country of ours is remarkable because of a strong democratic tradition that can only be maintained with vigilance and intentionality.”

This spring the Foundation was thrilled again to receive so many student applications for the J. Howard Coble Scholarship. They came from high schools througout Con-gressman Coble’s former 14-county district. The most difficult part was choosing just one of the applicants, but we think Chase Fisher, a recent graduate of Ledford Senior High School in Thomasville, is an excellent and worthy recipient.

Dr. Coble and his wife Chris Coble officially presented the scholarship to Fisher, Friday, June 16, in the High Point Community Foundation office. With the scholarship, Fisher will be able to start classes at North Carolina State University this fall. He plans to major in engineering. His goals are to become a civil engineer and

eventually start his own practice. Fisher excelled in math and science at Ledford, completing courses in

advanced physics and calculus. He also honed a very analytical perspective. “I have a math oriented mind,” said Fisher, “I’m fascinated by the idea of huge structures and the small details that go into them. It’s really interesting to prepare for all those possibili-ties to make something stable for hundreds

of years.” Fisher has been a member of the mathematics honor society, Mu Alpha Theta, as well as Beta Club and National Honor Society. He was also a member of the Ledford football and track teams.

The scholarship application and review process stresses community involvement. Fisher has been an active volunteer through his school, community and church. He has served as a volunteer for Special Olympics,

the Hasty Fire Department and at Mills Home Baptist Church. “That is why we started this fund, to be able to help young people who share Howard’s commitment to God, country and commu-nity,” said Dr. Coble. “We believe this scholarship will create

generations of new leaders dedicated to public service.” Fisher is proud to be the first Coble scholar. “It’s an honor to be selected, especially being the first one,” said Fisher. “I want to thank all of the Coble family for making this possible. It’s really going to help me and it will make a huge difference in the long run.”

J. HOWARD COBLE SCHOLARSHIP

“I’m fascinated by the idea of huge structures and the small

details that go into them. It is really interesting to prepare for all those possibilities and make something

stable for hundreds of years.”

Dr. Ray Coble and wife Chris with Chase Fisher.

“We know how much Howard

loved this community and how much he

believed in the American Dream”

~Dr. Ray Coble


FOUNDATION RECOGNIZED BY BUSINESS HIGH POINT, INC

Nothing feels quite as good as when an organization is recognized by its peers for doing work that has positively impacted a community. That is exactly what happened this past February when the High Point Community Foundation scored a double at the Business High Point, Inc. Annual Meeting by being recognized as the organiza-tion that has most impacted the High Point Community for good in 2016. In addition to this, the Foundation Chairman, David Miller, was also recognized as the Distinguished Citizen of the Year for his leadership in the Commu-nity Foundation’s Say Yes Guilford initiative.

“These awards mean so much to the Community Foundation as they are coming from such a dynamic organization that is also dramatically impacting our com-munity and specifically our local economy in such a powerful way,” noted Paul Lessard,

President, HPCF. “Our Foundation’s core mission is to “meet unmet needs” in our community and education is an area that we must improve significantly and we believe Say Yes Guilford will do that for us. David Miller has been an outstanding catalyst and

sustainer of this most important effort.” David brings a strong background in educa-tion as he has been working to impact the lo-cal schools for most of his career. He has also had a secret weapon, his wife Vicki, who has been a career educator and great teammate in this family crusade.

For the Foundation and David Miller, the work goes on. Say Yes Guilford is ushering in a new era for High Point in which schools, kids, parents, businesses and the community will partner to make a world class school system and there will be much that needs to be done…

David Miller, Rachel Moss-Gauldin, Paul Lessard, Matt Cromer, and Patrick Chapin

Scott Tilley, David Miller, and Patrick Chapin

In 1998, a group of nine business leaders laid out the game plan for the High Point Community Foundation. Each was given a task that they would be responsible for and perhaps one of the most critical of these was heading up the Devel-opment Committee which would raise the money. The man they selected had already proven himself many times over as one the premier fundraisers of the community and he took on the role with his usual

passion and drive. His name was Bill Horney and if we fast forward 20 years we can see that he did indeed lead the charge that has taken the Foundation from its original $5 million balance to today’s fund that exceeds $74 million! He has been a true champion and advocate for this Community Foundation and we honor the man, his

work and his passion for High Point.

BILL HORNEY, MEMBER OF THE ORIGINAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TURNS 100

Bill Horney and Nido Qubein


Frosty and Catharine Culp have long been leaders in the dental, medical, social and philanthropic communities here in High Point. The Culps feel that they have been blessed in so many ways and they want to give to those who are less fortunate in our community.

“We have learned much from our journey and understand that life is about choices,” shared Frosty.

“We have made a definitive choice to share with those who are in need. We particularly like to give to projects that make a direct impact and get funds quickly to those who need help.” The Culps see their DAF as a way to teach family values and inspire a legacy of giving for their children.

They have always believed that it is more powerful for children to see family priorities and faith in action.

Butch and Susan Johnson have always had a commitment to helping others through ministries and nonprofit organizations that impact individuals by making them more self-sufficient. Butch’s inspiration came from personal experience of being a recipient of what some would call “random kindnesses.”

“When I was teenager I had traveled to Myrtle Beach and I had spent my last penny on gas to get home,” remembers Butch. “When my radiator burst, the gas station manager put a new radiator hose on my car and told me to just help someone else when I got the chance… That made a huge impact on me.”

Susan grew up with parents who had made helping others a family commitment and as is the case with many things in life we learn more from what we see when faith is put in action.

So, early in their marriage Butch and Susan sought out ways to help those who simply needed a hand up.

“We like to support projects that bring hope and peace to the hearts of others,” noted Susan. “Butch and I really love the mission of High Point Community Against Violence. They help those trying to escape the cycle of violence and its consequences – we feel our giving can help redeem a life.”

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) are the fastest growing and most flexible charitable giving vehicles in the world. They allow donors to establish a fund, get an immediate tax benefit, and then decide which charities they would like to give their money. They are a hassle-free and effective way to give and they are equally attractive to all donors. Over the last year the following individuals and families have set up Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) at the High Point Community Foundation and here are some insights they have shared with The Catalyst about their giving.

NEW DONOR ADVISED FUNDS


David and Vicki Miller have a shared passion for improving local education which has been the focus of their volunteer work and philanthropy for more than 40 years. David, an engineer who runs his own business in High Point, has seen how important education is to developing a healthy and adaptable workforce in High Point.

“I have always looked at my work in education as more than altruism,” noted David. “A strong public education system is the best economic development investment we can make as a community. Our DAF will be the vehicle through which we continue our work in this area and others.”

Vicki, a long-term educator, who has served as a teacher, a principal and now as a mentor for local principals, believes that education is one of the key components to fostering self-sufficiency.

“Over the years I have seen situations that would break your heart,” shared Vicki. “Whether it is poverty, drugs, or domestic abuse, the ultimate victim is always the children. Our schools must be a safe place for our children.”

David has also played a key leadership role with the Say Yes Guilford initiative. He has led the charge for fundraising in High Point and serves on the Operating Committee which will oversee the all-important “roll-out” of the Student Ser-vices at Fairview, Ferndale and HP Central.

Jim and Pat Hudson complimented each other so well with Jim involved in community leadership and Pat quietly making a difference with young people, her own children and her art. Jim, a local banker, contributed his leadership to Rotary Interna-tional, the Salvation Army and most recently with his support of research for Alzheimer’s disease.

“My wife was a remarkable woman who very quietly invested in the lives of young people and brought so much beauty into the world with her art,” remembers Jim. “We always felt that we had been so incredibly blessed and, it may sound cliché, but we always received more from our giving than we gave.”

Of late, Jim’s giving has become more focused on Alzheimer’s research as it was this illness that took his beloved wife, Pat, from him. One in particular has been the CART program which is run through Rotary and provides much needed funds for research.

“I loved my career in banking and thoroughly enjoy the community of Thomasville,” noted Jim. “I always believed that it was important to give back to your community and it

was serving on the Board of our local Salva-tion Army that initially showed Pat and me the incredible needs right here in our area. It made us realize that giving locally can have a huge impact.”

Jim and Pat raised three children together and their life-long commitment to giving has the next Hudson generation continuing with their giving legacy. Their son Gray was born with a heart defect which required surgery very early on. This led Gray to support a Rotary program that brings pediatric surgical resources to rural areas in Honduras. Shelley works with Upstate Forever, a nonprofit ecological land trust that protects natural resources in South Carolina. Noel, the eldest daughter, is a trained health coach who invests in the lives of others by facilitating healthy life styles. Jim plans on involving all his children in his DAF so that he and Pat’s giving legacy can continue through the next generation.

hpcommunityfoundation.org SUMMER20179

John Hunnicutt very quietly and effectively established a family business that has grown over the years and successfully transitioned to the next generation. He achieved his success through

hard work and a commitment to those who worked with him. This past spring John established a DAF with the same vision that made him successful in his career and his focus will be the Davidson County community where he has lived, raised his family and run his business.

“I feel that anyone who has had the good fortune to do well financially in life should give back to those in our society who struggle with their basic needs,” stated John. “I like to give to organizations that directly impact children as I have always believed they are the most vulnerable in our society.”

The restaurant business became a family affair for John when his two boys came of age and he wants his Donor Advised Fund to work in the same way. He would like to see his next generation carrying this giving legacy forward by helping the community that made their business successful.

I t’s been almost two years now since Guilford County

was selected to become the third community in the entire nation to be chosen as a Say Yes Partner Commu-nity. The first year of the Say Yes Guilford initiative has faced challenges which are being addressed, however, the key element which has not been promoted enough are the Student Support Services which will be available in each school. These services will address many needs that impact a student’s ability to succeed: health issues, domestic violence, mental health needs, legal services and much more. The rollout of the services has begun in three High Point schools – Fairview Elemen-tary, Ferndale Middle and Central High School.

Another key aspect that has been overlooked by some critics of the program is that Say Yes Guilford has been totally underwritten by local donors - it is a private sector initiative. Most recently the local business

community has stepped up with generous gifts from BB&T and Vann and Ann York of the Vann York Auto Group. BB&T has long been a community resource that has supported many nonprofits and their Market President, Leah Price, has played a key

role in encouraging the bank’s leadership in support of Say Yes Guilford. Through their busi-nesses, the Vann and Ann York family have also been communi-ty supporters and have been key drivers for the United Way, and widely known for their annual car giveaway.

“I believe that our corporate community realizes that raising the bar for local edu-

cation through the Say Yes Guilford initiative is critical to the ultimate success of our business community,” noted Paul Lessard, President HPCF. “We could not be more grateful and proud of our corporate donors and we know their example will inspire others to follow suit.”

BB&T AND VANN YORK AUTO GROUP STEP UP TO SUPPORT SAY YES GUILFORD


T he 2016 Annual Grants

Luncheon was truly a celebration of the tremendous work our local non-profits do in our community. This year we were pleased to grant $354,800 – almost $30,000 more than last year – due to a strong market and some incredibly generous donors in recent years. The Grants Committee selected 19 agencies this year. Three grants

support Food Security in our community, eight grants seek to improve education and while all the grants make our community strong and more cohesive, two specifically work to develop partners for a stronger High Point. This next year is going to be a great year be-cause of the creativity and hard work of High Point’s non-profits. We have a strong and vibrant non-profit

community meeting the needs of High Point. In recent years there has been a strong trend toward more “developmental” models of service that seek to first meet people’s immediate needs, but also seek to help them toward sustainability and independence. We can’t get stuck just giving things away. We have to work toward being equal partners in this work.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER HIGH POINT

2016 CELEBRATION OF GRANTS

2016 Grant Recipients

The grant purchased updated technology for four Boys and Girls Club locations (Carson Stout, Southside, West End, and Ward Street) plus the administrative office. These updates in technology will allow the staff to work on-the-go, work remotely from home if needed and to work more efficiently with a fast, reliable and mobile network allowing more valued time with the children. GUIDE POSTS OF STRENGTH (GPS) The grant was used to increase the services of the GPS Survivorship Series. This series meets with cancer survivors and co-survivors both during treatment and after-treatment addressing physical, spiritual, emotional and financial needs through survivorship events. The purpose is to keep the cancer treatment and recovery as successful as possible in the long-term and between doctor visits.

GUILFORD CHILD DEVELOPMENT The grant supported the Learning Together Family Literacy Program, a comprehensive, four-component family literacy program for low-income immigrant and refugee women and their pre-school age children. The program aims to achieve literacy goals through ESOL or GED classes, to ready the children both culturally and socially in preparation of school success, address social isolation and provide cultural opportunities.

GUILFORD COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE The grant has supplied the youth and families of High Point with ongoing garden and nutrition education through hands on expe-riences in Title 1 school classrooms, community cooking classes and summer camps in partnership with local recreation centers.

HEAL OUR HEROES The grant has enabled Heal Our Heroes to form a partnership with the High Point campus of Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). This has allowed for a Student Veteran Social Worker to provide a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Recovery Program to High Point veterans enrolled at the High Point campus of GTCC.

We would like to thank Neill McNeill from FOX 8 for being the emcee at our 2016 Annual Grants Luncheon. We also want to recognize FOX 8 for their Wednesday news segments featuring Community Foundations.

Thank you 2016 Annual Grants Luncheon Sponsors

Wells Fargo/Abbot Downing •Sharrad McGee CPAs • Blakely Financial US Trust/Bank of America • Diversified Trust


HELPING HANDS HIGH POINT This grant has enabled Helping Hands to continue serving individuals and families in crisis and developing short- and long-term strategies to enhance the lives of those who are suffering with food insecurity. Located on South Main Street in an underserved area rife with poverty and food insecurity, Helping Hands last year gave $700,000 worth of nutritional food free to those in need.

HIGH POINT COMMUNITY AGAINST VIOLENCE The grant has helped to fund the effort to reduce violent crime in High Point by assisting offenders to be job ready, leading to their own self-sufficiency. The goal is to identify violent crime offenders, notify them that their action is wrong, and give them opportunity through training and resources to improve their lives.

HIGH POINT LEAP The grant has allowed High Point Leap to expand its capacity to provide science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math programming to youth in low-income, poverty-stricken communities in High Point that will empower them to succeed academically and graduate.

READING CONNECTIONS The grant has funded the Family Literacy Program in High Point at Oak Hill Elementary School for 30 adults and 45 children ages 0 to 5 also including some of their siblings. The goals of the program are three-fold: to improve the parents’ literacy skills, involve them more in their children’s learning and improve their children’s literacy skills.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTH CAROLINA, INC. The purpose of this grant is to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in the High Point community through the support of the Special Olympics of Guilford-High Point program including athlete outreach and participation in sports program-ming. It will also help infrastructure development, including coach and volunteer recruitment and training.

OAK VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The grant money allowed Oak View Elementary School to purchase twelve mounted interactive projectors to install in ten classrooms, the computer lab, and the media center so the students can work with 21st century technology and become college and career ready. This will increase the students’ active engagement in hopes to motivate, spark interest in and make connections to the real world. OPERATION XCEL The grant has funded the Operation Xcel program Operation Mentor to provide early intervention and prevention services by developing mentoring relationships with at-risk, undisciplined and delinquent youths. The Xcel mentors will help the at-risk youths to achieve personal, social and academic goals, increase school engagement and decrease associations with those engaged in criminal activity.

SALVATION ARMY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF HIGH POINT The grant was used to purchase two 14 passenger mini-buses. The goal is to expand transportation to more schools to serve more at-risk youth so they can participate in the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club’s educational, health and fitness programs while building character.

SALVATION ARMY OF HIGH POINT The grant has been used for the Pathway of Hope program to provide financial assistance to homeless families being sheltered at the Center of Hope to assist with overcoming housing barriers. This program will provide intensive case management to families to help overcome housing barriers to be able to find affordable permanent housing and employment opportunities.

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST NC The grant has enabled 18 of Second Harvest Food Bank’s partner programs in the Greater High Point area to build capacity through enhanced infrastructure, supporting program growth and efficiency. The grant will allow the purchase of new refrigerators and freezers to store nutritious food, shelving, scales and more.

UNION HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The grant funds Union Hill’s “Moving On Up” program. The goal is to increase the reading proficiency of 500 students in grades K-5. This will be accomplished through the proven Accelerated Reading Program. The grant includes the purchase of media center books, a computer cart, laptop computers and student incentives that will be awarded throughout the school year.

WEST END MINISTRIES This grant funded the Leslie’s House Housing Stabilization program that houses previously homeless women through providing time-limited funding for rent, utilities and other move-in expenses. WORLD RELIEF The grant provided maintenance and growth for the World Relief Community Garden that was initiated last year. The grant will provide the funds for an irrigation system to water the plants and the installation of a fence to protect the plants from wildlife and vandalism to make this a sustainable garden.

YWCA OF HIGH POINT The money from the grant will be used for Community Nutrition and Food Classes for the greater High Point community with a focus on teaching individuals to cook healthy while on a budget. This will be done in the Teaching Kitchen, the newest program area for the YWCA, opening soon.


E very community needs

a champion, someone who wholeheartedly believes in the inherent worth and future potential of the place they love to call their home. High Point has been blessed with a champion who has been a consistent cheerleader and an informed leader who has invested her time, influence and resources to help this community reach its true potential. Our champion was, for so many years, a partner in one of the most dynamic husband and wife giving teams whose guiding principal has always been… was it good for High Point?

Marsha began life as Marsha Bumpass, a beautiful Greensboro debutant who attended Women’s College, now UNC-G, where she studied interior design which eventually brought her to High Point to work at the Alderman Studios. She was eventually swept off her feet by one of our city’s great business and community leaders, Jack Slane, and the rest is a story of family and a passionate commitment to the community they loved. In the years that followed the Slane family became involved in almost every part of our community’s nonprofit world. They were key partners in the early work with the hospital’s endowment, the growth of the High Point Commu-nity Foundation, the groundbreaking work in early childhood education with the United Way, the important work of

Family Services of the Piedmont, High Point University and so many others.

“Both Jack and I be-lieved in the Foundation and we were honored to play a leadership role as Trustees and donors,” remembers Marsha. “We were also thrilled to be a part of the transformative work of the Say Yes Guilford initiative. We believed we needed to not only give, but also be personally involved and the Founda-tion has helped us to do effective and impacting giving.”

Over the years the family’s relation-ship with the Foundation has grown due to the level of trust that has evolved over time. “I’ve known Jack and Marsha for over 20 years and I never met a couple who worked so well as a team in all they did,” stated Paul Lessard, president, HPCF. “They shared an enormous amount of love, mutual

respect and passion to make their community a better, more productive and kinder place for all.”

Years later, when Marsha lost Jack,

they rolled their private foundation into their Donor Advised Fund which Marsha now uses for all her giving and will eventually pass on to her daughters and one day her beloved granddaughter, Lola Grace. Most re-

cently, when Marsha decided to sell their second home in Pinehurst, she once again

turned to the Founda-tion to whom she gifted the home. The Foundation handles all the details of the listing

and sale and will place the proceeds into her Donor

Advised Fund so she can give to those causes most near and dear to her heart.

“Paul and Sherri of HPCF have guided me through this complex process which has been a great help and relief to me,” says Marsha. “Giving our Pinehurst home to the Foundation was a blessing for me. We were no longer able to enjoy it. It required lots of upkeep and care. It was time to turn loose and begin the next chapter in the story of this joyous and fun home. I am so grateful that we have our Community Foundation that can convert personal properties into funds that benefit needs of our community. This is a win-win for High Point, the Foundation, and me.”

HIGH POINT’S FAITHFUL FRIEND: MARSHA SLANE

“Our champion was, for so many years, a partner in one of the most dynamic husband and wife giving teams

whose guiding principal has always been…

was it good for High Point?”

Marsha Slane


S ometimes great ideas

evolve and for the innovative Draelos Scholars Program this incubation process took about four years. The ingredients included 2 world-class local doctors who were very passionate about and inter-nationally known for their research, local students in our community who had untapped STEM potential, an HPU Professor who wanted to get the University faculty involved and finally a Community Foundation President who believed that all these pieces could come together to make something special.

Drs. Mike and Zoe Draelos had personal experience that motivated them; both of their sons, Mark and Matthew had powerful research experiences while in high school that ignited an interest which propelled both of them to Duke University where they are currently MD, PhD can-didates on full scholarships. So Mike and Zoe knew the opportunities and benefits research can offer to students and they were committed enough to start a DAF that would fund the entire process, which speaks volumes about their sincere commitment.

The next step in the process was find-ing a professor at HPU who had a gift for building bridges within the academic environment. Enter Joe Blosser, a M.Div. and a PhD who serves HPU as the Robert G. Culp, Jr. Director of Service Learning.

Joe, who has very quickly become a key resource in our community, saw a real opportunity for partnership. When he learned about the program Mike, Zoe and Paul Lessard were working on, he saw a change for the University to positively impact our local students.

“High Point University’s commitment to the city can be seen in so many ways, but we do our best work when our faculty and students work together to inspire and equip children in High Point to develop their full potential,” noted Dr. Rev. Joe Blosser. “The Draelos family and the High Point Com-munity Foundation have given our science faculty and students a chance to make a real impact on the lives of exceptional High Point Central and Andrews High School students.”

Last year the first class of the Draelos scholars worked alongside HPU under-graduate students, participated in all aspects of research, were mentored by world-class research professors, and produced research findings that were later presented at professional conferences. This year eight more students have been selected to receive this prestigious experience: Hope Anglesey, Caroline Dau, Yodit Getahum, Georgia Howell, Yasa Jasim, Jack Maxwell, Kelsey Snelgrove and Harrison Strag. Their work has already begun in the areas of prostate cancer, biomechanics and athlete ACL injury prevention, the biology of ret-rovirus cells and environmental physiology research. Thanks to Mike and Zoe who had a vision and the commitment to see it through with the High Point

Community Foundation.

PROMOTING STEM… ONE STUDENT AT A TIME

Draelos Scholars

The Draelos Scholars Program


T he L. Paul Brayton family has recently made a donation to establish a Women’s Initiative to benefit women and their families in the city of High Point by joining with the High Point Community Foundation. The Brayton family believes that strengthening support for women and their families will build the family system, ultimately leading to a stronger community which will benefit all. This gift is given in support and memory of our mother, Gwen Brayton who was the “wind beneath our wings”. She believed that first you give your children roots and then wings.” The nurturing and assistance she provided our family was instrumental in our father being able to succeed, as he did, in the contract furnishings industry. The foundation she laid as the matriarch in our home helped the family to grow close bonds with one another that are equally strong today. Gwen Brayton died in 1997 at the age of 57 of a glioblastoma brain tumor and it is her spirit that inspired this gift to the High Point Community Founda-tion. It is the honor of our family to be able to establish this gift to the High Point community so others can benefit from the spirit she began.

Paul and Gwen Brayton moved to High Point, NC in 1968 with their four small children making this city their home for the past 50 years. An additional child was born at High Point Regional hospital a few years after the young couple arrived in High Point. Our family moved to High Point when furniture was a very strong industry in the area. Paul began a business

that changed and grew High Point by creating new jobs, educational experiences and opportunities for others. This impacted the community for the better and helped it to thrive. Naturally, this was inspiring to

the family and each member of the family has fond memories of growing up in High Point. Two of the Brayton daughters attended High Point University and see the benefit of this local education in both of their lives today. The Women’s Initiative will continue the legacy of giving back to the community of women and their families in High Point.

Giving back to the community that helped you to grow is a value that Paul Brayton has instilled in his children through his past philanthropic support in this city. We children learned to swim at the local YWCA, were educated in the High Point City Schools and later utilized the services of High Point Hospice when mom became

ill with cancer. Each of these services are supported and touched in some way by the High Point Community Foundation. It is through these initiatives that families are impacted, supported and in turn, circle

back and help grow the city of High Point by strengthening its members.

Each member of the family relies on early lessons taught through our hard working parents and we hope to impact women in this initiative to help other parents pass along these values through education and

tradition. Giving back to others helps grow better cities and stronger communities. Our father worked tirelessly in the contract furniture industry to support the education of those coming behind him. Our father was known for supporting students in their edu-cation both as a mentor and a supporter of scholarships. We, as a family, hope to do the same for families by supporting the women of High Point with programs that help women achieve independence and fulfillment with the Women’s Initiative. Expanding our knowledge through learning is the key to successful growth in the family and in life.

THE BRAYTON FAMILY AND THEHPCF WOMEN’S INITIATIVE

by Lisa Brayton

Gwen and Paul Brayton “Giving back to the community that helped you to grow is a value that Paul Brayton has instilled

in his children through his past philanthropic support in this city.”


T he women’s initiative

has moved forward under the leadership of Martha Yarbor-ough and a dynamic group of leaders who share a common vision: women helping women. The name for the initiative is Women in Motion of High Point, and this group is all about planting seeds, nurturing possibility, and producing a harvest of healthy, independent, and empowered women.

The diverse leadership team includes some

of High Point’s best: Lisa Brayton, whose

family had the original vision and provided

key financial support; Alyce Hill, an attorney

and recent member of the City Council;

Lisa Poplin, a well-known and respected

local accountant; Sherri Scott, the Director

of Donor Services and Administration at

the Community Foundation; Nikki Lee, the

Sales Manager at the Radisson of High Point;

Dr. Ginny McDermott, Interim Dean of the

HPU Nido Qubein School of Communica-

tion; Leah Price, Market President for BB&T

in High Point; Eva Ogden, Branch Manager,

Bank of North Carolina; and Myrna Wigley,

a financial advisor at Edward Jones in

High Point.

These women studied similar initiatives

and received advice from women’s fund

founders in other areas. The result was

the following vision statement; “We will

strengthen the greater High Point commu-

nity by supporting its women with knowl-

edge and resources to nurture their growth.”

Perhaps more importantly, they listened and

built bridges by meeting with key leaders and

groups in the city. As they move forward,

they will grow their membership and seek

out unmet needs they can impact. The cur-

rent primary goal is to build the endowment

and create a plan to start providing grants to

help women in the greater High Point area

on their next step to personal, economic, and

professional success. Their first initiative,

The Gwen Program, focuses on developing

workshops to help women navigate the

challenges of leading a household.

“We are moving stratgically and

deliberately by meeting with organizations

serving women in High Point to introduce

our vision and hear from them,” noted

Martha Yarborough. “We want to build

relationships, start conversations, and,

ultimately, enfranchise women of all

ages, faiths, cultural, and economic

backgrounds so that all may reach their

fullest potential.”

WOMEN IN MOTION

To learn more, please visit WomenInMotionHP.org. All who donate by 12/31/17 will be permanently acknowledged as a founding donor.

Dr. L’Tanya Bailey

Joe & Allie Blosser

The Estate of Jack Bollinger

The Audrey Congdon Fund of HPCF

The Deal Foundation Fund of HPCF

The Debutante Club of High Point

Skipper Gates

Dan & Gloria Odom

Caroline Parker in honor of Paul & Barbara Coughlin

The James A. Wallace Fund of HPCF

We honor the generosity

and support of donors who have given to the

Community Impact Fund of the High Point Community Foundation during our fiscal year ending

June 30, 2016 which allows the Foundation to support its Annual Grants Program.

Women’s Initiative Moving Forward with New Name and Strong Leadership


HEART OF HIGH POINT FUND MEETS EMERGENCY NEEDS

West End Ministries received funding to replace furniture and keep the uplifting environment for women struggling to improve their lives.

Community Clinic requested funding to provide a language phone line to

enable providers to communicate properly with all patients. Funding was also provided to print patient handbooks to adequately communicate disease management information.

High Point Community Against Violence received funding to purchase refurbished computers, coats and bus tickets for clients working on improving their lives and be-coming productive members of society.

Open Door received funding to replace their non-compliant and non-functioning fire alarm system in order to assure the safety of the residents within their facility.

Helping Hands requested additional emergency needs funding to purchase food from Second Harvest Food Bank to meet the increase in demands on its food pantry.

Fairgrove Family Resource Center received funding to update their scanner which facilitates the process of providing emergency services to clients. They also received funding to provide financial assis-tance to 160 new clients.

To donate to this fund, visit www.hpcommunityfoundation.org/donate or send your check to:High Point Community Foundation/HOHP Fund PO Box 5166, High Point, NC 27262

The Community Foundation is proud to partner with the nonprofits that are eligible for Heart of High Point funding by serving the most needy in High Point. Currently, they are: Open Door Ministries,

Ward St. Community Resources, West End Ministries, Alcohol & Drug Services, Caring Services, Helping Hands, Community Clinic, Triad Health Project, Salvation Army shelter, and High Point

Community Against Violence. Each of these organizations devotes over half of their budget and human resources to meet basic needs in the community.

The Salvation Army received funding to replace the shelter’s broken ice-maker as this facility is the only one in High Point that serves entire families. The ice-maker is essential to keeping foods chilled and beverages cold.


T he Principals’ Fund for Student Needs is an initiative project of the Foundation that gives High Point principals the opportunity to apply

for grant monies to fill unmet student needs in their schools. The principals submit an application for “last dollars” throughout the school year. The current 2016-2017 school year saw the Principals’ Fund disperse over $19,450 to assist with technology needs at Middle College at GTCC-HP, Johnson Street Global Studies, Oak View Elementary, Northwood Elementary, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, and Triangle Lake Montessori Elementary. Shadybrook Elementary received funding for security needs while High Point Central received a grant for band and orchestra instruments. During the month of May, we encourage donations to honor current and past educators through the Principals’ Fund.

THE PRINCIPALS’ FUND


Leah Price, High Point BB&T Market President City Executive has a long and distinguished record of professional and community service. She has played key roles with the United Way, High Point Regional Hospital, Junior Achievement, High Point Chamber of Commerce and many more. She is a well-known and highly respected tennis player who strikes terror in the hearts of her competitors. She is married to Billy Price and together they dote on their beautiful Dalmatian, Cuddles, who keeps them busy. She has most recently played key roles in raising money for Say Yes Guilford and is serving on the inaugural leadership group of the Foundation’s new Women’s Fund.

FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW TRUSTEES

Harvey Lowd is a Tufts University educated engineer who brings a wealth of leadership experience from his career as the top executive in the chemical industry that eventually landed him at Wang, formerly High Point Chemical. He has served on a variety of local boards, including Open Door Ministries, John Wesley College, West End Ministries and many more. For six years he served as an advocate on the Heart of High Point Committee where his passion for working with nonprofits who serve the poor was key to the fund’s success. He and his wife, Jane, have a daughter who is a Naval Academy graduate and now flies helicopters in the Navy and a son who works in the business world.

John Kennett is an NC State College of Design educated architect who has long been invested in local leadership through his passion for downtown development. He is a part-ner/owner at Freeman Kennett Architects in High Point where he specializes in residential design. He is married to Kimberly, who together raise their son, JB, and daughter, Katie. He has played key leadership roles with Big Brothers Big Sisters and High Point Friends School and he was one of the founders of the Gentleman’s Dinner. He enjoys music, is a keen cyclist and is very involved with his church. He recently assumed the role as Chair-man of the Heart of High Point Committee.

BRIANA SMALLEY ’20 - HPU BONNER LEADERH

igh Point University is one of over 70 colleges in the nation to host a Bonner Program. Bonner Leaders are all low-income students who commit to serve 300 hours a year in the com-munity as part of their college educa-tion. Each year HPU recruits 10-15 incoming freshman who commit to be Bonner Leaders for the next four years. In their first semester on campus, Bonner Leaders visit six non-profits in

High Point, and then they are placed with one of these organizations for the rest of their college career. Briana Smal-ley entered HPU as a Bonner Leader in 2016, and she was placed with Leslie’s house at West End Ministries.

As someone who has experienced and seen the effects of homelessness on women, I felt called to work at Leslie’s

Story continued on page 19.


F or nearly 10 years Karol Murks,

the Foundation’s Director of Account-ing and Grants, has played the role of financial enforcer for the Foundation where she has done an outstand-ing job keeping the office under-budget and in the good graces of the IRS. This past winter Karol’s enforcer credentials received a very significant upgrade in status when she earned her “1st Dan Black Belt in the Korean art of Hapkido.” Now for those of you who are not familiar with the martial arts, Hapkido is a discipline that uses an opponent’s power against them by incorporating holds and trapping techniques to subdue.

“I have always had a very healthy respect for Karol and have tried to stay on her good side,” notes Paul Lessard, President, HPCF. “So, now more than ever, I try not to cross her! In all seriousness, this is a very sig-nificant achievement as it represents a tremendous amount of time, discipline and effort on her part. We could not be more proud of her.”

Karol, who began studying Hapkido in February of 2014, received her Black Belt along with her husband, James, her favorite sparring partner. The journey

to the Black Belt is not an easy one as it requires class attendance to master all the basic strikes, kicks and stuns as well as trapping drills, low level break falls, sweeps and throws. Karol was also chosen to be a member of the “Performance Team.” The study of

martial arts under Master Instructor Holt Williford at Triad Martial Arts also includes learning Codes of Conduct and emphasizes respect and restrain.

“I have always been a very physically active person and the tradition and discipline of Hapkido really appealed to me and my husband, James,” shared Karol. “We have enjoyed the challenges of learning, pushing ourselves and mastering new techniques. I would never condone violence except in a few extreme cases with Paul at budget time, but it’s great to know I can take care of myself in any situation.”

Karol, who is a CPA emeritus, is not only a key member of the Foundation staff, but she also oversees a multi-million dollar fund, manages two initiative funds and

heads up our Annual Grants Program. It is comforting to know that our Foundation’s sentinel has multiple skills that she can always access to keep us and our funds safe and sound. Be sure and congratulate our Black Belt the next time you see her.

FOUNDATION HAS A NEW ENFORCER

House which exists to help in the fight against homelessness in High Point. I have been honored to serve there dur-ing my freshman year at High Point University as the Assistant Manager. I currently am creating a job tool kit for the women, and developing home-starter baskets. When a woman finds stable housing and exits the house, she is given a basket with all the supplies

she will need to start her next stage of life (like kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.). Through a partnership with High Point University’s Student Government Service Committee, I have raised $6,000 and collected supplies for 100 baskets. And I have helped my fellow students better understand what Leslie’s House does. Thanks to the High Point

Community Foundation and other community supporters, Leslie’s House will be able to celebrate their 10-year anniversary this year. We are so grateful for the High Point commu-nity’s endless supporters in coming alongside the idea that everyone deserves a home.

Brianna Smalley continued from page 18

THE HIGH POINT COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONP.O. Box 5166 High Point, NC 27262

ph: 336.882.3298 fax: 336.882.3293www.hpcommunityfoundation.org

HIGH POINT CENTRAL CLASS OF 1960 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to Joseph Howard for being selected as the 2016 High Point Central Class of

1960 Scholarship recipient. Joseph is attending Brigham Young University in Salt

Lake City, Utah.

Congratulations to Jhinika Louve for being selected as the 2017 High Point Central Class of 1960 Scholarship recipient. Jhinika will attend Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.

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PAIDHIGH POINT, NC

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