• Rotary Year: 2017-2018
  • Application Date: 5/12/2017
  • Club Name: Blacksburg
  • Project Name: Micah's Caring Initiative
  • Project Total Expenditures: $8,000.00
  • Grant Amount Requested: $4,000.00
  • Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: District Grant 2017/18 Description


    The Rotary Club of Blacksburg will provide funding and volunteers to assist the Micah's Caring Initiative in Blacksburg and Montgomery County, VA. Micah's Caring Initiative provides new clothing for children twice a year and weekly food distribution throughout the year. It also provides a week of meals for low-income seniors adults to help bridge the food gap at the end of the month. There are five entities that make up Micah's Caring Initiative (MCI): Micah's Backpack, Micah's Mobile Backpack, Micah's Closet, Micah's Soup for Seniors, and Micah's Garden. We plan to assist all but Micah's Garden as it is fully supported at this time.
    MCI is located at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Blacksburg, VA and most “hands on” activities happen there. Rotary volunteers will assist in packing and distributing food through Micah's Backpack and Mobile Backpack, visiting with and distributing food to seniors through Micah's Soup for Seniors, and shopping for and distributing clothing for children in the spring and fall. Our financial support will provide food and clothing for children, and food for seniors. We will also provide funding for fuel for the Mobile Backpack bus.
    Our objective is to be part of the community-supported effort of meeting the needs of low-income families and seniors and enrich our membership through this experience. Working with the various groups within MCI will provide many opportunities for our involvement throughout the year as well.
  • This is the Club’s: Primary Project Application
  • Expected Start Date: 7/10/2017
  • Expected End Date: 5/4/2018
  • Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 390
  • Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: Rotary District Grant 2017-18 Community Benefits

    The project with Micah's Caring Initiative will benefit over 300 Blacksburg area elementary school children with weekly meal distributions during the school year through Micah's Backpack, and 160 meals delivered during the summer through Micah's Mobile Backpack. The Micah's Soup for Seniors provides delivery of a weeks worth of food selected by the client once a month to over 90 people. Micah's Closet provides over 40 low-income families with new clothing for the children in spring and fall.
    Volunteers gather at St. Michael Lutheran Church each Thursday to pack the bags to be delivered to local schools on Friday. This weekly event demonstrates how the community cares about less fortunate folks in Blacksburg. The Rotary Club of Blacksburg's support will strengthen and expand our work in the community.
    All food and clothing is purchased locally and benefits local vendors and businesses. This increases community involvement across all programs within the Micah's Caring Initiative.
  • Estimated Total Project Volunteer Hours: 260
  • Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): Describe the Rotarians hands-on activities in the project (ie non-financial participation):
    Club members will participate in 4 of the 5 programs during the months July-May of the Micah’s Caring Initiative. Long time members, including past presidents, will be encouraged to pair with newer members to strengthen club relationships.
    Micah’s Backpack: During the school year at least 2 club members will participate monthly in the every Thursday evening set up and packing of the healthy meals and snacks provided to approximately 300 children every Friday. This is the most visible of the Micah’s Caring Initiative’s and during the school year and it is heavily manned by many student, church and community volunteers. Because of the existing support this program receives, we are concentrating our efforts on the less well known programs. When club members assist they will go early and help with the set up for the assembly line packing of the food as well as assist in the packing that evening.
    10 months x 2 volunteers x 1.5 hours x 310 children = 20 volunteers and 30 hours and 300 served each time
    Micah’s Mobile Backpack: During July and August when school is not in session, 4 club members will assist each Wednesday with the set up and packing of 6 days of meals and snacks for the approximately 360 children in Blacksburg. Any members who are able to make the commitment of a full afternoon will be encouraged to ride with the delivery bus from 1-4:30 on Thursdays during the deliveries to various neighborhoods around Blacksburg.
    6 weeks x 4 volunteers x 1.5 hours x 160 children = 24 volunteers and 30 hours and 160 children served each time
    Micah’s Soup for Seniors: On the 4th Tuesday of each of the 10 months, 6 club members will assist in the packing and delivery of client choice bags containing food items such as, soup, saltines, and canned vegetables, to approximately 90 residents in income regulated housing at Warm Hearth community. The delivery time offers the important opportunity for conversation among the volunteers and residents.
    10 months x 6 volunteers each month x 2 hours each month x 90 residents = 60 volunteers and 120 hours total and 90 people served each time
    Micah’s Closet: In October and April students identified by the schools and/or social service agencies are provided with up to a week’s worth new and appropriate clothing. Each time 20 club members will work together in pairs to shop for the clothing for 10 additional children.
    2 seasons x 20 volunteers x 2 hours shopping x 10 children = 40 volunteers and 80 hours and 20 children served
  • Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: Rotary District Grant 2017-18 Publicity Plan

    The publicity plan for our project will include a combination of news releases to the local newspaper including photo's, and photo's and descriptions on our website and Facebook page. We also plan to reach out to the Roanoke, VA based NBC affiliate WSLS TV for a news segment on the project.
    Along with posting information on our sites, we will be included on the Micah's Caring Initiative website (www.micahscloset.org) and Facebook page with photo's and the Rotary logo.
  • Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: Cooperating Organizations –

    Micah’s Caring Initiative is a program sponsored by St. Michael Lutheran Church and is covered by St. Michael’s 501c3 designation. However, it operates as an independent financial organization. It works with others in the community to meet the basic needs of clothing and food for children and elders in our community. Through the District Grant Program, the Rotary Club of Blacksburg can assist this organization to continue its Micah’s Backpack programs and assist it to strengthen and expand its newer programs, especially Micah’s Closet and Micah’s Soup for Seniors . This organization has a strong reputation and track record in the Blacksburg Community and we are pleased to have the opportunity to work together with them to assist those in need.
  • Letter(s) of Participation: MCI Rotary Grant Letter May 2017.pdf
  • Project Expenditure Budget – list detail uses of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: Budget Uses of Funds
    Micah’s Backpack: food for weekly distribution $1,000.00
    Micah’s Mobile Backpack: food for weekly distribution in summer $1,500.00
    Micah’s Backpack and Mobile Backpack: fuel for delivery bus $ 500.00
    Micah’s Soup for Seniors: food for monthly distribution to seniors $2,000.00
    Micah’s Closet: week of school clothes for 10 children in October
    and in April $3,000.00
    Total Project Expenditure $8,000.00
  • Project Funding Budget – list detail sources of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: District Grant Budget Template: Rotary year 2017-2018
    Project Name: Micah’s Caring Initiatives Project

    Budget Sources of Funds
    Requested Community Project Grant Amount $4,000.00
    Club Funds $4,000.00
    Total Project Sources $8,000.00
  • Primary Contact Name: Michael Snyder
  • Primary Contact Rotary Position: Community Servive chair
  • Primary Contact Email: msdenhill@yahoo.com
  • Primary Contact Phone: 540 320-6509
  • Financial Contact Name: Peter Weimerskirch
  • Financial Contact Rotary Position: Treasurer
  • Financial Contact Address: 
    310 Deercroft Drive
    Blacksburg, VA 24060
    United States View on Map
  • Financial Contact Email: pweimers@comcast.net
  • Financial Contact Phone: 540 505-4991
  • District Grant Project Authorization LetterBlacksburg RotaryClub Authorization.pdf
  • Grant Number: 1718-02
  • Grant Award: $4,000.00