• Rotary Year: 2017-2018
  • Application Date: 5/31/2017
  • Club Name (Primary): Woodstock
  • Club Name 2: Mt. Jackson-Edinburg
  • Project Name: Shenandoah County Free Clinic Expansion - Purchase of Dental Cart Purchase
  • Project Total Cost: $9,900.00
  • Grant Amount Requested: $4,000.00
  • Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: The area Free Clinic, Shenandoah Community Health Clinic (Clinic), was approached by the local school system about unmet health needs. The school nurses and administrators were particularly concerned about behavioral health issues.

    As the southern portion of the county has the most poverty, the entities focused on that area. The school system offered a large classroom in Ashby Lee Elementary School, in Quicksburg Virginia, as a satellite Clinic location. This sits adjacent to the middle and high schools wherein all 1,500 youths can access more health services. It is approximately 15 miles from the Free Clinic facility to the north and over 20 miles from Harrisonburg, the major center for services to the south.

    Shenandoah County has been declared by the federal government as a health professional shortage area for mental health services. There simply aren’t enough behavioral health providers for the size of the population. Mental Health America has determined that Virginia ranks 49th among the states for the share of its youth – about 75 percent – who don’t receive treatment for depression. Added to that is the problem that there is no public transportation system. Hence accessing needed mental health services is very difficult.

    Thus the first objective is to bring needed health services to where the need has been identified – in the schools. In meeting this objective, the Rotary Clubs will subsidize the majority of the purchase price for a mobile dental card to be used in treating patients at the clinic. School nurses and administrators will refer children and families who need care, which will be near their homes and accessible during the normal school day and beyond. The second objective is to provide over 230 hours of counseling over the school year. In the middle school alone, only 300 children, there were 8 kids hospitalized for mental health issues and 20 slashing on themselves in the last school year.
  • Expected Start Date: 9/1/2017
  • Expected End Date: 5/7/2018
  • Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 350
  • Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: This makes services accessible to those who might not otherwise acquire them. There are parents working two jobs during normal doctors’ hours, or they don’t have a reliable vehicle, or the family’s only vehicle is at the job site all day. So parents are unable to get children to services miles away. There are already too few services available, even if patients have money or health insurance -- but some do not. While children will be the primary beneficiaries, the hope is that we may also be able to help some of the parents or other low-income neighbors of the schools. Ultimately these services will help reduce physical and emotional pain, teach tools for living healthier lives, and may save lives.
  • Expected Total Project Volunteer Hours: 80
  • Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): The Rotarians will help paint the new Clinical space and may help plant flowers to brighten the exterior entryway. Club members will spend an estimated total of 40 volunteer hours for this project. A program for Rotarians to come read to children is under discussion and would be another way members could emulate positive values and a healthy lifestyle. This program would likely double the total volunteer hours for the project year but we will be unable to confirm availability of classroom time until the start of the school year.
  • Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: The Clinic’s newsletter will run an article about the donation; a photo of Rotarians at work will be shared with the local newspaper and shared on the Clinic’s Facebook page; the Clinic will promote Rotary as a Hippocrates Society member (specific donor level) which includes recognition at the Clinic’s premiere event – the Sparkle Gala, recognition on the Clinic’s website, recognition in newspaper ads, a full-page ad inside the program for the Gala. Rotary will be listed with other major contributors on a donor acknowledgement sign.
  • Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: Shenandoah County Free Clinic
  • Letter(s) of Participation: letter to Rotary about school project.pdf
  • Project Expenditure Budget – list detail uses of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload.Total Project Expenditures: $9,900
  • Project Funding Budget – list detail sources of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: Requested Community Project Grant Amount - $4,000
    Club funds – Woodstock - $3,000
    Club Funds – Mt. Jackson-Edinburg - $1,000
    Shenandoah Free Clinic - $1,990
  • Primary Contact Name: Sandy Whitesides
  • Primary Contact Rotary Position: Woodstock Rotary President Nominee
  • Primary Contact Email: swhitesides@countylib.org
  • Primary Contact Phone: 804-347-8677
  • Financial Contact Name: Cena Hubbell
  • Financial Contact Rotary Position: Woodstock Rotary Treasurer
  • Financial Contact Address: 
    PO Box 25
    Toms Brook, VA 22660
    United States View on Map
  • Financial Contact Email: cenalh12@gmail.com
  • Financial Contact Phone: 540-335-8334
  • Project Authorization Form: Grant Project Authorization Letter.pdf
  • Grant Number1718c-06
  • Grant Award$0.00