IRON Lives Receives Change for Change Donation
Just over two years ago, my partner Peggy Nolley and I started a unique community project in Lynchburg that she discovered in Canada and we called it “Change for Change Caring Meters.” It is a humble project, collecting spare change that folks deposit in our 10 bright lime green meters around town, but once we collect $1000 from the meters, which usually takes about 3 to 4 months, we have 8 generous Matching Partners or businesses that cumulatively pitch in another $3000! We have a small advisory committee who suggest groups or efforts in the community that are underfunded and could really use the $4000 for their work in serving those in need in some way, and then we make the distribution – to as much fanfare as we can create, in order to publicize those efforts as well as the meters to increase awareness of them. And that’s where you come in!
Over two plus years we have made 5 distributions to 5 worthy groups for a total of $20,000! --Interfaith Outreach to help with the rent and utility requests they were flooded with at the beginning of Covid; the B.I.K.E. program at One Community One Voice that awards new bikes to elementary school kids who improve in their schoolwork, attendance and behavior; the Red Truck Ministry that regularly brings a truck full of fresh and canned food to food desert neighborhoods to increase their reach; Kumba Dance and Drumgroup, where kids learn West African culture and performance, to enable them to perform out of town to broaden their exposure and raise self-esteem; and finally LAYSI, an organization that helps kids play the healthy sports they love by helping families to pay for the equipment and gear and registration fees they often can’t afford.
This Friday, March 3 at noon we will present our sixth $4000 check to Iron Lives! What an amazing group, that for 13 years has offered in school and after school programs in middle and high schools that have changed the lives of so many! By providing positive development and mentoring and involvement in community service projects, they have helped kids to overcome negativity in their lives and build leadership skills, character, and vision that can lead to essential workforce skills. This day we will be celebrating and helping to fund a brand new Iron Lives program called Swim to Work, a six week no-cost training program, partnering with LCS and the Downtown YMCA, teaching high school students, 16 and up, to learn to swim and become certified lifeguards. At completion of the program, students will be ready for a job at the Y or anywhere!
