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Sponsored by Prince William County Community Foundation | By Grace Anderson
If you’re looking for a way to give back to the Prince William community, consider participating in Prince William County Gives this September.
What is PWC Gives?
Prince William County Gives (PWC Gives!) is a twenty-four hour online fundraising event run by the Prince William County Community Foundation taking place Sept. 14 and 15. The money raised from the event will be distributed between various churches and nonprofits around the Prince William County area. According to organizer Dr. Vanessa Gattis, President & CEO, the mission of PWC Gives! is to build philanthropic resources that will help sustain vital Prince William County communities so they can reach the most people.
Nonprofits are the backbone of the Prince William County community. Unfortunately, many Prince William nonprofits do not receive enough funding to remain open and are forced to close their doors. This is where PWC Gives! comes in. PWC Gives! raises funds for Prince William County nonprofits and churches that may otherwise struggle to find donors, helping people in need and strengthening the Prince William County community.
The Impact of PWC Gives!
PWC Gives! has had a monumental positive impact on the Prince William County community. According to Dr. Vanessa Gattis, during its first year, the event brought in more than $40,000 for local nonprofits and churches. The amount of money PWC Gives! has raised for local nonprofits and churches has continued to grow over the years. The goal for the 2022 PWC Gives! Was to raise at least $80,000. The event ended up raising over $90,000. The goal for the 2023 event is an ambitious $180,00. PWC Gives! has had a monumental positive impact on Prince William County and its communities.
What You Can Do to Help
You may be wondering what you can do to help PWC Gives! and give back to the Prince William County community. Perhaps the simplest thing you can do to support PWC Gives! is participate in the virtual event and donate. Nonprofits and churches can sign up to participate in the event by registering here. Once the event begins on Sept. 14, community members can donate to the participating nonprofits. Also, if you are a business owner, sponsorship opportunities are available on the website. Another thing you can do to give back to the Prince William County community is to volunteer with the Prince William County Community Foundation. You can apply to volunteer here. The Prince William County Community Foundation accepts volunteer applications all year round, not just during the PWC Gives! fundraising event.
Other PWCC Foundation Events
In addition to PWC Gives!, the Prince William County Community Foundation has many other great programs that give back to the community. Two of these programs are the C.H.O.W. Wagon and the scholarship program. The C.H.O.W Wagon provides meals for children and community members struggling with food insecurity during the summer months. Around one in six children in the United States struggle with food insecurity. Children who struggle with food insecurity are at risk for developing a multitude of physical and mental health issues as well as being more likely to struggle academically. The C.H.O.W Wagon provides free meals for these children during the school year and during the summer months in the absence of free school lunches.
The Prince William County Community Foundation also provides scholarships to exceptional high school students that may struggle paying for higher education themselves. This year, the Foundation distributed 15 $1,000 scholarships to Prince William County graduating seniors representing 10 high schools. You can donate to PWCCF scholarship here.
No matter which PWCC Foundation program you volunteer for, you can be sure your time and money will be put back into your community.
Grace Anderson is a contributing writer for Prince William Living.
