Cox Charities Virginia Awards $140,000 to 15 Non-Profits Supporting Youth and Education Initiatives

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications has awarded $140,000 total in grants to 15 non-profit organizations in Virginia through the Cox Charities grants program.  Cox Charities provides funding to non-profit groups that support youth, education and technology within Cox Virginia communities. The organizations selected to receive Cox Charities grants are:

Hampton Roads

• Center for Child & Family Services was awarded a $10,000 grant for their Leadership Academy. The Academy is designed to help middle-school aged children increase their developmental growth, better understand their strengths, and encourages them to attend school. 

• Children's Harbor was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund their early childhood education activities.  Children's Harbor offers high quality, developmentally appropriate child care services for the children of working parents, according to each family's ability to pay.

• Foodbank of Virginia Peninsula was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund the Foodbank's Kids Cafe program.  Kids  Cafe is a structured after-school program that promotes health, education and safety. 

• Homes FORkids received a $10,000 grant to fund its Hot Meal & Homework afterschool tutoring program for homeless children.  This program targets the educational deficits  caused by childhood homelessness. 

• Preschool Partners is a City of Hampton-based organization and received a $10,000 grant for their BITSE (Building Infant and Toddler Social Emotional Skills) program.  BITSE utilizes a group of  experienced professionals who provide behavioral consultation for child care centers, preschoools and family child care homes. 

• REACH (Reading Enriches All Children) was awarded a $5,000 grant to fund their"Read-Aloud" program.  REACH supports  the literacy development of children living in homeless and domestic violence shelters through reading aloud and providing free new books to youth.

• Starbase Victory has received a $10,000 grant to fund their Starbase Atlas program  In this program, all  4^th grade Portsmouth Public School students receive information on the following: reading maps, determining cardinal and inter-cardinal directions, measuring distance, and navigation using a compass.

Northern Virginia

• Alternative House serves as a refuge for abused and homeless children. This Cox Charities grant will fund a drop-in teen center in the Culmore area of Baileys Crossroads.  This organization was awarded $10,000.

• Falls Church McLean Children's Center was awarded a $10,000 Cox Charities grant. They will use the grant to continue its mission of providing affordable, comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education for at-risk children with a focus on math concepts and activities.

• Granville Academy of Northern Virginia will apply funds to their program that provides African-American youths with fundamental skills in entrepreneurship, business, finance, science, technology, engineering and math. This organization was awarded a $10,000 Cox Charities grant.

• Hispanic College Fund, which received a $10,000 grant, will fund a summer program that helps students commit to high school graduation, college education, and professional careers in business or STEM and community service.

• Hollin Meadows Partnership for Science and Math will use its $10,000 grant to fund programs designed to help student's master science, technology, engineering and math through experiential, real-world learning experiences.

Roanoke

• Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Virginia was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund academic achievements at the Roanoke Academy of Math and Science Club. The Boys & Girls Club offers an after school and summer program that promotes and enhances the development of young people.

• Greenvale School was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund affordable early childhood education scholarships to enable children who are at-risk for academic delays to receive the educational foundation they need to enter kindergarten prepared to learn.

• Community Youth Program at St. John's Episcopal Church was awarded a $5,000 Cox Charities grant to fund the Afterschool Enrichment Series which will provide students with enriching opportunities to explore literacy, mathematics, science, and technology.

Philanthropy through Cox Charities:

Cox Charities awards grants on an annual basis and is open to qualifying organizations. Qualifying organizations must provide education programs that further the academic achievement and development of young people through science and technology, mentoring, literacy and other areas promoting youth education.

Criteria used in selecting the winning submissions, included (but was not limited to): how well the applicant demonstrated a pressing need; how well the applicant demonstrated use of innovation or creative techniques in service delivery; and how well the applicant demonstrated the sustainability of the program as well as the ability for their program to be replicated.

Cox Communications is grateful to the Advisory Committee of distinguished representatives who selected the winning organizations. The Advisory Committee is comprised of community and business leaders. Cox Charities Virginia Advisory Committee members are:

Hampton Roads

• Beatriz Amberman, Chair, Virginia Latino Advisory Board
• Golden H. Bethune-Hill, Hampton Roads community leader
• The Honorable John A. Cosgrove, Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates
• Gary McCollum, Cox Senior Vice President and General Manager
• The Honorable Yvonne B. Miller, Senator, Virginia Senate
• G. Glenn Oder, Executive Director, Ft. Monroe Authority
• Scott Sale, Cox Director of Business Operations
• Jagdish A. Singh, President of Citizens First and Member of Virginia Council on Human Rights
• The Honorable Ronald A. Villanueva, Delegate, Virginia General Assembly
• The Honorable William E. Ward, Former Mayor, City of Chesapeake
• Edith G. White, President/CEO, Urban League of Hampton Roads

Northern Virginia

• Jim Corcoran, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Jack Dale, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools
• Eileen Ellsworth, President of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
• Glenn Kinard, Regional President of PNC Bank, Fredericksburg
• Forrest Parker, Regional Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Fredericksburg Regional Branch
• Allen Roberts, Cox Vice President of Operations of Cox Communications
• Jeanne Sanders, Executive Director of Volunteer Fairfax
• Patricia Stevens, Executive Director of the Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships (OP3)

Roanoke

• Beth Doughty, Executive Director, Roanoke Regional Partnership
• Frank Rogan, President and CEO, United Way of Roanoke Valley
• Dr. Robert Sandel, President, Virginia Western Community College
• Kim Stanley, Cox Vice President Operations, Cox Communications

For more information on the 2012 grant awards program and how to apply for a grant, visit www.coxcharities.org.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

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SOURCE Cox Communications