Presenting $4,000 to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia’s L2ork (Linux Laptop Orchestra) program, a partnership with Virginia Tech. Rod Nuñez of Freedom First is presenting the check to Daria Goode of BGCSWVA, with lots of program participants cheering them on.

Freedom First Credit Union announced that they have donated $25,000 in annual community grant awards to eight nonprofit agencies in Roanoke and the New River Valley. Nonprofits who received grants include: Adult Care Center of Roanoke Valley; Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia;Community Outreach Program of Roanoke; Intellectual Disabilities Agency of the NRV; NRV Cares; Roanoke Children’s Theatre; Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority; and Total Action for Progress.

Here is the press release from Freedom First.

December 17, 2012 (Roanoke, VA)—At a time when many nonprofits are experiencing both increases in need and decreases in donations, Freedom First Credit Union announces a record $25,000 in annual community grant awards to support the vital programs offered by eight local nonprofit agencies.

Freedom First has a long history of community giving through grants, scholarships, affordable lending programs, and financial education. The Credit Union was certified in 2010 as a Community Development Financial Institution by the U.S. Treasury and recognized in 2011 by nerdwallet.com/U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 credit unions in the nation for its community grants program. “Supporting local agencies just makes sense,” said Dave Prosser, Freedom First’s Vice President of Community Development. “Effective programs that meet the economic and cultural needs of children and families are essential to our shared goals” of breaking down barriers, enabling people to fully participate as local citizens, and helping families achieve economic success.

2012 Freedom First Community Grant Recipients

Adult Care Center of Roanoke Valley: $2,000 to provide a wheelchair-accessible scale necessary for ACCRV’s medical staff to provide accurate health assessments of center participants.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia: $4,000 to support the L2ork (Linux Laptop Orchestra) program, a partnership with Virginia Tech that combines computer technology and music to give students a creative outlet as well as opportunities to learn about college, computer skills, and collaboration.

Community Outreach Program of Roanoke: $5,000 to fund U Feed Others (UFO), a weekend food security program aimed at families that may be unable to supply enough safe, nutritious food for themselves.

Intellectual Disabilities Agency of the NRV: $2,250 to defray growing transportation costs IDA-NRV incurs when transporting clients to social and recreational programs.

NRV Cares: $1,750 to support Parenting Young Children, a 9-week course for parents and caregivers of children birth to age 6. The free classes include onsite childcare and dinner for participating families.

Roanoke Children’s Theatre: $1,000 to support the RCT4TEENS’ 2013 production of “Eric & Elliot,” which uses gentle humor and fantasy to address teen depression and suicide prevention.

Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority: $4,000 to fund a multi-site afterschool program that includes healthy snacks, homework help, recreational activities, and other programming.

Total Action for Progress: $5,000 to support Head Start-Healthy Start, which aims to increase healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors in Head Start-enrolled children and families.

For more information about Freedom First Credit Union’s community grant program or other products and services, visit www.freedomfirst.com.