2024 Chain of Checks Campaign
Grant Recipients
Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter (WATTS)
Utilizing 20 churches and other venues, WATTS provides the homeless with a warm, clean place to stay overnight as well as a nourishing meal. To get the 35 guests to the different churches each night, a pre-owned yellow school bus picks up the riders at a designated location in Winchester. WATTS will use their Chain of Checks grant to help with the expenses of maintaining the bus, fuel, the bus stop rental, as well as the salaries for the bus driver and Transportation Manager. This bus transportation program is crucial to connecting our area homeless with warm beds and meals.c
Winchester Rescue Mission
The Rescue Mission is renovating a facility on Valley Avenue in Winchester to serve men and women in the community who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Grant funding will be used to purchase 25 heavy-duty and ‘easy to clean’ beds and mattresses for the emergency shelter, providing a clean, calm and safe resting space.
Blue Ridge Habitat For Humanity
Since 1997 Habitat has been building and rehabilitating homes, communities and hope. Habitat’s “ReStore” on Millwood Avenue in Winchester is a home improvement outlet that sells new and gently used goods donated by individuals, retail and building supply companies. Proceeds from the ReStore greatly increase the impact to build affordable housing for families in need. The grant money will be used to improve the ReStore’s marketing and outreach, as well as a user-friendly digital storefront showcasing inventory online, thus expanding its capacity to support Habitat’s mission.
The Laurel Center Intervention for Domestic and Sexual Violence
The Center provides emergency shelter and services to victims of domestic and sexual assault at no cost, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The grant money will help support outreach programs, including supplies like pens, flashlights, crayons and first aid kits with the Laurel Center’s contact information for those in need of immediate help or when they may finally have the time and privacy to call for help.
2024 Chain of Checks Events
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Attend opening night, Friday, November 29th , 5:30-8:30pm, as Chain of Checks will receive HALF of the gate proceeds.
Bring the family and your out-of-town guests to walk off some turkey-day calories! For the complete Wonderland schedule and to purchase tickets, log on to www.fcprd.net.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Join us for two holiday film screenings benefitting Chain of Checks. On Saturday, December 7, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will host screenings of the holiday family classics THE POLAR EXPRESS at 10:30 am and ELF at 4:45 pm. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Chain of Checks.
In between the movies from 1-4pm in the Alamo Lobby, it’s a Facebook Live “Face-A-Thon” broadcast, hosted by your radio family: Barry Lee, Lisa Herndon, Katie G., Paula Kidwell & Chris Steele. Stop by and say HI – leave a donation in the collection box – or donate online and leave a message at www.chainofchecks.com. Every half hour (1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4) the radio team will go LIVE on Facebook for “shout-outs” and “thank-yous” to donors, interviews with community leaders, and comments from guests who stop by.
Clarke County Community Band Christmas Concerts
- Saturday, December 7, 3pm Clarke County High School, Berryville Virginia
- Sunday, December 15, 7:30pm Armstrong Concert Hall, Shenandoah University
Enjoy the sounds of the season at no charge. Chain of Checks collection boxes will be displayed at the entrance to the auditorium for those who wish to make a donation.
“Change Boxes to Change Lives”
While you’re out and about shopping or running errands, drop your spare change (or bills or checks) into the Chain of Checks Collection Boxes at these locations:
- Handy Mart / Dunkin’ Donuts (16 locations)
- Solenberger’s Hardware
- White House Foods
- Rotz Pharmacy
- Gore’s Meats & Deli, Stephens City
- Daily Buzz, Middletown
About Chain of Checks
The Chain of Checks campaign to support local non-profits was founded by Barry Lee in 1986. In 2013 the Community Foundation of Northern Shenandoah Valley became the campaign’s fiscal agent and helped create an endowment that will serve community charities forever.
*Community Foundation of Northern Shenandoah Valley: 540-869-6776, Rebekah DesMarais, Ex. Dir.
*Chain of Checks: Barry Lee, 540-409-6929 (email-BreakfastWithBarryLee@gmail.com)
Donations may be made safely online at www.chainofchecks.com or by mail with checks made out to ‘Chain of Checks’ and mailed to Community Foundation NSV, P.O. Box 2391, Winchester, VA 22604
This donation link will take you to the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
website who will process your donation.
Your donation is tax deductible
Since its creation in 1986, Chain of Checks has raised $1,984,703 for local charities.
For more information contact the Community Foundation (email: director@CFNSV.org) and the Chain of Checks website, www.chainofchecks.com
The Chain of Checks campaign to support local non-profits was founded by Barry Lee in 1986. In 2013 the Community Foundation of Northern Shenandoah Valley became the campaign’s fiscal agent and helped create an endowment that will serve community charities forever.
