2020 and 2021 were challenging years for many organizations, especially nonprofits. Freedom First recognized the need and stepped in to provide relief beyond what we could offer through the Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program or Community Development Block Grant - Coronavirus funding from the government.
In addition to our Community Impact Grants totaling $70,000 given to 13 local nonprofit organizations, Freedom First also contributed $5,000 each to the local chapters of the NAACP, $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, $33,285 to the United Way of the Roanoke Valley, and numerous other charitable donations throughout the year. These additional funds helped our nonprofit partners keep their doors open, expand programs benefiting our community, and truly make a difference in the lives of thousands of families throughout our region.
Did you know that Freedom First operates a free ice cream truck for our community? In 2020-21 we handed out 23,224 free ice creams to children and community members throughout the Roanoke and New River Valleys.
Freedom First employees volunteered 300 hours of their time to drive 2,726 miles
around the region and bring free ice cream to schools, churches, nonprofits, local businesses, and community organizations. Overall, our contributions to the community through Scoop totaled to over $26,600 in 2020-21.
Each year, Freedom First supports the work being done by community organizations to break down barriers, enable people to fully participate as local citizens, and help families achieve economic success and a better quality of life through our Community Impact Grants program. By funneling capital resources into the hardworking organizations directly serving our community’s most vulnerable people, we’re able to broaden our positive impact. The more resources our nonprofit partners have to work with, the more people they can serve effectively and the more vibrant our region will be overall.
