April 20, 2004

$50,000 in Grants Awarded to the Daily Planet

Sheltering Arms Fund of The Community Foundation and Jenkins Foundation Donate $25,000 Each to Help Fund the Daily Planet’s Health Care Clinic

RICHMOND – The Daily Planet today announced it has been named as the recipient of two separate $25,000 donations to help fund the program’s Health Care Clinic, which is the only freestanding health care clinic in the Central Virginia area, and one of only two in the Commonwealth, that targets serving the homeless on a non-emergency basis, regardless of ability to pay.

"We are truly grateful that the Sheltering Arms Fund of The Community Foundation and the Jenkins Foundation selected the Daily Planet as the recipient of their gracious donations," said Peter Prizzio, executive director of the Daily Planet. "Without the help and financial support of organizations like the Sheltering Arms Fund of The Community Foundation and the Jenkins Foundation, many of Central Virginia’s homeless wouldn’t receive the sufficient level of care that we know is needed to lead productive lives."

The $50,000 will help fund staff salaries at the clinic. The clinic has experienced a noticeable spike in the increasing number of homeless women and children it sees, and has added staff with the expertise necessary to treat this segment. The Health Care Clinic provides non-emergency services such as primary health care, dental care and mental health services.

"The Daily Planet is one of Central Virginia’s most respected organizations because to its commitment to help everyone who passes through its doors," said Susan Brown Davis, Director of Programs at The Community Foundation. "We hope our support can help the Daily Planet expand upon and surpass its current levels of service."

For nearly 35 years, the Daily Planet has been actively addressing the issue of homelessness in Central Virginia. The Daily Planet’s mission is to strengthen and enrich the lives of those who are homeless, potentially homeless, or lacking the social, emotional and financial resources to create a stable lifestyle, and to provide a safe and supportive community where survival and growth needs are met through appropriate methods of intervention responsive to the needs of the individual.