A Letter from Chairman of the Board, Ann Smead, and VVF President, Mike Imhof
“The world is not a lonely place, there is light and life and love enough for all of us.” President Gerald R. Ford
Inscription at the entrance to our Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, CO
Dear valued supporters of the Vail Valley Foundation,
Because of you, our mission of enhancing the quality of life in our valley through arts, athletics and education has flourished, and helped make our community an enviable place to live, work and visit.
In addition to arts, athletics and education, a critical role of the VVF, in good times or bad, has been and always will be, COMMUNITY.
Beyond your annual, generous support of our work, we are asking you today to help our community. There are many deserving charities in Eagle County. We count ourselves as one of those, yet our request today is not just for VVF, but also for other nonprofits serving on the front lines of this crisis. COVID-19 has impacted everyone, but for many in our community, the impact of this coronavirus has been catastrophic. We must help now, which is why we have created the Vail Valley Foundation Community Fund.
We ask you to consider a gift of any amount that is possible for you. A gift to the VVF Community Fund made now through Tuesday, May 5 (the national #GivingTuesdayNow event for COVID-19 relief), will be matched by generous members of our Board of Directors. Our goal is to raise $450,000, which will be matched dollar for dollar, for a total goal of $900,000.
Based on known needs, and thoughtful discussion and allocation of funds received, managed by a Steering Committee led by VVF, your gift will support the following critical issues:
- Food Insecurity: We are seeing a staggering increased demand for food by families in need. We expect 14,000 Eagle County residents will need weekly food assistance in the coming months.
- Mental and Behavioral Health: There is a dramatic rise in the need for mental and behavioral health, and domestic violence services in our valley.
- Shelter, Clothing and Household Assistance: Individuals and families in our valley are not able to meet basic needs.
- Children and Youth Education and Programming: COVID-19 caused a terrible disruption to the critical education, and social and emotional health of our valley’s children and youth.
No portion of your generous gift to the VVF Community Fund will go to overhead or administrative costs. A dollar in is a dollar out for program services. Again, your own support will be matched by members of the VVF Board of Directors.
Eventually, turning back on the economic engine will be essential to helping people stabilize from these crises, but this must happen in a safe and responsible way, and that is going to take time.
We believe it is incumbent on us all to reach out to those who have been hit hardest by these unusual times, including our very important Latinx community, and lift them up however we can. The work of VVF will continue. Today, we must look beyond our own organizational challenges and focus on the needs of thousands of neighbors in need. We wish each of you safety and good health.
With sincere thanks and gratitude,
Ann Smead, Chairman of the Board and Mike Imhof, President
