Johnston County Projects Receive $25,000

CLAYTON – In Johnston County, 19 percent of children face “food insecurity”, and the Rye Foundation decided to do something about it.

The Board of Directors voted to name The Woman’s Club of Clayton as this year’s recipient of the Bryan Award, the highest honor given by the Foundation. It includes statewide publicity and a charitable grant of $25,000.

Since 1918, the club has forged partnerships and focused on improving the quality of life for area citizens. The grant will enable it to expand financial support for three faith-based organizations:

• Clayton Area Ministries
• Backpack Buddies
• Serve the Need of Johnston County

Rye board member Ingram Hedgpeth led a delegation to Clayton, and a memorable day included a site tour and meetings with community leaders. Subsequently, club president Betsy Grannis and vice president Sarah Brooks traveled to Winston-Salem and made an outstanding presentation at Rye’s “Champions for Children Day.”

Hedgpeth explained that Clayton Area Ministries operates a food pantry which serves over 500 families each month. He said the popular Backpack Buddies program has great support from area churches, and Serve the Need provides a free Thanksgiving meal for 2,000 children and adults.

Warren Steen, the president of the Rye Foundation, stated, “During his lifetime, Ray Bryan was one of our most generous supporters. He believed that every child needs positive role models, and they also need encouragement and direction in life.” A Goldsboro business leader and philanthropist, Mr. Bryan died in 2016 at the age of 84.

The Bryan Award recognizes his legacy of service and is given annually to a child-centered charity.

Children’s Charities Outline Funding Needs During Pandemic

Part of our corporate culture at the Rye Foundation is to meet face-to-face with every organization which is being considered for funding support.

To achieve this ambitious goal, we frequently sponsor “Champions for Children Day,” when children’s charities make formal presentations on their mission, funding priorities, and current needs.

Recently, charities from across North Carolina traveled to the Historic Brookstown Inn in downtown Winston-Salem. They came from Hendersonville in the west, from Farmville in the east, and from throughout the Triad. During the informative sessions with Rye leaders, one theme rose to the top of the agenda.

“It was uplifting and encouraging to learn how child-focused charities are responding creatively to the global pandemic,” said Warren Steen, the President of the Rye Foundation. “During these challenging times,” he continued, “nonprofits are showing both creativity and resilience.”

One example is the excellent work of Young Life of Henderson County. Graham Wright spoke to foundation leaders about two brand new initiatives, “Quarantine Breakfast Club” and “Zoom Campaigners.”

According to Steen, the event is especially helpful for Board members, who receive detailed information on trends, programming priorities, and capital projects. Many of the groups are invited to submit formal requests during Rye’s next funding cycle.

Steen expressed his appreciation to all the participants and to Allison Watts, the director of sales at the Historic Brookstown Inn, who helped with planning for the statewide event. Established as the community of Salem’s very first factory in 1837, the renovated Inn is now recognized for its guest rooms and meeting space, all located in close proximity to Old Salem.

Over the years, a total of 124 charitable organizations have made presentations at the “Champions for Children Day” event.

FROM: J. Warren Steen, President

Annie Murray spoke for all of us when she sang these words in her hit song, “We sure could use a little good news, today.” As we continue to deal with the pandemic, I want to share some uplifting news about our faith-based philanthropy.

Positive Publicity on “Patriotic Partnership”
The current issue of Forsyth Family magazine contains a feature article on our $15,000 gift to Camp Hanes. Each summer the camp hosts boys and girls who have had a parent injured or killed on the battlefield.

Computers Helping Students in Catawba Valley
Another significant gift from Rye is helping to provide computers, musical instruction, and curriculum materials at the Mount Sinai-McCreary Community Center in Newton. Our leaders visited the Center, and learned that 20 former students now attend college.

Estate Planning Tip
My friend Mike Wells writes a column on legal matters for the Winston-Salem Journal. Recently, he emphasized the importance of reviewing and updating beneficiaries on retirement accounts and insurance policies. Our supporters are encouraged to include the Rye Foundation in their Christian stewardship.

Current Naming Opportunities
A key part of our mission is “matching great people with great projects.” There are naming rights in these areas: scholarship funds, camp lodges, a prayer garden, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming. Please contact me for details.

A Final Word: Message on a Church Sign
The sign in Guilford County contained four words: “Share Love, Not Germs.”