He said people contribute to the nonprofit, and the interest earned is awarded to various causes each year.
“It's a hard decision. It really is. People in need. It can be school-related. It can be clothing related. It can be food. There's beautification components. There are hot spots for the students with Haywood County, the community college there,” Bridges said.
The Haywood County Arts Council received a grant for $2,900 for a Cherokee artist to paint a mural on the back of its building along Wall Street in Waynesville. It will include animals and the words "Renewing the fire through education" in English and Cherokee.
“And that was very important to me that the mural was not only part of beautifying the area but acting as a way for preservation of the culture,” Arts Council Executive Director Morgan Beryl said.
She said the mural will help paint a better economic picture.
“Part of our vision is to really activate that area, bring attention to Wall Street so we can help other businesses back there bring in more customers,” Beryl said.
The town of Waynesville has a $7,000 grant from the fund to spruce up Main Street with three to four bump outs.
“Those bump outs are going to include new street trees, some feeding options for individuals who want to sit on the sidewalks,” Assistant Town Manager Jesse Fowler said. “We want people to be able to go into a place, maybe buy something and come outside and enjoy and sit down and really just enjoy the beautiful downtown that we have."
Bridges said it's rewarding to help make improvements.
“It's wonderful, as you can see on the smile on my face,” he said.
Bridges said he'd like to see the fund continue to grow.
Spring 2023 - Grants totaling $64,900:
- $4,800 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina to support existing mentoring pairs, as well as to recruit, screen, train and place 10 new mentoring volunteers to address a waiting list.
- $4,000 to Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas to defray costs of treatment and family emergencies that threaten the continuity of care for Haywood County children battling cancer.
- $2,500 to Clothes To Kids of Haywood County for operating costs for the kids' clothing shop.
- $3,162 to First United Methodist Church of Waynesville/Friendship House for food assistance utilizing local agriculture producers for those experiencing hunger and food insecurity.
- $7,500 to Haywood Christian Ministry to purchase fresh, local farm goods for distribution to clients.
- $3,876 to Haywood Community College Foundation for WiFi hotspots, available through the library, to support students who lack internet access to allow them to complete their coursework while away from campus.
- $5,000 to Haywood Community Learning Center to fund student services that support graduation.
- $2,900 to Haywood County Arts Council from the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund to support the creation of a Cherokee mural, painted by an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ artist, on the back wall of its building.
- $7,500 to Haywood County Meals on Wheels to purchase shelf-stable meals for its clients.
- $3,500 to HIGHTS for fuel costs related to afterschool services provided four days a week to vulnerable youth.
- $5,000 to KARE to support the School Safety Program and provide funding for professional development.
- $3,162 to NC International Folk Festival (dba Folkmoot USA) to underwrite the salary of two employees in June and July 2023.
- $5,000 to The Community Kitchen to purchase food and supplies needed to provide fresh, hot meals nightly and for its food distribution program.
- $7,000 to Town of Waynesville from the Mib and Phil Medford Endowment Fund to install bump outs in Downtown Waynesville as a part of its adopted streetscape plan.
Click here to donate to The Fund for Haywood County. Donations may also be made by mail: c/o CFWNC, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville NC 28803