Donations Large and Small Save Family Focus

By Amber Lester Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Bee Darrow and Sheree Press were skeptical when they received the e-mail in early January.

The Family Focus managers had set up a Web site where they could post information about how to save the program after its funding was cut in September by its fiscal agent, the Colonial Community Services Board. They were working for no pay, scrambling to raise money and the e-mail seemed too good to be true.

Its sender indicated an anonymous donor would like to learn more about Family Focus’ financial situation. Darrow thought the e-mail was a scam, like correspondence sent from dethroned princes from Nigeria. “We were afraid we’d get mixed up in a cockamamie scheme,” she says.

But she called the number, and the person who answered was a philanthropic advisor, who helps those with money find worthy recipients. The advisor, who asked to remain anonymous, made it clear an anonymous donor was familiar with the organization’s work, but had questions about whether the employees were being paid, how much money was needed and more.

Darrow and Press were stunned. “By the end of the hour conversation, we did not worry if this was a scam,” Darrow says. “It was very safe-feeling.”

At the time, money was coming in from donors in the community, but no account existed for deposits. The Virginia Cooperative Extension was negotiating with Family Focus to become its new fiscal agent (read more here), but that process wasn’t complete. The donor decided to send a check for $15,000 to start the payroll again. Darrow and Press were paid last week, for the first time since December.

Darrow and Press continue to communicate with the philanthropic advisor, who has indicated the donor plans to continue his or her support to Family Focus. They know nothing about who the donor might be, but they know the donor has a “great interest in helping women and children.” Both women admit they often imagine the donor’s identity, but may never know.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever learn some details, but I really get the impression this is why Family Focus is going to live,” Darrow says.

But the anonymous donor isn’t the only reason Family Focus continues to provide its services. Both Darrow and Press say they’re grateful for every single cent contributed by a host of donors throughout the community, each with a story of his or her own.

There was the check for $1,873 from the collection plate at St. Olaf’s Church. There was the donation from a Grafton woman who attended parenting classes 25 years ago, at the beginning of Family Focus, who still counts other mothers she met as friends. One past participant donated $1,000; his workplace agreed to match 25 percent of his donation.

Several children asked for donations to Family Focus instead of birthday gifts. John Levy, a former Family Focus employee who was laid off, donated $1,000. And there were the people who tried to give cash to Darrow, who had to tell them she had nowhere to put it.

In December, toward the end of Family Focus’ time with the CSB, a man and woman dressed as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus came to visit the parenting classes. Just before he left, Santa Claus handed Darrow a check for $300 and said to her, “Believe.”

She says she does.