Ten years after its inception in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, the St. John Community Foundation is getting a home of its own. What's more, it will open the doors of its new office, across the road from Elaine Ione Sprauve Library Museum, to other public service groups, according to executive director Mary Blazine.
"I believe the community foundation had to start looking at itself as a business, get an office with a telephone, and put a sign outside," Blazine said. "We've already got our new office at the Tradewinds Building, and we're going to provide space for other non-profits to operate out of."
Such not-for-profit organizations serving the St. John community will be able to hold meetings, do their paperwork and conduct grant research in the space, she said, and that's not all. She wants to develop the kind of fund-raising capabilities she saw evidence of at a recent national conference the foundation sent her to attend in Denver, Colo., in September.
At the 15th annual fall Conference on Community Foundations, more than 600 representatives from across the United States came together to share not only concerns but inspiring success stories and solutions. The St. John Community Foundation was represented for the first time. "I just learned about the true function of community foundations," Blazine said. "We're supposed to be providing grant money for community organizations and to assist charitable donors with their contributions within the community."
In its 10 years the group already has a track record of giving to the island. The Harry Daniel Scholarship Fund, named for the organization's president, was established in the mid-1990s and awards $1,000 scholarships to St. John high school graduates pursuing higher education. Proceeds from the Fourth of July Festival's Children's Village run by the foundation are distributed to the Pine Peace, Julius Sprauve and Guy Benjamin Schools.
Through the efforts of past executive directors Ann Leopold and Ann Hobbs, the foundation sponsored grant-writing workshops, inviting representatives of local youth groups especially to learn application procedures and skills. In 1994, Leopold helped set up St. John's Dial-A-Ride program, which provides transportation for the disabled and sick.
Blazine, who came aboard as executive director last February, says she wants to go after big-dollar contributions to deepen the foundation's funding pool. Already, with the help of Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Andrew Rutnik, a resident of St. John, the group has received a $10,000 grant from the Boston Foundation, $6,000 of which is slated for the purchase of new kitchen equipment for the Sprauve School, with the other $4,000 earmarked for beautification of Cruz Bay Park.
Locally, Herst and Elizabeth Petzall, part-time residents of Fish Bay, were inspired to generosity by St. John Emergency Medical Services, Blazine said. "Herst Petzall and his wife are a lovely old couple," she explained. In a medical emergency, EMT David Trahan "saved his life and they wanted to give back to the community," so they donated $50,000 toward the purchase of an ambulance with four-wheel drive badly needed to traverse the island's steep dirt roads and the maintenance of the vehicle. The federal Office of Highway Safety is contributing 25 percent of the purchase cost and the custom ambulance is being built now.
While pursuing the push to raise big bucks, Blazine said, she also wants to promote self-help solutions by sharing the paraphernalia used to set up the Children's Village as a fund- raising resource for other local groups wishing to raise funds for themselves. "It's a whole little trailer full of all kinds of different concessions," she explained. "Of course we'll be looking for a percentage, but it's ridiculous to use it only once a year when it's a great tool for fund raising."
The 12-member Community Foundation board of directors is scheduled to take part in a weekend retreat on Dec. 11. One objective, Blazine said, is for board members to establish goals for the year 2000.
Meantime, the organization is also soliciting public input via a needs assessment survey being circulated throughout St. John. Blazine said this will enable residents to let the foundation know what programs and projects they think are worthy of support. More information about the survey and about the foundation may be obtained by calling the office at 693-9410.
