Toasting PCCF on Community Foundation Week

Monday, November 15, 2021
Beth Evans

Did you know that Community Foundation Week is celebrated in November?

Community Foundation Week is Nov. 12-18. The acknowledgment of this week was created in 1989 by former President George H.W. Bush, who wanted to recognize the importance of community foundations throughout America and the collaborative and innovative approach to work with the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

As we celebrate National Philanthropy Week this year, we thought about all of the individuals and businesses who are philanthropists throughout Putnam County. These people give generously of their time, talents and financial resources. Some may ask, well, what exactly is philanthropy?

The definition of philanthropy can be defined as the love for humankind. It is derived from the Greek “philo-,” which means “loving,” and “Anthropos,” which means “human.” Philanthropists can be found volunteering in many of their favorite charities and organizations in a variety of ways to establish a brighter future for their community and world.

Due to a vision back in 2006, Darrell Wiatt and members of the Foundation’s Public Education and Special Events Committee wanted to recognize National Philanthropy Week and service-inspired youth. This collaborative effort inspired an endowment to be established by Darrell and his late wife Cindy, known as the Darrell Wiatt Family Philanthropy Essay Contest.

This contest encourages seventh-grade English students to answer “What is philanthropy?” and to recognize someone in their life who is a philanthropist. In addition, the students are encouraged to write about what they have learned from their philanthropist and what they admire most about that person.

Many stories have been written about people who have devoted their lives to making a difference locally and beyond. Through this writing contest, students have become more aware of the opportunities provided by others.

Being a philanthropist can be a lot of hard work, but it has many rewards. The contest helps recognize the important role of local philanthropists and gives back by acknowledging the commitment and contributions by saying “Thank you.” It is quite humbling when a seventh-grader writes about or approaches a person in their life, letting them know they have been selected for their writing project and acknowledging what they have done.

The writing contest brings awareness to youth to inspire them about the importance of having philanthropic compassion and to shape life goals that can give back to others as they become young adults. We believe that involving youth in philanthropic-minded initiatives at a young age helps them participate in and prioritize philanthropy as adults.

We are excited to see who the next Darrell Wiatt Family Philanthropy Essay winner and finalists will be at the Community Foundation and how their philanthropist has inspired and encouraged them.

If you’re looking for ways to get involved or financially support nonprofit organizations in Putnam County, we encourage you to check out our website at www.pcfoundation.org and review the list of local nonprofits.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: