Today’s Culpeper Star-Exponent highlights what is perhaps one of the best investments one could possibly make in Virginia right now, all courtesy of Fredericksburg philanthropist Doris Buffett:
The new Germanna Gladys Todd Academy will provide mentoring, tutoring and Dual Enrollment scholarships for students at Walker-Grant Middle School and James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg and Post Oak Middle School in Spotsylvania.
Zitz said the program is for underserved students who will be the first in their families to go to college, with a special focus on African-American males. The goal is for the students to earn associate’s degrees by the time they graduate from high school.
I have a real soft spot in my heart for Doris Buffett. Her home along Caroline Street (literally — in the middle of the downtown district) really did a lot to revitalize that particular corner of God’s creation. Buffett’s quiet philanthropy has been inspiring as well, as she has made it a point to quietly assist in ways that help undergird society rather than put the Buffett name on every plaque in Virginia.
That’s charity, folks — and it’s not just money thrown at problems, it’s investments made towards force multipliers for individuals who want a chance, not a handout:
Germanna President David A. Sam praised Buffett for her generosity. Buffett has given away more than $110 million of her own money through her Sunshine Lady Foundation. Buffett says her goal is to give away her entire fortune to those “unlucky through no fault of their own.”
“She’s dedicated her life to giving others hope, and Germanna is in the business of hope, and our missions are often parallel,” Sam said. “Germanna and the Fredericksburg area owe her a deep debt of gratitude.”
One of Buffett’s biggest projects has been the Women’s Independent Scholarship Program, which has helped over 2,000 victims of domestic abuse earn degrees. She also sponsors a prison education program that has sharply lowered recidivism rates at 20 institutions around the country, including, Coffeewood Correctional Center in Culpeper.
This intersects on so many areas — the VCCS system, dual enrollment for high school students, workforce development, reducing recidivism rates — that play to a lot of my own impulses.
Good on Mrs. Buffett for demonstrating how philanthropy can be put to tremendous good, and hats off to the Star Exponent for a great article.
