The Mrs. A.D. Francis Endowment Fund awarded grants to three public charities serving the Winnsboro, Texas, area. The fund, held at East Texas Communities Foundation in Tyler, Texas, made grants to the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, Winnsboro Community Resource Center, and Hooves and Halos.
“We are pleased to carry out the legacy of Mrs. A.D. Francis with the assistance from the Winnsboro Community Foundation,” said Kyle Penney, President of East Texas Communities Foundation. “We greatly appreciate their help in selecting projects which meet the needs of the Winnsboro community.”
The Winnsboro Center for the Arts received funding to support the 2023 Winnsboro Festival of Books. “Next year will be our fifth year hosting the Festival of Books,” said Mary White, Executive Director for the Winnsboro Center of the Arts. “Our growth, while spectacular, has forced us outside of our building space, therefore we plan to use this grant to provide a tent to house the activities.”
The 2023 event will expand into two days. Friday will focus on books for children. “We are very excited to have an opportunity for children’s authors to be on site and present to local school students,” said White. “We are also planning a workshop for writers and panel discussions on Saturday.” The Festival of Books is free for the public to attend.
Winnsboro Center for the Art’s mission is to engage people in the arts through educational programming, cultural experiences, and entertainment.
Winnsboro Community Resource Center (WCRC), whose mission is dedicated to providing resources to the economically disadvantaged within the community by providing the stepping stone that will lead to a path of self-reliance, received funds to assist with the purchase of food.
“This grant will provide approximately one and a half months of food,” said Ray Richter, Executive Director for Winnsboro Community Resource Center. “We have been experiencing an extra level of pressure on us with the rising cost of purchasing food coupled with the additional families in the community seeking out our services. This grant will be very beneficial to help our community members and for that we are grateful.” Within the first six months of the year, WCRC has served over 1,000 families in the Winnsboro area.
Hooves and Halos received a grant to assist with the purchase of shirts for their annual fall playday. “Our Fall event has always been our largest event of the year,” said Johnette Poole, CEO of Hooves and Halos. “We expect over 1,000 to attend our November 2nd.” The mission of Hooves and Halos is to provide equine recreational programs to individuals that are physically or mentally challenged, discouraged or disadvantaged. The Mrs. A.D. Francis Endowment Fund, held at East Texas Communities Foundation in partnership with the Winnsboro Community Foundation, makes grants in support of strong projects based on good ideas and compelling needs in the Winnsboro community. The purpose of the Fund is to support and build the capacity of public charities serving Wood County.
Recent Comments