To the Editor:
An atmosphere of great celebration prevailed here at the Island Wide Youth Collaborative and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services last week following the announcement of a $620,780 MVYouth expansion grant to finance the construction of a new building to house the IWYC! Needless to say, we were all blown away, not only by the sheer size of the grant award, but also with the realization that that the IWYC project will come to fruition this year.
At the heart of this incredible game changer stand Dan Stanton, Jim Swartz, and 38 families who sought to give back to the community that means so much to them. They took a good hard look at the challenges experienced by the year-round community, and decided that the best way to permanently strengthen and improve the lives of Island families was by raising the funds necessary to support nonprofits that are providing services and recreational activities for Island children and youth. For your vision, generosity, and commitment, we are truly grateful.
Our appreciation also goes out to Lindsey Scott, Ron Rappaport, and the MVYouth Advisory Committee, who put into motion the vision of MVYouth Trustees and established a seamless grant process. Their collective efficiency and the clarity and transparency of the process were remarkable, considering that this was their initial grant cycle.
Finally, many thanks to Bill Potter of Squash Meadow and Doug Hoehn of Schofield, Barbini & Hoehn, who took this fledgling enterprise under their wings and provided the advice and expertise necessary to site and design the IWYC Center.
On behalf of the board of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and the members of the IWYC, we extend our sincere thanks to all who made this possible.
Victor Capoccia, MVCS president
Juliette Fay, MVCS
Amy Lilavois, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School
Theresa Manning, Youth Task Force
Jill Robie, YMCA
Dr. Jeffrey Zack, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital emergency room
