Making It Happen in the Dan River Region

Time flies when you are doing good work. The Danville Regional Foundation launched its Make It Happen! (MIH!) program in November 2010 to show that everybody can make a difference through incremental changes, no matter how small. Now, approximately 18 months later, we just awarded our 50th MIH! Grant.

MIH! aims the focus on Dan River Region community members in turning the positive changes they desire into a reality. As MIH! has demonstrated through its 50 grants to date, these “bright spots” are contagious. As people improve their communities, their neighbors join in to do the same. Three examples particularly resonate with the spirit and intent of MIH!:

• Caswell Senior Center’s “Moving More Caswell” creates a fun atmosphere, while improving the community’s attitude about exercise. More than 100 Caswell County residents use these outdoor fitness and activity stations every week. Many participants have lost weight, with some achieving a more than 50 percent decrease in their blood pressure readings.
• Pittsylvania Baptist Association’s “Operation InAsMuch” is a one day, hands-on mission project where Pittsylvania County and the city of Danville are divided into 10 clusters. By motivating people to move from the pew and into the community, more than 1,000 local in-need residents have had their homes and properties improved through 140 projects.
• Moffett Memorial Baptist Church’s “Tutorial and Free Meal Project” introduces young people in Danville to healthy eating habits through allowing them to prepare the foods, experience how tasty healthy foods can be, and in turn positively influence their families when they bring the food home. To date over 100 children have taken part, with a multiplier effect of touching each child’s family and friends.

“Make It Happen! has created positive energy in improving the quality of life in our community,” noted Starling McKenzie, the DRF senior program officer overseeing MIH! “With MIH!, the Dan River Region has witnessed increased engagement from community organizations and local citizens.”

Matt Charles is communications and public relations director at the Danville Regional Foundation, a member of the Council on Foundations.