Another dog was rescued in the middle of the night with the new Humane Society's van. The kids received a standing ovation at their summer youth theater production. It got late, but the new lights at the soccer field enabled the game to go on. The Watertown Police Department welcomes Thera Dakota as its new addition to the K-9 unit. Next summer, you'll be wowed by the newly renovated bear exhibit at the zoo.
What if none of the above was true? What if the Watertown Community Foundation didn't exist? The above is a sampling of the many projects that were supported this year through the Foundation. But the truth of the matter is: You make the difference. We make it possible.
The Foundation reflects over the grants of not only this year, but 30 years prior, with gratitude to the donors who make it happen. The key to improving the quality of life in Watertown, however, is that no matter how many great things have been accomplished, there is still so much more we could do. With the season of giving just around the corner, the Foundation humbly asks for your continued support.
During November 12-18, the Watertown Community Foundation joined more than 700 community foundations across America in acknowledging Community Foundation Week. For more than 20 years, the effort has raised awareness about the increasingly important role of these philanthropic organizations in fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.
"In a down economy, with limited resources, and a growing need for services to help those in need, we are more determined than ever to bring our community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions to some of our most challenging social problems," said Jan DeBerg, WCF executive director. Watertown is stepping up and getting more creative in how people provide needed support during tough times.
"We are proud of the commitment and creativity in this community to find new and better ways to improve the lives of our neighbors. Foundation Week in America is an opportune time to raise awareness about the increasingly important role of the Watertown Community Foundation," DeBerg added.
Launched in 1989 through a proclamation by former President George H.W. Bush, the first Community Foundation Week included a congressional briefing about the work of community foundations throughout American and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems and improve the quality of life in their communities.
