2021 Albany Chest goal set at $42,000
By Donnie A. Lucas
The annual Albany Chest campaign is off and running, with directors setting a 2021 goal of $46,000.
Twenty-six different organizations submitted requests for this year’s funding, all of which were considered by the board during a meeting held on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
“The goal of the Albany Chest is to enhance the lives of local citizens with the funding that is given to us,” said board president Jana Kitchens. “We do our best to place the money where it will benefit the most individuals across the broadest range of our population.”
Letters are currently being addressed to past and prospective donors, with plans for them to be in the mail early next week.
“The Chest continues to be a great way to support our community and the organizations who benefit our community so much,” said board vice president Melinda Lucas. “We hope that everyone realizes how much these organizations need our support.”
She added that the actual amount of the 26 requests was more than $56,000, although two organizations didn’t specify an amount.
After discussion, the board recommended setting the goal at $46,000.
Several of the organizations requested more than the $3,000 limit that the Chest board set a few years ago.
“Our by-laws allow us to exceed that amount in specific situations, when an organization has a one-time need and provides details about how the funding will be spent,” explained Lucas.
Chest Beneficiaries
In each issue during the next few weeks, a brief look will be taken at two or three of the benefitting organizations in order to give prospective donors an idea of their activities.
The Chest board urged local residents to take a close look at the list of organizations.
“We think you’ll see that most local citizens, if not all, are touched by or have benefitted from the activities of one or more of these groups,” Lucas said. “And there are also a large number of children involved.”
Funding Requests
All of the 26 organizations that were approved for funding this week have been on the list before, even though a couple of them didn’t submit applications in 2020.
Requests came from Albany 7 on 7 Football, Albany Boy Scouts, Albany Cub Scouts, Albany Volunteer Fire Department, Albany Flag Football, Albany Youth Softball Association, Albany Little League, Albany’s Cause for Paws, Chelsey’s Project (diaper ministry), Closet Angels, and First Love Day Care.
Also GED program, MMPC Mother’s Day Out, Nancy Smith Elementary Awards, Neighbors in Need, Project Graduation, ResourceCare ASPIRE, ResourceCare Day Camp, ResourceCare Vittles by Vehicle, Rural Fire Department, Shackelford County 4-H, Shackelford County Library, Stepping Stones Christian School, The Feed Store, Senior Citizens Activity Center, and West Texas Rehab.
The board’s award recommendations range from $250 to $5,000.
The directors traditionally wait to see how the money comes in before setting final allocations.
“We are hopeful that people will keep the Albany Chest in mind and donate early if they can,” Lucas concluded.
The Albany Chest fundraising drive will officially end on Dec. 31. Board members hope to distribute checks to the organizations soon after the first of the year.
Contributions can be given to Paige Adair at First National Bank or Jana Kitchens at First Financial Bank, or they can be mailed to Albany Chest, PO Box 2019, Albany TX 76430.
