Dave Matthews may currently be on tour with the group that made him a household name, but his Bama Works fund is doing some great things for the band's hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia.
As reported by NBC29, the musician's fund, which supports charitable programs by making grants, donated $5,000 to help foster children in Charlottesville who are not connected with their biological parents. The money will be used to allow those children to not only meet the relatives they don't know but also family friends. The system is being called the Family Finding Model.
During the report, NBC29 sat down with a foster care child who is a staunch believer in grant-making foundations such as Bama Works, as they relate directly to moving a child's future forward.
Shawn Winfrey recounts feeling disconnected from family members that he knew were somewhere in the world, but whom he never met. "I was mad at the world at 12 and 13," he tells NBC. "I didn't understand what I was going through so I blamed everyone else around me."
In speaking of the recent Bama Works grant, Winfrey states, "I think that is critical because that is your natural support system. When you're born, you're born to a mom and a dad. Everybody has a mom and a dad. That natural support system can't be released."
Each year, just about 600 children reportedly age out of the foster care system in the state, and the Bama Works grant will aid in allowing them to establish some sort of support system with their relatives around the globe.
Check out the full report at NBC29.
