Third quarter grant awards support financial literacy, homeownership, family savings, business growth, and a community-wide celebration of Martinsville Speedway and Henry County anniversaries
Martinsville, Va. — The Harvest Foundation’s Board of Directors approved five grants totaling more than $1.6 million to strengthen financial stability, homeownership, business growth, and community pride in Martinsville-Henry County.
Recipients include the Virginia Council on Economic Education, the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC), the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, and the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG).
“Like nearly all of Harvest’s investments, these grants come back to supporting individuals and families in Martinsville-Henry County as they build stable, secure lives in our community,” said Kate Keller, president of The Harvest Foundation. “But the real work happens through our partners. Whether it’s a teacher explaining credit and savings to students with confidence or a housing counselor guiding someone through the purchase of their first home, these organizations are helping people secure their futures. Together, we’re strengthening the people, places, and partnerships that make MHC such a wonderful community.”
Find out more about this quarter’s approved grants below.
Listing of 2026-Q3 Grants
Virginia Council on Economic Education – $75,000 over three years to strengthen financial literacy education for Martinsville-Henry County students. Economics and Personal Finance is a Virginia graduation requirement, but teachers come to the course from many different subject areas. The grant will provide professional development, coaching, and classroom-ready resources for about 120 local educators. It will also fund hands-on learning for students, including The Stock Market Game, Reading Makes Cents, Mini-Economy Market Days, and Family Financial Fun Nights, which bring parents and local banking volunteers into the learning.
Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and C-PEG – $125,000 to support “Building the Future,” a strategic planning and capacity-building initiative for the Chamber and the Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG). A consultant will lead an organizational assessment and gather input from businesses, entrepreneurs, local governments, nonprofits, and schools. The result will be new three- to five-year plans with implementation roadmaps and performance measures. The process will also help define C-PEG’s future role in Uptown revitalization and position both organizations to better support business growth and entrepreneurship.
Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and C-PEG – $450,000 over three years to launch “Racing, Community and Opportunity,” a community-wide celebration of Martinsville Speedway’s 80th anniversary and Henry County’s 250th anniversary. Between the spring and fall 2027 NASCAR race weekends, the initiative will host community events focused on automotive heritage, STEM and motorsports, local history, and family fun. Events will include a mid-summer festival featuring a downhill soapbox derby, live entertainment, and local businesses, with the ultimate goal of creating annual traditions.
West Piedmont Planning District Commission – $160,422 over three years to establish MHC House Key, a HUD-certified Housing Counseling Center serving Martinsville-Henry County. Since the Martinsville office of the Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority closed at the end of 2025, residents must travel to Danville for required homebuyer counseling. The new center will offer homebuyer education and one-on-one counseling on budgeting, credit, financing, and down payment assistance, plus classes on home maintenance for new homeowners.
United Way of Henry County & Martinsville – $878,597 over three years to continue and expand Pathways to Prosperity, United Way’s financial stability programming. Services include financial coaching, credit counseling, homebuyer education, free VITA tax preparation, Bank On, youth financial literacy, and workplace financial wellness. The grant also expands two programs to serve working households who earn slightly too much for traditional assistance but still struggle to get ahead:
- the VIDA (Virginia Individual Development Accounts) matched savings program, which helps participants save toward a home or a reliable vehicle; and
- workforce services offered with the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board (WIB).