United Way of Cumberland County 22 Maiden Lane              
Fayetteville, NC 27546
Tel 910.483.1179
www.unitedway-cc.org

FOR RELEASE

CONTACT: Amy Navejas, Executive Director/CEO

May 11, 2023	(910) 483-1179 ext. 222
director@unitedway-cc.org

Youth Growth Stock Trust Grants $345,000 to Benefit Cumberland County Youth

United Way of Cumberland County Board of Directors has approved the 2023 allocation of $345,000 in grants from the Youth Growth Stock Trust (YGST).  Every spring, the YGST, founded by the late Robert Short, provides grants to local programs, initiatives and scholarships that specifically benefit Cumberland County youth. 

Cumberland County schools and local nonprofit organizations submit Request for Funding Proposals for their programs that help youth become successful in their educational pursuits and beyond. This year, 14 local non-profit programs and 31 local public schools were the recipients. 

The following are the programs that received funding:

Vision Resource Center	VRC Youth Summer Explosion	
Miller's Crew	Miller's Brew Coffee Shop	
Cape Fear Regional Theater	Student Matinee Series	
Child Advocacy Center	Community Child Abuse and Prevention Outreach	
Fayetteville Urban Ministry	Find a Friend Career Readiness Program	
Armed Services YMCA	Family Support Program for Military Children (Ages 0-18)	
FTCC Foundation	FTCC Youth Community Dental Health Fair	
JCPC/UW School Resource Officers	School Resource Officer Training: Breakthrough Series Collaborative	
Methodist University	Shelton Leadership Challenge 2023	
Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County	Artist in Schools Program	
Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra	Third Grade School Visits and Concerts	
United Way of Cumberland County	Meals of Hope	
Cape Fear Bands and Ensemble Booster	Bands of America Championship	
Cape Fear Botanical Garden	Gardenmania	

Total Programs Awarded: $147,300

The following are the public schools that received funding:

E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary	D.R.U.M. Drumming Rhythms and Unity in Music	
Cumberland County Schools AIG Department	STEM-ulating The Gifted Mind!	
Stedman Primary 	Kindergarten Flower Connections	
71st Classical Middle School	Earth Shaking, Ground Breaking	
Cumberland Road Elementary	Jump Start a Positive Behavior with Books	
Jack Britt High School	Integrated Systems Technology Academy of Engineering Scholarships 	
Cape Fear High School	FFA Scholarship Program	
District 7 Elementary	We've Got the Whole World In Our Hands	
Beginning Teachers Office CCS	Our Beginning Teachers Can Handle All! Help with Classroom Management	
Warrenwood Elementary	STEM for Success	
Westover High School	Academy of Engineering Technologies	
Westover High School	Academy of Health Sciences	
Gray's Creek High School	Academy of IT Scholarship Program	
Cumberland Academy Elementary K-5	Parent Resource Center and Lending Library	
Cumberland County Schools Career Pathways	Career Pathways/YGST Scholarship	
Douglas Byrd High School	Jackie Warner Leadership Institute and Transitional Summer Academy	
Armstrong Elementary School	Girls on the Run	
Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School	Student and Parent Engagement Initiative	
Reid Ross Classical Middle School	G.L.O.W. Up (Girls Leading On With Unprecedented Poise)	
Raleigh Road Elementary School	iCAN with an iPAD: Fostering Independent Research	
Terry Sanford High School	Smart Lunch (Flextime Manager & E-Hall Pass)	
71st Classical Middle School	Making the Makers of Tomorrow	
Douglas Byrd High School	NC Grid Legends (Academy of Green Tech)	
Southview Middle School	Greater Expectations Transition and 6th Grade Leadership Academy	
Douglas Byrd High School	Academy Scholarships	
Westover High School	Wolverines Unite	
CCS Military Family and Youth Liaison	CCS Live United Volunteer Program	
E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary	Chess, Grandmaster to Designer	
Pine Forest AOEMS	Academy of Emergency Medical Science	
Pine Forest IT	Academy of IT College Bound Scholarships	
Douglas Byrd High School	Academy of Finance Scholarships	

Total Public School Program Awards: $197,700

Total 2023 Grants: $345,000

About the Youth Growth Stock Trust (YGST)
The Youth Growth Stock Trust was established in 1992 due to the late Robert Short’s concern for the
well-being of local youth. United Way of Cumberland County serves as the Trust Beneficiary and income from the YGST is awarded once a year to programs that support local youth educational and
developmental needs. Volunteers serve on the Grants Committee and Stuart Walters serves as the
Program Administrator. The Grants Committee is responsible for reviewing applications and making
allocation recommendations to the United Way. The YGST is wholly separate from the United Way’s
campaign funds. May 11th would have been Mr. Short’s 102nd birthday. We celebrate by reflecting on his lasting legacy and over $5 million in grants to our community's youth!

Awards Presentation
United Way of Cumberland County will host an awards presentation on Mr. Short’s birthday, May 11th, at 6 pm.  Recipients listed above will receive their funding in the FTCC Tony Rand Multipurpose Room.  This award presentation honors their good work in the community as well as Mr. Short’s generous investment and lasting legacy.  Media are invited to attend.  

United Way of Cumberland County Executive Director/CEO Amy Navejas stated “Mr. Short has a remarkable story.  One of six children, he left school early to help support the family when his father passed away. He never completed high school.  Despite the odds, he joined the military and later purchased Major Appliance.  Meanwhile, he began researching the stock market where he developed his own successful investment strategies.  Though he never had children of his own, he cared deeply about his community and chose to entrust United Way of Cumberland County with a generous financial gift designed to support local youth indefinitely.”
“I have had the privilege of speaking to many individuals who were close to Mr. Short over the years.  His wisdom and deep passion for scholarships and community support remain palpable today as he continues to touch lives.”

About United Way
United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. United Way of Cumberland County strives to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks for a good life: education, financial stability, health and critical basic needs. At United Way, we recognize that lasting changes are achieved by addressing the underlying causes of problems. United Way partners with other nonprofit agencies to improve lives right here in Cumberland County. Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED.

 Photograph of the late Robert Short

###