By: Jennifer Fox

The Henry County Community Foundation Annual Meeting is just around the corner. I remember the
first Meeting I attended in 2000. I was the executive director of a local nonprofit and received a grant
that year. The Meeting was held in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church and the ladies of the
church provided us with a delicious lunch. I listened as board members talked about grants,
scholarships, and endowments. I left that day not completely understanding the Community
Foundation but knowing it was something important and impressive.

Fast forward to 2005, I was employed by the Foundation and was helping to prepare for the Meeting,
still held in the basement of First Presbyterian. Eventually, due to an increase in attendance, we moved
the Meeting to First Baptist Church, and to this day, we still host our donors, friends, and community
partners for a catered lunch.

But, to me, the Annual Meeting is more than a luncheon and one of my favorite events. We are able to
celebrate the incredible accomplishments made through our donors. We look back at the previous year
and the impact made through local nonprofits who are serving our community. And, we have the
opportunity to look forward to the difference we know will be made because of endowments at HCCF.
It is also during this event when we reveal the newest Annual Report, which is more of a magazine to tell
the stories of how our generous community has utilized the Community Foundation to create a better
place to live and work—a place you and I call home.

With just a few short weeks away, I am looking forward to our Annual Meeting where we will talk about
how seeds of hope are sown throughout our community. Hope to thrive, not just survive. Because in a
world where things can seem just a little bit (or a lot) out of control, it is good to remind ourselves of the
good happening here because of the generosity within our community.