Give Back to Martinsville-Henry County Project

07/08/2017

READING is so important for all children’s education which is a focus in M-HC this summer!
Following Lennie’s post about the Henry County Public Schools (HCPS) mentoring program, it is very encouraging to see the focus of local schools and organizations on improving reading for local children: HCPS, United Way, YMCA, Martinsville Mustangs, Blue Ridge Regional Library, Spencer Penn Centre to name some …

Making The Connection: Students receive encouragement during Day of Reading: http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/news/making-the-connection-students-receive-encouragement-during-day-of-reading/article_f7ef4bb2-52a4-5eb9-8834-3782b0e5bb71.html

Summer reading programs kickoff this week at local libraries: http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/news/making-the-connection-students-receive-encouragement-during-day-of-reading/article_f7ef4bb2-52a4-5eb9-8834-3782b0e5bb71.html

Learning To Imagine: Children focus on reading at Spencer-Penn: http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/news/learning-to-imagine-children-focus-on-reading-at-spencer-penn/article_c00c6d58-23ed-5e93-bd2b-b142e89ba6ae.html

In the next few years, I envision plenty of mentors for reading, etc. including by those who no longer live in M-HC. Send us your comments and ideas on how we as graduates of M-HC high schools can help mentor children especially to increase their reading skills and interest!

Billie

MARTINSVILLE–Officials with Henry County’s school district want to use techniques adapted from brain science to help students learn to read.

06/16/2017

Other ways to Give Back!
Henry County Public Schools are looking for Reading Buddies to assist teachers with students at the Elementary and Middleh School Grades!
Donate books are always welcomed !
Contact Monica Hatchett, HCPS at [email protected] if you are interested!

06/02/2017

WHAT are the WAYS TO GIVE BACK to the M-HC COMMUNITY?
One of the ways is to donate a gift. There are many nonprofits supporting the needs in the community as well as unfunded needs in schools, etc.

One of the first Give Back projects had meaning to our high school class and history. Two special basketball coaches, Mel Cartwright and Husky Hall, had daughters who graduated with us. We had heard that while Martinsville High School (MHS) had a winning basketball team, renovations to the gymnasium could not bear the cost of a new scoreboard. The existing scoreboard was so old that if a bulb went out, it could not be replaced. Here was the MHS team playing at a state championship level and the scoreboard was in dire need of replacement. We felt that this would be a visible project to let the locals know that graduates including those who no longer lived in M-HC care and would like to help. Our MHS Class of 1975 stepped up to the challenge and the new scoreboard in honor of Coach Cartwright and Coach Hall was dedicated at a ceremony in May 2016 at the same time as the MHS basketball team was awarded their state championship rings.

This project also gave inspiration to the MHS Class of 1976 to fund the new scoreboard for the football stadium. This was another visible example of graduates giving back. We aspire to have every class from each of the nine high schools that were/are in M-HC give back in whatever way they choose. Let us know if your class has or would like to give back to this community we love.

Cynthia

The new scoreboard was donated by the MHS Class of 1975 in honor of two special coaches.

05/19/2017

How did the Give Back Project get started?

In 2005, I attended my Martinsville HS 30th Class Reunion. I was astonished by the decline that I saw in the community, its businesses and buildings, the outlook of its residents and more. In the 1990s and 2000s, the significant loss of jobs/businesses devastated the Martinsville and Henry County community. The result was the highest unemployment in the state of VA. Having grown up there in the 1970s during the peak of this community, it was very difficult to see, believe … This recent Martinsville Bulletin article on Population Declines in Henry County, Martinsville provides a good summary of the current situation.
On my way home to California, I jotted some ideas of what might be done to help revitalize this community. It was the beginning of this project. Yet, I was working full-time and it was difficult to devote time to it though my interest remained strong. Fast forward to 2012 … after a 33 year-career at Hewlett-Packard Co. I took early retirement and had more time to spend with my young grandchildren and on this project. Two classmates, Cynthia who lives in Chicago and Lennie who is lives Columbia, SC, also love this hometown community. Starting in 2014, we teamed up to engage with other graduates from M-HC to give back. Through many conference calls, research and feedback from those in M-HC, we developed a vision/plan for the Give Back to M-HC Project. Our project has completed several activities and there is much more that we can do to help revitalize M-HC.
We hope that you will join our project to give back!

Billie

MARTINSVILLE–Thirty years ago, it wasn't like this. The roads were filled with traffic and people were moving in. But as factories closed in Martinsville and Henry County, the growth left

05/12/2017

Greetings from the Give Back to Martinsville-Henry County Project and welcome to our new FB page. This project started nearly three years ago and we continue to learn and find ways to give back to our beloved hometown community of Martinsville and Henry County. We chose to use Memorial Hospital as our FB cover photo now as it is one of the places that touched each of our lives in some way. We are excited about connecting with you, graduates from the 1960s to 1990s from all nine Martinsville and Henry County high schools (there have been nine high schools in total, both public and private). There is a tremendous need and opportunity for you as graduates who grew up there and care about this community to give back your experience and expertise, leverage your networks as well as make donations. Even if you no longer live there, there are ways in which you can give back including providing mentoring and professional development to name just a few. We are partnering with governments/schools and other local organizations to support their efforts in meeting the major economic, health and education needs of our beloved hometown community.

Follow our project via FB to understand more about this project and how you can participate. And post your comments, favorite pictures, videos and stories about M-HC as well as your suggestions on ways to give back. We look forward to working with you to make this community we love a better place ... again!
Lennie, Cynthia and Billie

Three members of the Martinsville High School Class of 1975 have started a "Give Back to M-HC" campaign to encourage other graduates of high schools in Martinsville and Henry County

03/22/2017

Simmons House at the corner of Mulberry Rd and Starling Ave,

03/12/2017

The new scoreboard was donated by the MHS Class of 1975 in honor of two special coaches.