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ST. CROIX — The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development will celebrate 25 years of leadership and service in the Virgin Islands on Thursday, September 24th, at their annual Birthday Block Party in the Sunday Market Square in downtown Christiansted from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, a press release the nonprofit issued on Friday reveals.

The annual celebration is being held in conjunction with the Croix Chamber of Commerce’s After Hours and will also showcase the work of some of the community-based projects and initiatives currently operating under the Foundation’s 501(c)3 umbrella.

As a critical component of the Foundation’s programmatic portfolio, fiscal sponsorship services have provided a reliable and accountable vehicle through which grassroots organizations can pursue their mission under the guidance of the Foundation’s established nonprofit status. Today, as a preeminent provider of fiscal sponsorship services in the Territory, the Foundation has managed over $20 million dollars and has served an impressive number of over 200 projects over the past 25 years.

The Foundation is encouraging their partners and friends to come out and support these worthwhile community projects, including the Artists Guild of St. Croix, the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund, Christiansted Community Alliance, Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, Diane Hampton Breast Cancer Project, Friends of Ham Bluff Lighthouse, St. Croix Pirate Adventure, St. Croix Seashell Society, the Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition, and the Virgin Islands Humane Learning Center.

Established back in 1990 in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, one of the most costly natural disasters in American history, the St. Croix Foundation’s founders, Phillip Gerard and Michael Neuburger recognized that the critical needs of the community required more than a mere grantmaker and chose a broader mandate. Today, the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development functions as a hybrid organization that is both a grantmaker and an operating foundation administering programs and providing direct services.

According to Executive Director, Deanna James, “Since the Foundation’s inception, we have served as a conduit for over $37,000,000 in funding for community based projects throughout the Virgin Islands. In fact, over the past 15 years, SCFCD has developed an incomparable track record of successful initiatives in a broad range of programmatic areas from economic development, historic restoration, public safety and public education reform as well as supporting our nonprofit community.”

“As a nonpartisan, apolitical community development organization, for 25 years, SCFCD has demonstrated strong leadership, serving as an agent of social transformation by brokering partnerships between diverse stakeholders to forge innovative solutions for deeply entrenched systemic problems,” James continued.

The Foundation would like to thank all of their community partners from the private sector, the public sector, donors and past and present Board members for their immeasurable contributions over the years. Special thanks also goes out to the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, the Virgin Islands Police Department, St. Croix Administrator, Stephanie Williams, the Department of Public Works, Reliable Rentals, Cruzun Rum, Chef Anton Doos, Singhs, and Gary’s Bakery for their support and contributions in preparing for the upcoming event.

For more information on the St. Croix Foundation’s BELIEVE CAMPAIGN and to learn more about the exciting work being spearheaded by the Foundation, visit the Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org or contact the St. Croix Foundation directly at 340-773-9898.