In 2019, we added a boutique to serve the local community with free clothing, a much needed resource. The African Violet Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been serving and supporting children, individuals, and families in Southeast Iowa since 2006. AVF was initially most widely known for their Christmas gift program for middle and high school students. This began in December, 2006 w
hen the first 33 students were served at Fairfield High School. Since then, almost 500 middle and high school students in the Fairfield, Pekin and Van Buren Community school districts are being served annually at Christmas. For many years, the foundation also sponsored a community-wide clothing drive and distribution called Caring Through Clothing. Caring Through Clothing was a community-wide clothing drive and distribution. Gently used clothes, new underwear, new and gently used socks, shoes, winter apparel, blankets and laundry supplies were collected throughout the year and distributed at no cost once a year on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Additionally, AVF partnered with Gavin Hammes at Sears to issue one washer/dryer grant annually for families in need. The first clothing distribution was held in 2012 and the final one in 2019. It was held annually after that at the First Baptist Church located at 205 West Broadway Avenue in Fairfield, Iowa. After the annual distribution, remaining items are donated to The Closet, run by the Foursquare Gospel Church. The Closet made clothing available to anyone in need year round at no cost. When the Closet closed, AVF board members became very concerned that there was no longer a place where people could go to get clothing at no cost in our community. After prayerful consideration, AVF decided to take action and in November of 2019, after a three-year gut and remodel of the former Lord's Cupboard Building located at 54 South B Street in Fairfield, AVF opened The African Violet Boutique. People can go to the boutique for clothing (infant to adult), new socks and underwear, winter wear, shoes/boots, blankets, baby and toddler items, toys, books and other items. While AVF encourages shoppers to leave a free-will donation to help cover overhead costs and keep the boutique open, AVF believes that only families and individuals knows what they can afford to contribute; therefore, the boutique has no set prices. The foundation works with community members to help match donors of furniture and appliances they want to donate with those who need them. If you have a larger item like this, please message us or call and we can assist you in finding a person in need to bless. The African Violet Foundation also serves and supports middle and high school students and their families in a myriad of other ways. Monetary support is sometimes available for families in emergency situations and our organization has often been able to provide aid when the requirements for other non-profit assistance have not been met. The African Violet Foundation was founded by Staci A. Wilson Wright and Roger Wright in honor of Staci's grandparents, John and Ava Topping. Although her grandparents had little money, her grandmother was well-known for sending African Violets to those in need. African Violets are inexpensive, but it was her Grandma Ava Topping's way of letting others know that she was thinking of them and that she cared deeply about them and the circumstances they were in. While the foundation was born as an effort to carry on her grandparents' legacy of Christian care and concern and acts of altruism, the foundation has morphed into something Staci Wright never could have foreseen. With a nine-member board, the foundation has continued to grow each year into so much more than she ever dreamed possible. The foundation is largely supported by Agri-Industrial Plastics in Fairfield, Iowa. When former employee and former board member Terry Neil learned about the foundation, he made it his personal mission to involve everyone at the factory in helping students and families in need. Although he is now retired, Agri-Industrial Plastics has remained the largest business supporter of the non-profit organization. The foundation also benefits from the support of many other local businesses, service organizations and community members who have personally adopted the African Violet Foundation as a cause close to their own hearts. The community support of both of AVF's major service projects has been nothing shy of phenomenal. Current Board of Directors:
Jay Thompson, President
Staci Wright, Vice President
Katie Ghent, Secretary
J.J. Greiner, Treasurer
Shawn Dorman
Sage Ghent
Brandon Stuhr
Seth Talbot
Roger Wright
For questions, comments and concerns, please contact Staci Wright at (641) 919-4306.
