$200,000 Gift to CHRIS 180

The Chestnut Family Foundation has donated $200,000 to CHRIS 180 to fill in gaps in services for children in foster care. CHRIS 180 provides trauma-informed mental health counseling and essential support services for high acuity children and youth in their group foster homes, sibling foster homes, and youth in foster care in the community. Their counseling programs help children build resilience, facilitate recovery from trauma, anxiety, and depression, and promote healing and a positive sense of well-being and confidence that will foster the ability to thrive.

Serving the Atlanta community, CHRIS 180 has been at the forefront of behavioral health and child welfare service delivery since 1981. They provide critical behavioral health services that aid in recovery from past and present trauma, anxiety, depression, and suicidal feelings and that enable children to unlock their potential to achieve.

We're honored to continue our relationship with CHRIS 180 and to support these essential services they provide to the most vulnerable children in our foster care system.

2022 Henry M. Chestnut Scholarship Awarded to Students at Bay High School

Jeremiah Banks and Alondra Quinones

The Chestnut Family Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Henry M. Chestnut Scholarship in honor of Mr. Pears at Bay High School. This year’s recipients are Alondra Quinones and Jeremiah Banks. Alondra will attend Florida State University, and Jeremiah will attend Tallahassee Community College with the intention of transferring to FAMU. Each recipient will receive $2,000 to be used towards their college expenses.

In addition to the above recipients, Bay High School awarded eleven additional $500 scholarships using funds donated in memory of Ben’s beloved father, Henry M. Chestnut.

We wish these students the best of luck as they continue their education in college!

You can find more information on the 2020 scholarship recipients here and the 2021 scholarship recipients here.

$578,000 Gift to the Global Village Project

The Chestnut Family Foundation has committed to donating $550,000 over the next three years to support the Global Village Project’s Social & Emotional (SEL) and Wellness Program. The Social & Emotional (SEL) and Wellness program is a key component of the successful GVP educational model that speeds up learning for recently resettled refugee girls. Their main objective is to facilitate trauma-informed care and holistic support for refugee students, because when these girls are well in mind and body, they are best able to focus on and succeed in their studies.

The Foundation also gifted $28,000 to support GVP’s immediate need for a rental bus and bus repair. GVP operates a bus program, which is a critical lifeline for their students and families; providing transportation to and from the school, which is outside of the district the students would otherwise normally attend.

The Global Village Project is nationally recognized, three-year accelerated, special-purpose middle school for refugee girls in Decatur, GA. The school serves around 45 students annually at no cost to the students. GVP is the only school in the U.S. dedicated to meeting the unique educational needs of recently resettled refugee young women and preparing them for high school and beyond.

We're thrilled to support these important programs and the young refugee women in our community!

$500,000 Gift to Ballethnic

The Chestnut Family Foundation is delighted to confirm its continuing support of Ballethnic through a multi-year gift of $500,000. The gift will support programs and activities, including the expansion of current programming, support for Ballethnic’s Leopard Tale production at the Alliance Theater in May 2022, and general operating support to facilitate the growth of the Ballethnic team.

 Ballethnic was established in 1990 by Nena Galbraith and Waverly Lucas and is committed to making a radical shift in access to classical and contemporary ballet in Atlanta with a focus on black and brown children and youth. Ballethnic’s educational approach is about more than dance: it stresses disciplined lives, sound bodies, and focused minds. Waverly and Nena have developed a unique blend of ballet and African dance concepts and Ballethnic performs these original ballets, including the Leopard Tale, Urban Nutcracker, and Soul Survivors. 

We are delighted to continue our relationship with Nena and Waverly as they continue to build the organization and increase the impact of Ballethnic’s programs.

Photos courtesy of Sirk Photography

$100,000 Gift to Atlanta Angels

The Chestnut Family Foundation has donated $100,000 to Atlanta Angels to help support their plans for growth. The vision of Atlanta Angels is to ensure every child and young adult reaches their fullest potential, and that every family that fosters is radically supported. Their work is based on relationship building with children and foster parents, mentorship of children, and intentional giving. Critical outcomes of this work include reducing the number of placement changes experienced by foster children, providing children with typical childhood experiences, and preparing them for life after foster care. Atlanta Angels is part of the National Angels network.

Atlanta Angels have ambitious plans for growth in their programs over the next few years and the Chestnut Family Foundation’s gift will help support that growth.

Teresa Chestnut commented, “Ben and I are very proud to support the very important work Atlanta Angels is doing for foster children and foster families. Children in the foster system should have an environment which enables them to realize their full potential. That can only be achieved if they, and their foster parents, receive support, which helps provide stability and consistency. Atlanta Angels provides such support. Their work is invaluable to those children, and to our community.”