St. Augustine nonprofit vies for scholarship recipients after successful golf fundraiser
ST. AUGUSTINE — Local artist Keturha Singleton didn’t want to open her new laptop.
She couldn’t believe she finally had it nor that it was real. The local nonprofit Tarek Odom West Augustine Foundation had done the impossible: given her the one resource she needed to turn her artwork from her business, “Splendid Chaos,” into prints and customize her website and images.
“Everything I wanted to create, it really opened the door for me to tap into those things,” Singleton said. “I’m very thankful.”
TOWAF, a nonprofit organization that supports other local nonprofits with grants and provides educational and entrepreneurial scholarships, aims to edify and empower underserved communities.
Singleton is one of three individuals TOWAF has helped in the last year.
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Alyssa Kelley, co-founder of nonprofit RESET, and Eugene Cobb, a local resident, were the other two recipients.
TOWAF helped fund RESET, an organization that provides free services to students in St. Johns County which includes tutoring; SAT and ACT preparation; financial literacy courses; a mentorship program; and art classes.
The foundation helped Cobb fund his education with the National Training Inc. to pursue his commercial driver's license. He has since graduated and is now onboarding as an employee with a commercial driving company.
“A lot of times, the underserved areas get forgotten,” said Rashard Hall, TOWAF founder. “West Augustine in particular. We just want to end poverty and enhance education through our local community.”
The foundation raises funds for the scholarships and grants through its annual golf tournament. TOWAF raised $10,000 in its first annual tournament last year. Local participants matched that amount this year in the second tournament a few weeks ago.
More than 55 golfers and 45 sponsors participated. Community leaders, business owners, coaches, teachers, and former college and professional athletes attended.
“Without support from organizations like them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Kelley said.
The foundation is still young, so not many people know about it yet, especially those in underserved communities. It’s one of St. Augustine’s best kept secrets – TOWAF had less than 10 applicants last year.
Kelley and her co-founder, St. Augustine athletic director Quinterrance Cooper, found out about it through word of mouth. Singleton heard about it the same way. She wasn’t sure she’d get the scholarship, but applied and was asked for an interview.
Singleton went against her internal doubt and took a chance — something other community members need to do as well, she said, because TOWAF makes the scholarship accessible to them or anybody else.
“They’re accessible because they believe in what you’re giving them,” Singleton said. “People help. But you’ve got to get that first ‘yes.’ And this was the first ‘yes’ of many.”
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: West Augustine nonprofit TOWAF has another successful golf tournament
