Here is a tale of Two Stories that form the underlying purpose and focus for the Virginia Regional Dream/Seed Grant Funds:

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• ​The Elsie Tease Principle:  Elsie Tease was a member of Battery Park Christian Church in Richmond.  She asked for permission and the blessing of her minister and congregational board to take up "above and beyond" offerings from her church to create a fund that would be used to help people move into and/or live at The Summit.  A few months later a check was received for $124.86.  It began with an idea and a few small gifts of change (coins mostly) that inspired something beyond the size of those nickels and dimes.  this gift became the seed money for the Care Fund to come alongside people moving into the Summit.

  • The Elsie Tease Principle is that sometimes a small gift of funds can help a small idea/ministry grow into something larger.​

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• The Carrie Burwell Principle:  Carrie Burwell was a member at Rocky Mount Christian Church in Rocky Mount.  She went to her minsiter with the nearly unbelievale idea that "We need to build a Home for the Aging in Virginia."  Her minister replied to her with words often spoken when ideas are seemingly too large to fully comprehend how they could ever come true, "Well, we will need money for that to happen."  So, Carrie Burwell left her house to the Region in her will.  This gift became the seed money for the Summit.

  • The Carrie Burwell Principle is that sometimes ideas for new ways of ministry are so huge and unimaginable that they need a significant starter gift to allow others to believe it is possible.​