James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Project Concern, Inc. Records
Project Concern, Inc. (U.S.)
SC 0155
/repositories/4/resources/509
3.32 cubic feet
9 boxes
1969-1982
The Project Concern, Inc. Records, 1969-1982, consist of documents pertaining to the organization's activities within Rockingham County. The documents include the organization's records, their relationships with other organizations and their programs and projects, including their annual summer camp.
English
Access Restrictions
Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Greg Versen, retired James Madison University sociology professor, in June 2008.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into eight series:
- Administrative Information
- Financial Documents
- Members
- Other Agencies
- Programs and Projects
- Summer Camps
- Miscellany
- Media
Administrative History
While visiting the homes of truant children to investigate their absence in school, John Honeycutt, a visiting teacher for the Harrisonburg schools, discovered much more deeply rooted reasons for their non-attendance. It was not simply that mothers were not waking their children on time, but rather Honeycutt found families in which children did not have proper shoes, clothing, or coats to leave the house. Honeycutt initially brought this information to his church's Sunday school. His activism resulted in the organization of Project Concern, Inc., which was formally incorporated in January 1969. Its purpose was to assist with projects for the needy of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Project Concern worked in tandem with other local groups to satisfy needs in the community, including Social Services, the Salvation Army, Eastern Mennonite College, James Madison University, and local churches. Reflective of a national movement to combat poverty, specifically among children, Project Concern, Inc., provided basic needs for families and enriching experiences for children. By the early 1980s, Project Concern's funding had vastly diminished, likely due to a national economic crisis, whereby faithful donors no longer had the means to contribute financially. In 1982 the Board of Directors of Project Concern made the decision to close their doors.
Provenance
Prior to transfer to JMU Special Collections, the collection was in the custody of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Project Concern, Inc. Records, 1969-1982, SC 0155, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Processing Information
Bank statements, bills, insurance statements, and most receipts were discarded. A representative sample of receipts was maintained to document local businesses. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 4011.
Scope and Content
The Project Concern, Inc. Records, 1969-1982, are comprised of nine boxes, approximately 3.32 cubic feet of material. The collection represents the actions and activities of a local social work organization within the communities of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. The collection is topically arranged in eight series: Administrative Information, Financial Documents, Members, Other Agencies, Programs and Projects, Summer Camp, Miscellany, and Media.
Separated Materials
Published items removed from the collection have been cataloged and are housed within Special Collections' rare book holdings. Records for separated material note that items form part of the Records of Project Concern.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)
Charities -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History
Poverty -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History
Child Welfare -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History
Public welfare -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History
Charities -- Virginia -- Rockingham County -- Sources
Charities -- Virginia -- History -- Sources
Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History
Rockingham County (Va.) -- History
Rockingham County (Va.) -- Economic conditions -- Sources
Honeycutt, John
Project Concern, Inc. (Harrisonburg, Va.)
Administrative Information1/repositories/4/archival_objects/8172Scope and ContentSeries 1, Administrative Information, consists of twenty folders of material related to the administrative operation of Project Concern. Of particular interest are the History, Bylaws and Articles of Incorporations folder and five folders of Secretary's Minutes and Records. Also included in this series are client profiles, which identify needs of particular individuals and families and Project Concern's actions on their behalf, Project Concern newsletters, and news clippings and press releases highlighting Project Concern events and accomplishments.
History, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation/repositories/4/archival_objects/818011Annual Meeting/Reports/repositories/4/archival_objects/818112Board of Directors/repositories/4/archival_objects/818213Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) Information/repositories/4/archival_objects/818314Client Profiles/Documents (Folder 1 of 4)/repositories/4/archival_objects/818415Client Profiles/Documents (Folder 2 of 4)/repositories/4/archival_objects/818516Client Profiles/Documents (Folder 3 of 4)/repositories/4/archival_objects/818617Client Profiles/Documents (Folder 4 of 4)/repositories/4/archival_objects/818718Executive Committee/repositories/4/archival_objects/818819Executive Director/repositories/4/archival_objects/8189110Miscellaneous Planning Documents/repositories/4/archival_objects/8190111National Council on Voluntary Action (NCVA) Publications/repositories/4/archival_objects/8191112National Council on Voluntary Action (NCVA) Organizational Profiles/repositories/4/archival_objects/8192113Newsletters/repositories/4/archival_objects/819321News Clippings/Press Releases/repositories/4/archival_objects/819422Secretary's Minutes and Records: Charter, Bylaws, and Initial Meeting Minutes/repositories/4/archival_objects/819523Secretary's Minutes and Records: Minutes (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/81961969-198124Secretary's Minutes and Records: Minutes (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/81971969-198125Secretary's Minutes and Records: Public/Group Meetings/repositories/4/archival_objects/819826Secretary's Minutes and Records: Miscellaneous/repositories/4/archival_objects/819927Financial Documents2/repositories/4/archival_objects/8173Scope and ContentSeries 2, Financial Documents, primarily consists of eighteen folders, the majority of which are receipt books from 1970-1981, with some gaps. This series also includes financial reports, donor correspondence, and a representative sample of receipts from local businesses, 1972-1981.
Financial Statements/repositories/4/archival_objects/820028Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/820129Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8202210Sample of Receipts/repositories/4/archival_objects/8203211Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82041970 September 5-1971 September 15212Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82051971 September 20-1972 December 30213Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82061972 December 30-1974 August 1431Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82071974 August 14-1976 May 1432Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82081976 May 28-1977 July 2733Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82091977 July 18-1978 December 1534Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82101977 February 17-1979 April 2335Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82111978 December 22-1980 August 536Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82121980 September 8-1981 May 1137Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82131973 July 5-1977 February 1738Receipt Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/82141979 - 198139Records of Accounts/repositories/4/archival_objects/82151971310Records of Receipts/repositories/4/archival_objects/82161972-1982311Miscellaneous/repositories/4/archival_objects/8217312Members3/repositories/4/archival_objects/8174Scope and ContentSeries 3, Members, consists of three folders of applications for membership from individuals, organizations and volunteers. Membership involved a small financial donation and/or volunteer service.
General Members/repositories/4/archival_objects/821841Organizational Members /repositories/4/archival_objects/821942Volunteers/repositories/4/archival_objects/822043Other Agencies4/repositories/4/archival_objects/8175Scope and ContentSeries 4, Other Agencies, consists of seven folders, each of which represents a local, state or national organization with which Project Concern consulted to sustain their non-profit status. In addition, Project Concern worked with Madison College (James Madison University) and Eastern Mennonite College (Eastern Mennonite University) faculty and students to facilitate programs such as Saturday Adoption, which is highlighted in the following series.
Commonwealth of Virginia Resources/repositories/4/archival_objects/822144Community Service Newsletters/repositories/4/archival_objects/822245Local (Rockingham County) and JMU/repositories/4/archival_objects/822346U.S. Federal Resources/repositories/4/archival_objects/822447United Methodist Council on Ministries/repositories/4/archival_objects/822548United Way/repositories/4/archival_objects/822649Virginia Council on Social Welfare/repositories/4/archival_objects/8227410Programs and Projects5/repositories/4/archival_objects/8176Scope and ContentSeries 5, Programs and Projects, consists of ten folders containing documentation about the different programs and projects Project Concern facilitated, organized or participated in. Some of the programs figuring most prominently are the Annual Christmas Party, the Clothing and Furniture Room, and Saturday Adoption. These programs brought members of the community together to help others in the community in need.
Annual Christmas Party/repositories/4/archival_objects/82281974-1982, undated51Big Brothers/Big Sisters/repositories/4/archival_objects/822952Clothing Room/repositories/4/archival_objects/823053Food Stamp/Bank Program/repositories/4/archival_objects/823154Furniture Room/repositories/4/archival_objects/823255Harris Gardens/repositories/4/archival_objects/823356Moms & Tots/repositories/4/archival_objects/823457Saturday Adoption, Family-to-Family, Adopt-a-Grandparent/repositories/4/archival_objects/823558Standing Committees/repositories/4/archival_objects/823659Student Projects, JMU/repositories/4/archival_objects/8237510Summer Camp6/repositories/4/archival_objects/8177Scope and ContentSeries 6, Summer Camp, comprises the bulk of the collection. Consisting of forty folders of materials, this series contains documents and supporting materials relating to the USDA Summer Feeding Program, as well as documentation regarding counselor and participant applications, staff training resources, and various reports and evaluations. The series is topically arranged, then chronologically where applicable.
Nutritional Handbooks and Information/repositories/4/archival_objects/8238511USDA Summer Feeding Program Planning Documents/repositories/4/archival_objects/8239512USDA Summer Feeding Program Regulations/repositories/4/archival_objects/8240513USDA Summer Feeding Program, General/repositories/4/archival_objects/82411977514USDA Summer Feeding Program, General/repositories/4/archival_objects/82421978515USDA Summer Feeding Program, General/repositories/4/archival_objects/8243197961USDA Summer Feeding Program, General (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8244198062USDA Summer Feeding Program, General (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8245198063Attendance Records/repositories/4/archival_objects/824664Counselor Resources/repositories/4/archival_objects/824765Counselor Orientation/repositories/4/archival_objects/824866General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/8249197067General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/8250197168General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/8251197269General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/82521973610General Documentation (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8253197471General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8254197472General Documentation (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8255197573General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8256197574General Documentation (manual) (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8257197675General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8258197676General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/8259197777General Documentation (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8260197878General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8261197879General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/82621979710General Documentation/repositories/4/archival_objects/8263198081General Documentation (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8264198182General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8265198183General Documentation (Folder 1 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8266198284General Documentation (Folder 2 of 2)/repositories/4/archival_objects/8267198285Miscellany7/repositories/4/archival_objects/8178Scope and ContentSeries 7, Miscellany, consists of drug abuse awareness publications, including three issues of the Virginia Drug Abuse Digest, published from 1973-1976, as well as various informational circa 1970 pamphlets regarding the use and effects of different recreational drugs. Other content includes drug treatment resources, prepared by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Division of Drug Abuse Control in 1975, with brief overviews of facilities throughout Virginia that provided various levels of drug treatment.
Drug Abuse Awareness Publications/repositories/4/archival_objects/826886Drug Treatment Referral Guide/repositories/4/archival_objects/826987Official Seal of Project Concern/repositories/4/archival_objects/82708Media8/repositories/4/archival_objects/8179Scope and ContentSeries 8, Media, consists of 353 color slides, and 383 photographs (most in color). Most are undated, although one folder of negatives and contact sheets for 1974 was identified. A cassette created to accompany slide presentations, a cassette titled "Lyndale S.S. class 5th and 6th grade, May 1975," and a reel-to-reel recording containing a public service announcement are housed separately.
Slides (Sheets 1-10)/repositories/4/archival_objects/827191Slides (Sheets 11-18)/repositories/4/archival_objects/827292Photographs (Folder 1 of 3)/repositories/4/archival_objects/827393Photographs (Folder 2 of 3)/repositories/4/archival_objects/827494Photographs (Folder 3 of 3)/repositories/4/archival_objects/827595Negatives/repositories/4/archival_objects/8276undated96Negatives and Contact Sheets/repositories/4/archival_objects/8277197497Reel-to-reel Public Service Announcement/repositories/4/archival_objects/82781Lyndale S. S. Class, 5th and 6th Grade/repositories/4/archival_objects/15470May 1975SC0155-CS-001Project Concern script and sound for slide presentation
/repositories/4/archival_objects/15471SC0155-CS-002