WAYNESBORO, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge has established the Westwood Hills Elementary Family Relief Fund to provide emergency financial assistance to families experiencing hardship as a result of the closure of Westwood Hills Elementary School following the recent shooting incident.

The elementary school has been closed since a gunman forced his way into the school on September 2, 2026.

According to Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge spokesperson Chris Lassiter, the fund establishes a tangible way for community members to support the school community.

“Following the tragic incident at Westwood Hills Elementary School, our school division has remained deeply committed to caring for and supporting our students, staff, families, and the broader community during this incredibly difficult time,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cassell, superintendent of Waynesboro City Schools. “We also recognize that the impact of this tragedy extends well beyond the walls of Westwood Hills. With the school closed, many of our families have been unable to work, creating additional financial strain at a time when they are already navigating unimaginable circumstances.

“Families have bills to pay, responsibilities to meet, and loved ones to care for. When a school is unable to open its doors, the effects are felt not only by our students and families, but throughout our entire community. As we continue to respond to one tragedy, we want to do everything possible to prevent families from facing another crisis because of circumstances beyond their control.”

While the closure of Westwood Hills is necessary as the school community responds to an extraordinarily difficult event, it can also reportedly create less-visible financial consequences for families.

“When a school closes unexpectedly, the impact on families can extend well beyond the classroom,” said Dan Layman, CEO of the Community Foundation. “For a parent who cannot afford or find short-term childcare, staying home with a child may mean going without a paycheck. The bills don’t stop during that time, and those lost wages aren’t restored when the parent is able to return to work. We want to help ensure that the financial consequences of the school closure don’t create even greater hardship for families already navigating an extraordinarily difficult time.”

The Community Foundation is partnering with Waynesboro Public Schools and the Community Assistance Network (CAN) at the Embrace Center in Waynesboro to connect Westwood Hills families with assistance.

“The Community Assistance Network at Embrace SAW was developed as a resource navigation pilot with the support of the Community Foundation with times like this in mind, so our community can quickly mobilize and support our neighbors,” said Jenelle Watson, executive

director of Embrace Centers for Community and site director for Embrace Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro. “Not only in times of financial crisis, but during disasters that none of us want to imagine.”

Kline’s Ice Cream was among the first to recognize the potential financial impact on families and made a generous contribution to help launch the relief effort.

“School shootings devastate our sense of security,” Kline’s owner Kim Arehart said. “We stand united in supporting the children, parents, and faculty as they move forward from this tragedy. The Westwood Hills Relief Fund gives us a way to help families who are struggling during this difficult time.”

“We are deeply grateful to Kline’s for recognizing this need so quickly and helping us begin this work,” Layman said. “We hope others throughout our community will join them so that families facing an unexpected loss of income know that their neighbors are standing with them.”

Cassell said he feels indebted to everyone who has responded, as well as to the community partner organizations.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Community Foundation and Embrace for stepping forward to support our families and our community during this exceedingly difficult time,” the Waynesboro City Schools superintendent said. “Their compassion and generosity are powerful reminders of what makes our community so special: when our neighbors are hurting, we come together to care for one another.”

Families experiencing financial hardship as a result of the school closure may contact CAN at 540-324-7006 or SAWCANHelp@gmail.com. Community members can visit the SAW Embrace office on 932 Fir Street in Waynesboro between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

CAN representatives will work directly with families to understand their immediate needs, provide access to available resources from the relief fund, and help connect them with other community resources and services as needed.

How to Help

Contributions to the Westwood Hills Elementary Family Relief Fund may be made to the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

Online: Contributions may be made at cfcbr.org.

By mail: Checks may be made payable to the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge and mailed to:

Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge

P.O. Box 815

Staunton, VA 24402

Every dollar received will be used to assist families in need.

For other questions about making a contribution, contact the Community Foundation at 540-213-2150 or info@cfcbr.org.