MARTINSBURG — The good deeds of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center have been rewarded as it was recently announced a recipient of the American Land Title Association Good Deeds Foundation grant for $6,000.

ALTA is a national trade association of the land title insurance industry, and the Good Deeds was launched in 2020 as a way for ALTA to recognize nonprofits from the country. EPEC was one of 24 organizations in the United States to receive the grant in October.

“We are grateful that we can help EPEC protect survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, as it exemplifies the title industry’s values of: ‘We Lead, We Deliver, We Protect,’” Foundation board char Mary O’Donnell said. “The Foundation was created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with the belief that ‘good deeds grow communities.’ We are honored to be able to support nonprofits like EPEC make a difference in their communities.”

O’Donnell is the president and CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Co.

EPEC benefits victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking around the Eastern Panhandle, issues that have seen numbers skyrocket since the pandemic. The funds will go back into the organization’s efforts to protect those who need it most, those same efforts that made EPEC stand out among other nominees for the grant.

“One of our members has supported the organization over the years and shared why they deserved the grant and how the organization aligned with the Foundation’s values,” O’Donnell said. “Our board was moved by the organization’s mission of empowering survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking in Martinsburg. When we found out that they were raising money for a new shelter, we knew that we wanted to help.”

EPEC was nominated for the grant by Raber Law Officers in Martinsburg, one nomination among many as O’Donnell commented on the number of organizations in need looking to help others in a press release from ALTA.

“Over the past few months, the Foundation was delighted to receive a staggering number of applications from ALTA members nominating organizations that have made a significant impact on their communities,” O’Donnell said. “The Foundation was created with the belief that ‘good deeds grow communities,’ and we are excited to see how these recipients use the grants to build and strengthen their neighborhoods.”

EPEC executive director Katie Spriggs expressed her gratitude on behalf of the organization in being awarded the grant.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this grant from the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation,” she said. “Our organization will use this grant to prevent violence and empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual assaults, stalking, and human trafficking.”

For more information on the Good Deeds Foundation, visit www.altagooddeeds.org.