In early September, the Thriving Communities production team returned to Virginia to complete the production of The Fountain Fund film.
Ross Monagle and Jerry Millhon traveled to Washington, D.C. in September to complete their interview of key figure Tim Heaphy and officially wrap production.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Tim Heaphy founded The Fountain Fund--a non-profit organization in Charlottesville dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated people get a fresh start through low-interest loans, financial education, and emotional support--in 2016.
The inspiration behind the founding of the organization came from an encounter Heaphy had with a formerly incarcerated individual he had prosecuted. Heaphy reached a moment of truth about the penal system that beyond incarceration, safe, productive communities are dependent upon how effectively the formerly incarcerated are able to reintegrate into society.
The first loan initiated by The Fountain Fund was in 2017. Today, the Fund has, "extended more than 250 low-interest microloans, totaling more than $1 million, to 200 formerly incarcerated people in Central Virginia," according to their website.
Ross Monagle and Jerry Millhon of Thriving Communities met with Tim Heaphy on their trip to Virginia to complete an interview for The Fountain Fund film. The premiere date is set for the Thriving Communities Gathering scheduled for November 10 through 12 on Whidbey Island.