Enhancing the Health and Welfare
of Central Bucks County and Surrounding Communities
Previous Events
The VIA is an active organization that relies on continued member-and-community support to hold events that engage our constituents. It offers educational programs at monthly meetings and fundraising events. Consider attending a meeting, enjoying an event or lending a hand to make it all happen. Membership meetings are held monthly October through June. Each meeting begins with an information or entertaining presentation and is then followed with on overview of VIA recent and upcoming activities.
Congratulations to our 2025 Teen Scholarship & Award Winners!
June 6 - September 15
EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The VIA is committed to empowering others through education and offers several awards and scholarships for health-related college plans, leadership, kindness, and English composition.
For more information on our scholarships and award programs, contact the VIA’s Education Committee.
(Descriptions of the scholarships or awards are shown below the list of recipients.)
Congratulations to our 2025 Scholarship & Award winners!
Hannah Pollock-Laura Haddock Scholarships
The Education Committee awards three Hannah Pollock-Laura Haddock Scholarships to graduating high school seniors who reside in the Central Bucks School District and have been accepted by a college or university to major in a human health-related program. The scholarships honor two of the nurses first employed by the VIA in the 1910s. Three $2,000 Hannah Pollock-Laura Haddock Scholarships were presented to students at their schools’ award ceremonies and announced at the annual VIA June luncheon.
Ruth Boland Memorial Nursing Scholarship
The committee also evaluates senior high school nursing scholarship candidates and selects the recipient for the VIA Ruth Boland Memorial Nursing Scholarship which is financially supported by the family of late VIA President and former nurse Ruth Boland. As they have for many years, sisters Kathleen and Jeanne Boland contributed a $2,500 scholarship this year.
Hugh O’Brien Youth Scholarship
Since 1992, the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown has worked with the three Central Bucks School District high schools to identify outstanding sophomore students with promising leadership skills to attend the two-day HOBY Leadership seminars. “HOBY” stands for “Hugh O’Brien Youth.” Hugh O’Brian, best known for his acting role as Marshall Wyatt Earp in the 1950 TV series “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,” was a humanitarian as well. In 1958 O’Brian established the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation whose mission is “to inspire students to a life of leadership and service to their communities.” Today, the HOBY Foundation holds seminars nationwide and in many foreign countries with more than 12,000 students participating each year.
JAMES-LORAH Prizes
The VIA’s headquarters, the James-Lorah Memorial Home, is named in honor of the last two families who lived in the mansion. Miss Sara James, a founding member of the VIA, deeded the house and all its contents to the VIA in her will. Sarah’s sister, Martha James Lorah, established the Deed of Kindness Prize in her will to honor local youth. Her husband, the Reverend George Lorah, who was an amateur poet, established the George H. Lorah English Prize in his wife’s memory. Each student is presented with a $100 check.