Jackson EMC : Your Community : Operation Round Up : Grants Awarded

Operation Round Up At Work

Operation Round Up® uses the power of many — the members of Jackson EMC — to help others — charitable organizations and individuals in need.

The funds collected through Operation Round Up go to the Jackson EMC Foundation and are administered by a volunteer board of directors. The board reviews grant applications and make grant awards in the name of the members of Jackson EMC. Grant awards are publicized in the cooperative's member newsletter, Jemco News, here on the cooperative's website and in the media so that members can see their donations at work.

Download the Jackson EMC Foundation 2008 Annual Report (PDF).

June 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $105,710 in grants during their June meeting, including $97,710 to organizations and $8,000 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Four Corners Primary Care Centers in Lawrenceville, which provides basic primary care to an underserved, uninsured population of Gwinnett County that previously funneled through local emergency rooms, to help keep the clinic open 40 hours per week during period marked by greater use of the facility and a critical gap in revenues.
$15,000 to the Summer Scholars Institute, a three-year academic enrichment program designed to help at-risk middle and high school students prepare for college and careers. Held at Gainesville State College, the summer program concentrates on the basic areas of reading, writing and mathematics, along with science for third-year students.
$15,000 to Step by Step Recovery, a community-based grassroots addiction recovery organization in Lawrenceville, to serve 50 new clients through the residential program, which provides a safe and structured environment for both men and women over 6 months to 2 years as they complete a 12 step program to deal with drug and alcohol addiction.
$14,710 to the Winder-Barrow Coalition for Adult & Continuing Education’s Statham Adult Education Program that will enable area residents to improve the quality of their lives by earning their GED; used to fund an instructor, curriculum books and tests to provide adult literacy classes in cooperation with Lanier Technical College.
$10,000 to the Healing Place of Athens to help provide homeless men with shelter, food, clothing and personal items, along with transportation to medical and mental health appointments and job searches, in order to support and encourage them in their pursuit of an independent and productive life of sobriety.
$10,000 to Norcross Cooperative Ministry’s Emergency Assistance Program, providing emergency rent funds to families who are experiencing temporary or long-term hardship, many of whom are referred by local churches, schools and agencies. The ministry provided rent assistance to 545 families in 2008, a significant increase from the 398 families served in 2007.
$7,500 to the YMCA of Athens for its Summer Day Camp project, which serves more than 425 young people by offering supervised sports and other activities, as well as teaching values and responsibility, that help kids feel good about their selves, enjoy life and avoid the dangers of drugs or gangs.
$5,500 to the CASA Hall/Dawson Program, Inc., which trains and supervises community volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in Juvenile Court proceedings in Hall and Dawson counties, to furnish a visitation room for the children served, purchase a computer for education of CASA children, and purchase 50 volunteer training manuals.
$5,000 to the Girls Summer Leadership Project in Gainesville, an intensive six-week course for girls ages 13-17 that establishes mentoring relationships between the girls and women in the minority community, develops leadership and collaboration skills, and promotes the development of new leaders in the community.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 for a neuro-prosthetic to help a woman who has suffered several strokes walk more normally.
$3,500 to replace the HVAC system in a disabled woman’s manufactured home.
$1,000 to help a mother of three who is going to school catch up payments on her van after her husband was laid off.

May 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $105,975 in grants during their May meeting, including $99,740 to organizations and $6,235 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Camp Koinonia in Cornelia to provide about 40 Banks County underprivileged 3rd through 6th grade students, referred by Family Connection and DFACS, with a five-day camping experience that provides positive learning experiences to establish strong character, leadership and teambuilding skills and build personal relationships.
$15,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Barrow County to purchase plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC equipment and concrete work for the affiliate’s 11th Habitat house, which is being constructed for a single mother with two young sons. Habitat homes are constructed by volunteers with donated materials and funds, and homeowners must contribute “sweat equity” hours to the home as well as assume an interest-free mortgage.
$15,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Jackson County to purchase kitchen cabinets, plumbing, electrical wiring and HVAC equipment for the affiliate’s 8th Habitat house, which is being constructed for a single mother with a young son. Habitat homes are constructed by volunteers with donated materials and funds, and homeowners must contribute “sweat equity” hours to the home as well as assume an interest-free mortgage.
$14,940 to I Am, Inc. in Buford to purchase supplies for Gaining Insight & Real Life Skills (GIRLS) leadership development program for girls age 10-18, aimed at reducing the instance of high-risk behaviors, increasing self-esteem and focusing on life skills that promote success, such as self-assessment, managing money, etiquette, goal-setting, public speaking and choosing a career.
$12,000 to the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team to help support its student leadership program, serving high school juniors and seniors in 20 public schools. The two-year program provides students with practical leadership skills and trains them to return to their home high school to facilitate the core leadership principles with groups there, increasing the capacity to develop student leaders.
$10,000 to Hoop 4 Life, Inc., a Winder non-profit organization that helps young people embrace excellence in life skills, academic knowledge and physical fitness, for its mentoring programs – B.O.U.N.C.E. for boys ages 12-18 and M.V.P. for girls ages 5-18 – that provide the resources and skills needed to master difficulties as they transition into adulthood, ensuring good self-esteem and positive self-image.
$7,500 to Samaritan Stand Corporation, a non-profit organization in Chestnut Mountain that works to provide opportunities for children of disadvantaged homes to grow and mature in a safe environment, to help support its summer “Sandlot Sports Camp” program for children ages 6-16 offering activities such as baseball, basketball, hiking, soccer and swimming.
$7,500 to the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta’s Lawrenceville and Norcross clubs for supplies and incentives used in “Power Hour,” a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program attended by club members ages 6-18.
$3,300 to the Nuci Phillips Memorial Foundation in Athens, a non-profit organization which works to prevent suicide and promote community wellbeing, to enable young people from low income families participate in Camp Amped, a summer music day camp for Northeast Georgia youth ages 11-18 that focuses on positive mental health and music education

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,315 to repair the leaking roof on the home of a senior citizen.
$2,920 to repair the leaking roof on the home of a senior citizen.

April 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $84,400 in grants during their April meeting, including $70,700 to organizations and $13,700 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the American Heart Association – Northeast Georgia Chapter in Athens, to purchase and distribute in Hall and Jackson counties Start! Walking Kits to employers that encourage employee walking programs, and CPR Anytime for Family and Friends kits to community organizations that contain everything needed to learn basic CPR skills.
$15,000 to the Foster Children’s Foundation in Duluth for its Tomorrow Matters Mentoring Program, which teaches young people ages 14-21 in the foster care program crucial independent living skills, such as money management, positive choices and employment preparation to prepare them to become successful adults.
$15,000 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to allow nineteen children and young adults with neuromuscular diseases from the counties served by Jackson EMC attend Camp Walk N’ Roll in Rutledge, where campers have no boundaries for their physical disabilities and can build confidence and independence, while their caregivers have a break from the demands of constant care.
$10,000 to Tiny Stitches, Inc. in Suwanee, which uses a network of more than 200 volunteers to make handmade tote bags filled with a 35-item layette that are donated through social workers and nurses at hospitals, health departments and other facilities in a nine county area to mothers who have little or nothing for their newborns.
$9,200 to United Way of Northeast Georgia’s Success by 6 Program to help print “Critical Years, Critical Needs” booklets in English and Spanish, a resource guide on early childhood developmental needs and good child care practices that is distributed to new parents through a partnership with St. Mary’s Hospital, Athens Regional Medical Center and Barrow County Medical Center.
$4,500 to Reins of Life, a Franklin County non-profit, for its Heads Up Hippotherapy Program, a physical therapy treatment that uses the horse’s movement as part of an integrated program to improve neuromuscular function in children, young people and adults with autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and other conditions..
$2,000 to Friends of the Pendergrass Library for the acquisition of additional children’s and young adults’ reading materials that will stimulate young readers’ desire to learn and succeed.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help purchase a wheelchair lift for a woman paralyzed by a car accident.
$3,500 to repair the roof on the home of a senior citizen.
$3,500 to dig a new well for a disabled couple who have no water.
$3,200 to repair the septic tank of a disabled couple.

March 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $106,342 in grants during their March meeting, including $99,342 to organizations and $7,000 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Louise Radloff Middle School in Duluth to help fund the Computers for Youth "Take It Home" program which provides disadvantaged sixth graders with free refurbished computers pre-loaded with a suite of educational and word processing software to improve home learning, involve parents and help students stay engaged in school.
$15,000 to Community Helping Place in Dahlonega for its Client Assistance Program that provides food, baby supplies, a summer food program for children, emergency assistance for rent and prescriptions, and a free medical clinic for the working poor who do not have health insurance and cannot afford medical care.
$15,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County for its Power Hour comprehensive homework help and tutoring program, which provides members with the support, resources and guidance necessary to complete their homework, and to purchase Kidstrax membership tracking software that will enable the club to track and report membership information.
$15,000 to Family Promise of Gwinnett County to help purchase a 15-passenger van that will transport homeless families from their host congregations in the Norcross area to the day center for daily activities, such as child care and seeking employment or housing.
$15,000 to Project Safe, an Athens agency that serves families experiencing domestic violence in Clarke, Madison, Oglethorpe and Oconee counties, to help provide residents of the 16-bed emergency shelter with transportation, food and supplies, prescriptions, and assist them in moving out of households where domestic violence is occurring.
$11,342 to Creative Enterprises, a Lawrenceville agency serving the disabled, to purchase a utility vehicle that will help clients in the agency's horticulture program tend a retail greenhouse where bedding plants, perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees are sold, as well as summer and fall vegetable gardens that grow produce sold at the Lawrenceville Farmer's Market.
$10,000 to NOA's Ark (No One Alone), a Dahlonega emergency shelter and comprehensive support program for battered women and children, to help fund a Trauma Counseling Service that will reduce the risk of post-traumatic stress, depression and other psychological problems experienced by both adult and child domestic violence victims so that families can heal together.
$5,000 to St. Vincent de Paul Society - St. Luke's Conference in Dahlonega to help fund the Direct Aid program that offers financial assistance to those in need for medical or dental care, prescription medicine, counseling, rent or housing, food, legal fees, transportation, burials and education.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help purchase a specialized bath and toilet chair for a disabled woman and help move her into a handicapped-accessible apartment.
$3,500 for assistance with a down-payment on a vehicle to help a single mother get to and from work.

February 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $53,777 in grants during their February meeting, including $46,000 to organizations and $7,777 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Annandale Village, a nonprofit community in Suwanee serving adults with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury, to replace heavy duty washers and dryers in residences. Villagers are taught life skills, inlcuidng the proper way to wash, dry and put away their clothing and linens, so that they can be independent, self-confident and properly groomed.
$10,000 to the Athens Vision Clinic, a service of the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, to help provide low-income area residents with surgical procedures that can restore sight. Surgeries, including treatment to correct diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and detached retinas, are performed in donated space, using Lighthouse medical equipment, volunteer doctors, staff, volunteers and funding for prescriptions.
$6,000 to the American Cancer Society for its Road to Recovery program which provides transportation to and from cancer-related medical treatments for cancer patients in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties, to reimburse the mileage of volunteer drivers.
$5,500 to the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Georgia Council to provide uniforms, handbooks and summer camp fees that will help underprivileged youth participate in scouting, teaching them to make ethical choices and promoting citizenship, leadership, mental and physical fitness.
$4,000 to the ProMusica Concert Series, a Gainesville nonprofit that provides North Georgia youth the opportunity to experience world-class music and artistry in a variety of settings and formats, to fund Young People's Concerts at local schools and the Community Outreach Partnership, which creates opportunities for at-risk youth to be educated and entertained by top-notch regional musicians.
$3,000 to the Northeast Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center, a nonprofit educational organization headquartered at Kennesaw State University that works to increase interest and enthusiasm in science, math and the technologies among underserved students, to offer Family Math and Science Nights at Banks County schools. These events provide hands-on, inquiry-based activities that help students and their families become more excited and informed about learning math and science.
$2,500 to the Jefferson First Baptist Food Pantry to help purchase food the pantry provides on a monthly basis to Jackson County families who have experienced hardship situations, such as the loss of a job, illness, reduction in work hours or layoff. The pantry is serving a rapidly increasing number of families, from 93 in March 2008 to 432 in November 2009.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$2,500 to help purchase a used car for a disabled woman who must have reliable transportation for kidney dialysis.
$3,500 to help purchase a van wheelchair ramp for the family of a child with cerebral palsy.
$1,777 to replace a hot water heater for a disabled senior citizen.

January 2009

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $68,561 in grants during their January meeting, including $59,602 to organizations and $8,959 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Hall County to purchase crawlspace, framing and drywall materials for two houses that will be built under the Habitat High Program, a cooperative effort with the Hall County School System that provides students interested in a construction/homebuilding career with four hours per school day of practical experience and builds affordable homes for area residents who are living in substandard conditions.
$15,000 to the Hall County Health Department to provide comprehensive, affordable prenatal care for low-income, uninsured women in Hall and Lumpkin counties to decrease the number of low birth weight babies and help ensure the health of babies and mothers. The department provided prenatal care to more than 1,000 low income women in 2007.
$10,000 to the Gainesville/Hall County Alliance for Literacy to purchase materials and provide instructors for basic literacy classes for adults 16 and older and GED preparation classes for students who have not completed high school. The Alliance estimates that more than 29 percent of Hall County residents are not high school graduates, and generally earn $7,000 less per year than residents who have a high school diploma.
$8,473 to Madison County Special Olympics to purchase equipment and pay fees so that disabled athletes may participate in local and Georgia Summer and Winter Games. The Special Olympics provides opportunities for disabled persons to participate in activities that allow them to become accepted, respected and productive citizens, while exposing the typical population to those who face such challenges so they can find common ground and form friendships.
$6,129 to the Piedmont CASA Program, a non-profit organization that uses community volunteers to provide a voice in Juvenile Court for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties, to recruit and train community volunteers. Since 2001, the organization has served nearly 300 children.
$5,000 to Bridge The Gap Ministries, a Snellville non-profit organization that provides a bridge for incarcerated individuals and those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol that will connect them with support services, to provide assistance with temporary housing, bus transportation, life skills study courses and practical publications.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift and help with medical bills for a disabled senior couple.
$3,200 to install a new furnace to heat the home of a disabled woman.
$1,429 to purchase a lift chair for a disabled senior citizen.
$906 to pay medical bills for the birth of a child for the family of a student working his way through school.

December 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $83,931 in grants during their December meeting, including $80,431 to organizations and $3,500 to an individual.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to NSPIRE Atlanta, an outreach effort of St. David's Community Church in Suwanee that provides skills and tools to local homeless men, women and children that will help them leave the streets and become independent; to provide continuing education through GED courses, online courses, career training or attending a local college or technical school.
$15,000 to the Gwinnett Children's Shelter in Lawrenceville, to help support its PACTS program of weekly parenting classes that seeks to decrease family violence by helping parents develop and improve their parenting skills and helping teens better understand parenting issues and family dynamics.
$15,000 to the Georgia Mountain YMCA in Gainesville to permit 40 underprivileged children to attend its Afterschool Program, which gives children from kindergarten to 8th grade a home-away-from-home environment with activities that include homework assistance, enrichment activities, relationship building, sports and games, and arts and crafts.
$15,000 to Jackson County Family Connection to fund the coordinator's position for the Lindsey's Legacy mentoring program, which recruits and trains adult mentors to work with students kindergarten through 12th grade in all three county school systems, helping to ensure those young people become healthy, educated, employable and connected through participation in family and community life.
$9,000 to Women to the World, Inc., in Athens for its Partnering Ambassadors for Life and Service program that offers impoverished adult women a unique, individualized program to obtain their GED and mentors capable of teaching skills for self-sustaining employment; to purchase new computers and software for GED and keyboarding training classes.
$6,000 to The Potter's House, a residential recovery program of the Atlanta Union Mission, located on a 570-acre working farm in Jefferson; to help feed, house, counsel and provide educational programs such as adult literacy to men recovering from substance abuse.
$5,431 to the Gwinnett Community Clinic, a Snellville volunteer-based not-for-profit clinic that serves the working poor of the area, to update the clinic's telephone system, greatly reducing the time required to handle messages left on the answering system and eliminating unnecessary appointments by providing quicker access for questions that can be handled by a nurse practioner.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help a family build a handicapped accessible addition on their manufactured home for their disabled daughter.

November 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $101,100 in grants during their November meeting, including $94,400 to organizations and $6,700 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Challenged Child & Friends, a Gainesville non-profit organization providing educational, therapeutic, nursing and family support services to children with disabilities, to support the Early Intervention Program that provides special needs children with classroom instruction, individualized therapy and nursing services.
$15,000 to A Step to Independence in Dacula, a non-profit organization serving children with motor and/or movement disabilities, to help provide Conductive Education that incorporates repetition, cognitive discipline, social learning and fun to train children how to crawl, kneel, sit, stand, transition from one position to another and even walk without assistance.
$15,000 to the Ark of Jackson County, a community outreach effort by area churches that provides assistance to individuals who have experienced a loss of income due to circumstances beyond their control, to provide funds for emergency housing and prescription medicine expenses.
$15,000 to the Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services, a collaborative of providers that seeks to increase Gwinnett residents’ independence and access to support services, to upgrade the network server for the Gwinnett Helpline referral resource, publish informational materials and to support the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute.
$15,000 to Health Access Initiative, a non-profit agency that provides medical care to uninsured, indigent Hall County adults through a network of 171 volunteer physicians, to help fund a position that processes referrals, conducts screening interviews and enrolls clients, as well as coordinates physician appointments, arranges diagnostic tests and follows up with clients.
$8,400 to Mercy Health Center an Athens non-profit organization that provides volunteer-based medical, dental and pharmaceutical care to the area’s uninsured residents, to develop a Volunteer Command Center and training program that will provide up-to-date, concise training for the center’s more than 350 volunteers.
$6,000 to the Georgia CHIP (Child Identification Program), a free service provided through the Georgia Masonic Charities that provides parents with a comprehensive child identification package, to purchase additional computers that would allow Georgia CHIP to respond to growing demand for the program.
$5,000 to March of Dimes North Georgia Division to purchase and stock a bedside reading cart in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville that will enable parents to read to their premature babies, as well as other children in the family, and promote crucial bonding.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a disabled senior citizen’s vehicle.
$3,200 to replace the HVAC unit of a single mother who returned to school in order to get the education that would help her support her three children.

October 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $72,264 in grants during their October meeting, incluidng $62,000 to organizations and $10,264 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Fragile Kids Foundation to support the "Single Mother and Grandmother" project, which provides rehabilitation equipment, respite services and critical supplies to women, who are the sole caregivers of medically fragile children in nearly half of all cases, in the counties served by Jackson EMC.
$15,000 to Parkwood Farms Therapy Center in Snellville, a nonprofit organization that provides hippo-therapy for special needs children, to allow 320 visits by children who particpate in therapy through horsemanship, farm and yard maintenance and related chores.
$15,000 to the Children's Center for Hope & Healing in Gainesville, formerly the Family Relations Program, to provide 30 children who have been sexually abused with therapy to reduce trauma symptoms such as nightmares, bed wetting, anxiousness, depression, anger, fatigue and self-hatred.
$10,000 to the Hebron Community Health Center in Lawrenceville, a nonprofit organization providing medical and dental care to low-income Gwinnett residents with no health insurance, to help cover the costs of patient tests previously provided at no cost by other medical facilities.
$5,000 to the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Athens, a subsidiary of the Family Promise organization that assists homeless families in need, to provide homeless families served by the network's 14 area congregations with childcare so parents can work or seek work and to cover emergency dental, medical and prescription medicine expenses.
$2,000 to the South Hall Community Food Pantry, a community outreach effort by three Oakwood churches that help Hall County residents who have fallen on hard times, to purchase supplies for the emergency food program that provides at least three days worth of food for individuals and families.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to repair a disabled senior citizen's leaky roof.
$3,375 to repair a senior citizen's leaky roof.
$3,039 to purchase a wheelchair lift for the vehicle of a senior citizen with a disabled daughter.
$350 to install a donated wheelchair lift in the vehicle of a disabled woman.

September 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $92,501 in grants during their September meeting, including $82,275 to organizations and $10,226 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Hope Clinic in Lawrenceville, a primary care internal medicine clinic founded to provide the uninsured working poor with affordable care, to assist in the cost of treating chronically ill patients who cannot work due to their illness and who cannot afford treament for their complex conditions.
$15,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Gainesville's St. Michael Catholic Church, a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides support to those in need regardless of background or faith, to assista individuals and families with rent, medical needs, emergency shelter, transportation, food, clothing and other emergency assistance required.
$15,000 to Signs & Wonders, Inc. in Lawrenceville, a nonprofit organization that offers assistance to the homeless and needy on a non-discriminating basis, to help operate the Quinn House group homes for the homeless which provide shelter to men with alcohol and substance abuse problems and women with children under 10 years of age who need a hand-up while they become employed and financially stable.
$15,000 to Rainbow Village in Norcross, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing for homeless families in domestic or economic crisis, and enables them to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient. Funds will be used to hire a part-time case manager who will work with the growing number of families served by the expanding facility.
$15,000 to YMCA Piedmont in Winder to enable 20 underprivileged children to attend the PrYme Tyme after school program. The program provides activities for children from kindergarten to 8th grade, including homework, sports, games, arts, crafts, songs, skits, daily devotions, and more in a safe environment while their parents are at work.
$7,275 to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens for its Garden Earth Naturalist environmental education program that provides children Pre-K through grade 12 with a living classroom on the environment and science as it relates to their lives, and the Forest Fest and Insectival bi-annual family festivals.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to a disabled man to help purchase a wheelchair accessible van.
$2,695 to make repairs to the manufactured home of a disabled woman.
$3,230 to help bring current the mortgage of the mother of five children who is suffering from a brain tumor.

August 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $58,362 in grants during their August meeting, including $48,750 to organizations and $9,612 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$10,000 to the Lilburn Cooperative Ministry to assist needy families with $250 assistance annually for rent or mortgage payments, helping them avoid foreclosure or eviction. The ministry's 40 partner churches minister to the material and spiritual needs of those in crsis, including providing a food pantry and thrift store, as well as English as a second language classes and a single parent support group.
$10,000 to Lumpkin County Family Connection to fund four Family Advocates who provide services and case management through local schools to families who are living in poverty, at risk of abusing or neglecting their children or experiencing other crisis situations that affect their children. Family Advocates provide food and clothing, help families develop plans to help their children succeed in school and link thse families with other agencies that can provide assistance.
$10,000 to The Tree House, a children's advocacy center providing services in Barrow, Jackson and Banks counties, to help continue and expand the Stop It Now program that creates awareness of healthy sexual development in children and behavioral warning signs of potential perpetrators, and the Someone To Talk To program that uses a puppet show to teach 2nd graders about child abuse in an age appropriate manner and makes children award of personal safety issues and who they should talk with.
$5,200 to the Franklin Adoptive and Foster Parent Association, a non-profit, grassroots group that provides support to adoptive and foster parents and children, to purchase a portable building that will be used as a food bank to ensure these children receive adequate nutrition.
$5,000 to Friends of the Braselton-West Jackson Library to purchase large print books for senior citizens and DVDs for children and adults as part of the group's mission to enrich the lives of area citizens and increase literacy.
$3,000 to the Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia in Athens, to help provide victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse with counseling and trauma-focused therapy that will help them begin their healing process.
$3,000 to the Clarke County Mentor Program to assist with the broad-based, grassroots effort to provide individual support for public school students in 1st through 12th grades, promoting academic and personal success. Founded as a partnership between the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and the Clarke County School District, the program has grown from 30 original mentors to more than 900.
$2,550 to the Gainesville Care Center to purchase printed materials for the "Hang On To Your Hormones" class that is presented to Hall County middle and high school students. The class discusses sexual abstinence and sexually transmitted diseases, and encourages student to make wise choices.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$5,000 to make handicapped-accessible modifications to the bathroom of a man who was paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, and to purchase food and/or gas during his transition from The Shepherd Center to home.
$1,408 to purchase a new central air conditioning unit for a disabled woman.
$3,204 to purchase hand controls for the wheelchair-accessible van of a young woman who is physically disabled due to a childhood injury.

July 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $88,545 in grants during their July meeting, including $84,070 to organizations and $4,475 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Good Samaritan Ministries in Buford to help fund the residential inmate recovery program. The program provides inmates three months of self-study, classes and work therapy, followed by nine months of employment either inside or outside the ministry, to help them become productive members of society by working on drug and alcohol issues, and building discipline and self-esteem.
$15,000 to Teen Pregnancy Prevention in Gainesville to help fund "Smart Girls," a program offered in Hall County middle and high schools that provides girls with the knowledge, skills, self-esteem and self-confidence to make healthy decisons about sexual activity and dating relationships.
$13,830 to Citizens for a Better Auburn, a non-profit, grassroots organization formed to better the lives of present and future residents, to fund adult literacy classes in cooperation with Lanier Technical College that will enable area residents to improve the quality of their lives by earning their GED.
$10,000 to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens for the Mobile Pantry Program. Through monthly mobile pantries, the Food Bank moves large quantities of food to partner agencies in nine local counties, distributing it before its expiration date, eliminating the need for the agencies to store the food and allowing the Food Bank to distribute thousands of pounds of food to those in need at a fraction of the cost.
$8,200 to Gateway House, a Gainesville organization providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy and support services to victims of domestic voilence, to help fund the Domestic Violence Outreach and Education Program for elementary and middle school students.
$7,500 to Junior Achievement of Georgia - Gainesville District to recruit, train and place business and community volunteers in local schools. The Junior Achievement program teaches students the fundamentals of the private enterprise economic system and provides them with the practical and realistic hands-on experience in the economics of life, including finances, career opportunities and good consumer habits.
$5,040 to the Side By Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, a Gwinnett non-profit organization that helps individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury to regain employment and living skills, to provide rehabilitation program fees for seven brain injured adults in the counties served by Jackson EMC.
$5,000 to the Young Women's Christian Organization of Athens to help with expenses for buses leased from the Clarke County School System to provide transportation for its Girls Club, which provides a structured recreational and educational summer program for young girls ages 5-14 from low to moderate income families.
$2,500 to the Parachute Packers Mentor Program, a group of Flowery Branch High School sophomore students who mentor at-risk Davis Middle School eighth graders, for meetings and teambuilding activities. The mentoring program better prepares the middle school students for the transition to high school and gives them the necessary tools for success.
$2,000 to North Gwinnett Cooperative Ministries, a non-profit that provides food, clothing, medication and utility assistance to Buford families in need, to purchase four new upright freezers.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help a disabled man purchase a wheelchair accessible van.
$975 to help a disabled woman have a wheelchair lift installed in her van.

June 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $102,500 in grants during their June meeting, including $99,000 to organizations and $3,500 to an individual.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Come Alive Ministries of Barrow County, a non-profit community outreach funded by donations from businesses, churches and individuals, to expand and update Pregnancy Care Center programs, and provide supplies such as diapers, wipes, cribs and car seats to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
$15,000 to the Summer Scholars Institute, a three-year academic enrichment program designed to help at-risk middle and high school students prepare for college and careers. The summer program, held at Gainesville State College, concentrates on the basic areas of reading, writing and mathematics, along with science for third-year students.
$15,000 to the Madison County Rotary to purchase books and dictionaries for the organization's Literacy Program, a four-phase effort beginning at the pre-Kindergarten level designed to improve the reading efficiency of elementary and intermediate school children in the county.
$15,000 to Meet the Need Ministry, a Gwinnett County non-profit organization that clothes, houses, feeds and transports men who find themselves homeless, hungry, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or just need a helping hand, to help cover rental expenses for five homes that house the men as they work toward recovery and self-sufficiency.
$8,000 to the Barrow County Transition Council, a coalition of educators, businesspeople and parents that assists special education students leaving high school for the workforce, for "Employment Now" grants that would purchase work clothes, such as uniforms, workpants and steel-toed shoes, and tools for students.
$7,500 to the YMCA of Athens to provide 22 underprivileged children access to the After School Program, providing opportunities for them to participate in activities such as football, soccer, basketball, roller hockey, cheerleading, modern dance, swimming, creative writing and art.
$6,000 to the American Red Cross - East Georgia Chapter to provide Family Emergency Disaster Relief to eight families in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties who lose their homes in a fire, including supplying temporary shelter, clothing and food vouchers, toiletries, medications, bedding and baby items.
$5,000 to Center Point Mentor Program in Gainesville to recruit, train and place caring mentors with at-risk young people in Gainesville City and Hall County schools. Mentors provide one-on-one support to offer encouragement, advice and academic help to complete their high school education and go on to succeed in life.
$5,000 to Newtown Community Land Trust, a Gainesville non-profit organization which acquires and develops real estate in the community to make housing available to low-to-moderate income residents who cannot afford it on their own, to help subsidize the construction of two new houses.
$5,000 to the Northeast Atlanta Ballet Ensemble in Lilburn, for its outreach program that provides school groups and home-schooled children with the opportunity, perhaps for the first time, to experience a full-scale classical ballet performance. Funds will be used to help cover the costs of four school-length performances of two ballets at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.
$2,500 to the Spirit of Joy Church in Flowery Branch to purchase food supplies for its food bank, which in 2007 served nearly 1,600 people, many referred by DFACS, Gainesville Ministry Cooperative, churches and other non-profit organizations.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help a senior citizen replace a badly leaking roof.

May 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $90,158 in grants during their May meeting, including $77,000 to organizations and $13,158 to individuals.

Organization Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Next Stop, a Lawrenceville grassroots organization that provides vital social interaction, recreational and life skill learning opportunities to young adults with mild to moderate special needs, to add an employee who would help create new activities for participants and handle some administrative duties.
$15,000 to Spectrum Autism Support Group, a parent-run non-profit group in Grayson that provides support, education and resources for the entire spectrum of autism disorders, to enable 50-55 autistic individuals ages four-22 to attend the organization's weeklong summer camp program that uses daily activities to teach social skills lessons.
$11,000 to the EV Education Program, a statewide grassroots education effort designed to provide high school and middle school students with a hands-on learning experiences with electric vehicles, to purchase a Master Teaching Vehicle kit that can be used at workshops to train teachers and provide three participating schools with matching funds to start an EV Education Program.
$10,500 to the Project Adam Community Assistance Center, a Winder non-profit facility providing education, treatment and prevention services to those affected by drug and alcohol addictions, to provide for the health care needs of indigent inpatient clients and to purchase an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) device.
$7,500 to L.A.M.P. (Latin American Missionary Program) Ministries, in Gainesville, to help provide high risk youths with a positive alternative to gangs and other delinquent behavior through its Community Youth Outreach program, 3-month sessions that combine group counseling and community activities.
$6,500 to the Boys and Girls Club of Hall County to provide software, computers, books and educational supplies for its Reading Program, which provides members in grades 2-5 with hour-long sessions five days per week designed to increase reading levels using Merit Reading Comprehensive Booster software and the Book Adventure online reading comprehensive program.
$5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Barrow County for its "Power Hour" comprehensive homework help and tutoring program, which provides members with support, resources and guidance to complete their homework and start the school day with a sense of self-confidence and ability.
$3,000 to Madison County Mentor Program, a non-profit, community-based volunteer program which helps students improve academic performance, behaviors and attitudes, to recruit and train mentors, and help fund sharing sessions between mentors, parents and teachers.
$2,500 to the Nuci Phillips Memorial Foundation in Athens, a non-profit organization which works to prevent suicide and promote community wellbeing, to enable young people from low income families to participate in Camp Amped, a summer music day camp for Northeast Georgia youth ages 11-18 that focuses on positive mental health and music education.
$1,000 to Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County, a program focusing on child safety education and injury prevention, to help provide helmets to the city and county schools' second grade children, the highest risk age group for these types of head-related injuries, who could not otherwise afford them.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help a senior citizen replace a worn out furnace.
$3,500 to help pay past due medical bills for a woman involved in an automobile accident.
$3,350 to purchase a hearing aid for a senior citizen.
$2,808 to install an automatic door operator for an elderly stroke victim.

April 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $54,850 in grants during their April meeting, including $50,850 to organizations and $4,000 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Madison County Habitat for Humanity to help construct the third house in the organization's planned 15-home Habitat Community, and install an energy-efficient heat pump and ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer.
$10,000 to the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry for its Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides clients with emergency food supplies, buying them time to deal with the difficult and frequently temporary circumstances they are facing and helping them get back on their feet.
$7,500 to Good News Clinics, a non-profit organization that provides free medical and dental care to the underserved and uninsured residents of Gainesville and Hall County, to provide toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to individuals attending a dental education program on proper brushing and flossing techniques for children and their parents.
$7,350 to Sonrise Camp, Inc., a summer camp for special needs children, to provide children from low-income families with access to the camp. Sonrise Camp uses a sensory-rich environment and activities to help children become more aware of their bodies and how the interpret sensory input, improve muscle tone and coordination, increase motor skills and build relationships.
$5,000 to Camp Kudzu, a summer camp for children with diabetes, where they are taught diabetes management skills to reduce their risk of suffering from diabetes-related complications and are exposed to positive role models facing similar medical challenges to improve their attitude about living with the disease, as well as build their social skills and self-esteem.
$3,000 to Harmony House Child Advocacy Center, a non-profit organization serving Madison, Franklin and Oglethorpe counties that coordinates child abuse investigation and intervention services, to help purchase a colposcope for the S.A.N.E. (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) Examination Room where victims are interviewed, examined and evidence collected in a secure facility.
$3,000 to the Enotah CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Program which serves Lumpkin county by training community volunteers who represent the best interests of abused and neglected children, to fund the needs of CASA children not covered by DFCS, such as therapeutic needs, special medical needs and school activities.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help pay past due medical bills for a cancer patient.
$500 to repair the HVAC system for a senior citizen.

March 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $94,500 in grants during their March meeting, including $86,000 to organizations and $8,500 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the UGA Cooperative Extension Service of Banks County to help purchase a mini-bus that would be used to safely transport small groups of Banks County 4-H Club members to events and competitions that help them increase their knowledge, life skills and independence.
$10,000 to NOA's (No One Alone) Ark, a Dahlonega program providing emergency shelter and comprehensive support services to battered women and children, to help fund a Trauma Counseling Service that will reduce the risk of posttraumatic stress, depression and other psychological problems experienced by both adult and child victims of domestic violence.
$10,000 to the Georgia Children's Chorus, an organization that provides and concerts.
$9,000 to Barrow County Family Connection, a grassroots collaborative organization of key stakeholders who work together on issues affecting families and children, to fund the organization's three year evaluation which will be closely tied to its Community Strategic Plan, and to help fund the organization's Youth Connections program.
$6,000 to Music Time Learning Center for "Raising Musical Children" music vocal and choral training to young people who wish to pursue that field, to help up to 16 students from low-income families participate in the training program education classes provided to Gwinnett County schools and daycare centers serving low-income families or children with developmental disabilities, helping improve learning skills, attitudes and readiness to learn.
$6,000 to Young At Heart, a Lumpkin County non-profit organization serving clients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, to help fund the Alzheimer's Respite Program offering a weekly break for caregivers at no charge and refreshments, group activities and social opportunities for patients in a setting supervised by trained volunteers.
$5,000 to the Athens Justice Project, a non-profit organization that works to break the cycle of crime and poverty with a combination of legal representation, social work and employment opportunities, to help fund the Recovery and Reentry Program's job readiness and employment assistance support.
$5,000 to the Madison County Health Department for its Cabbage Patch Program, which provides education, resources and support to pregnant adolescents and women who run a high risk of delivering preterm or low birth weight infants.
$5,000 to the Winder-Barrow Community Theater to help fund its Children's Summer Drama Camp, a half-day, week-long "hands-on" learning experience in theater arts, offering small group training in movement, flexibility, self-expression, team work and coordination to all local children 6-11 and 12-16 years of age at no cost.
$5,000 to the Athens Tutorial Project, a community-based after-school tutorial and cultural enrichment effort serving students in grades K-12 who are experiencing academic and social problems, to help fund the "Project Techno Boost" program that uses computers to reinforce reading, math and writing skills.
$5,000 to the Rainbow Children's Home, a Lumpkin County facility that has transitioned from a children's emergency shelter to a long-term care shelter for abused and neglected teenage girls, for a Youth Mentoring Program that will help the girls deal with trauma related to physical, sexual and emotional abuse, extreme neglect and parental substance abuse that makes it difficult or impossible for them to thrive in traditional family and school settings.
$5,000 to Prevent Child Abuse Athens to help fund the Healthy Families Program, which provides at-risk parents of newborns with intensive home visits that teach parenting skills and link the families with a range of community support services.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$1,600 to purchase a new wheelchair that allows a handicapped man to "stand up" so that he can work.
$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 to repair the roof of a senior citizen's home.

February 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $94,024 in grants during their February meeting, including $87,024 to organizations and $7,000 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$13, 024 to Barnabas Ministries, a Gwinnett County faith-based organization which works to reduce recidivism and help prisoners successfully return to their families and society by providing temporary support, counseling, life skills training and temporary housing to men while in prison and upon their release, to cover one year's rent for office facilities and a transitional house, and purchase supplies.
$10,000 to Hope House of Dahlonega to provide residential substance abuse treatment free of charge, or for a reduced fee, to 7-30 clients who lack the necessary financial resources to attend on their own.
$10,000 to the Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center to help fund the TACT (Thorough Assault Case Tracking) information and data management system, which stores information about individual sexual assaults and produces discharge instructions tailored to each victim's individual needs.
$10,000 to the Healing Place of Athens to help provide homeless men with shelter, food, clothing and personal items, along with transportation to medical and mental health appointments and job searches, in order to support and encourage them in their pursuit of an independent and productive life of sobriety.
$10,000 to Norcross Cooperative Ministry's Emergency Assistance Program, which provides emergency funds for rent, mortgage and temporary lodging each month to more than 900 families that are experiencing temporary or long-term hardship, many of whom are referred by local churches, schools and agencies.
$9,000 to the Piedmont Rape Crisis Center in Winder to purchase a new colposcope, a lighted magnifying instrument used to examine rape victims and gather evidence that can later be used in court to show physical injuries and provide the substantial evidence needed to find and arrest sexual offenders.
$7,500 to For Her Glory, a Gainesville agency that purchases items for breast cancer patients that are not covered by insurance, such as wigs, bras, compression sleeves and gloves.
$7,500 to Creative Enterprises, a Lawrenceville agency serving the disabled, to help purchase a mini-van that would be used to transport smaller groups of clients on outings and to activities in the community such as classes and work.
$5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Athens to help fund the Career Prep Program, which educates young teens about career opportunities and builds skills in older teens that they will need to find, obtain, keep and excel in a job.
$5,000 to AIDS Athens to purchase books and supplies for an AIDS Education Library that will provide people with the disease, caregivers and health professionals with up-to-date resources on the disease, medical tests and treatments, nutrition, prevention, and mental and spiritual health.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help put a new roof on the home of a senior citizen suffering from Lymphoma.
$3,500 to help a cancer patient purchase a vehicle that will enable her to get to work and doctor's appointments.

January 2008

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $104,722 in grants during their January meeting, including $94,580 to organizations and $10,142 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Good Samaritan Health Center's Giving Well program, which provides a "medical home" for the working poor who do not qualify for government assistance and are unable to afford health insurance, to help provide a full-time physician's assistant.
$10,000 to The Salvation Army of Athens to assist with family emergency assistance for rent, clothing vouchers and medical prescriptions, as well as breakfast, sack lunch and supper for transitional housing program participants and those served by the soup kitchen for breakfast and supper.
$15,000 to Peace Place, a domestic violence shelter in Winder, to make repairs and renovations to two houses donated to the agency that will be used as transitional housing for families leaving the shelter.
$10,000 to The Salvation Army of Gainesville to assist with family emergency assistance for rent, clothing vouchers and medical prescriptions, as well as breakfast, sack lunch and supper for transitional housing program participants and those served by the soup kitchen for breakfast and supper.
$12,380 to the YMCA of Metro Atlanta in Lawrenceville for its Partner With Youth program, which provides financial support for after school care, summer day camp, swim lessons or teen/senior programs to individual low income or refugee families, or families that are experiencing hardship due to loss of work or serious medical issues.
$10,000 to Gainesville Action Ministries, a network of 20 Hall County churches that work to prevent homelessness by providing emergency financial, food and clothing assistance, and children's services, to enable the ministry to increase rent assistance to a month's rent for up to three months.
$10,000 to The Salvation Army of Lawrenceville for the Family Emergency Services program, which provides families with financial assistance to pay rent, purchase clothing or buy prescription medicine.
$7,200 to United Way of Northeast Georgia to help print "Critical Years, Critical Needs" booklets, a resource guide in English and Spanish on early childhood developmental needs and good child care practices and distribute to new parents through a partnership with St. Mary's and Athens Regional hospitals.
$5,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta's Lawrenceville and Norcross clubs for supplies and incentives used in "Power Hour," a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program attended by all club members.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for the mother of a child disabled by cerebral palsy.
$3,331 to help the father of a child suffering from Budd-Chiari Syndrome with past due bills incurred while caring for the child.
$3,156 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a man disabled by a spinal cord injury.
$154 to assist an elderly woman with dental work.

December 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $89,314 in grants during their December meeting, including $83,345 to organizations and $5,969 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County to purchase an outdoor fitness center for students ages 5-8 that will encourage daily exercise, maintenance of a healthy weight and focus in the classroom.
$15,000 to Family Promise of Gwinnett County to help purchase a 15-passenger van that will transport homeless families from their host congregations to the day center for daily activities such as child care and seeking employment or housing.
$15,000 to Christian Outreach Ministry in Commerce to help remodel a home that will serve as a Kid's Resource Center, providing a safe and healthy temporary home for young people who are in state custody or have run away from home.
$14,075 to I AM in Buford to purchase supplies for the I am B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. leadership development program for girls age 10-19, aimed at reducing the instance of high-risk behaviors and focusing on life skills that promote success.
$10,000 to Georgia Options in Bogart to help purchase a van that will provide flexible wheelchair-accessible transportation for 13 people with significant disabilities, allowing them to work, attend school and be involved in community functions.
$4,850 to Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America to purchase 200 Eagle Scout Recognition Kits, presented to those who achieve the Boy Scout's highest honor, that include the Eagle Scout badge, medal, father's pin, mother's pin and certificate.
$3,500 to Home Development Resources, a Hall County organization that provides housing rehabilitation and down payment assistance, to help make repairs to the unsanitary, unsafe and deteriorating home of a disabled Vietnam veteran.
$3,420 to Bigger Vision of Athens to pay the February and March rent of an emergency shelter for area homeless individuals, where they can find a safe and warm place to sleep as well as assistance with employment opportunities, financial literacy and mental health and substance abuse counseling.
$2,500 to Reins of Life in Eastanolee to provide assistance with the STRIDES program, which uses trained therapy horses in a therpeutic approach to help regional at-risk young people and families with emotional and behavioral issues.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to assist in the purchase of a reliable vehicle for a disabled woman who cares for her disabled grandson.
$1,594 to make repairs to a van for a family with disabled children.
$875 to build a wheelchair ramp for an elderly disabled woman.

November 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $78,243 in grants during their November meeting, including $68,500 to organizations and $9,743 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Hall County to purchase framing packages for two houses that will be built by the High School Build Program, a joint venture between the Hall County School System, the Habitat affiliate and the Hall County Homebuilders Association, which gives high school students seeking a construction industry career the opportunity to learn all aspects of home building.
$15,000 to Tiny Stitches, Inc., which uses a network of more than 200 volunteers to make hand-made tote bags filled with a 35-item layette that are donated through social workers and nurses at hospitals, health departments and other facilities in a nine county area to mothers who have little or nothing for their newborns.
$15,000 to Prevent Child Abuse -- Gainesville, an organization that educates the community on recognizing and preventing child abuse and neglect, for materials, facilitators and childcare workers that will help the agency provide free 8-9 week parenting classes in both English and Spanish.
$13,500 to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 92 to help purchase a van through the DAV Transportation Network to transport veterans who have no way to get to medical facilities for treatment to and from the Athens VA Clinic, which will serve an estimated 4,000 veterans in the surrounding seven county area by the end of this year.
$10,000 to the Madison County Pregnancy Center, a volunteer, Christian ministry that provides testing, counseling and parenting classes for expectant teens and their families, to purchase supplies such as diapers, baby wipes, car seats and strollers which are distributed to teen mothers.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,400 to install a new septic tank system for a man disabled following a series of strokes.
$3,350 to purchase a hearing aid for a woman suffering from Treacher Collins Syndrome.
$2,993 to provide assistance with medical bills for a woman disabled following a brain tumor operation.

October 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $109,967 in grants during their October meeting, including $96,345 to organizations and $13, 621 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Community Helping Place, a charitable humanitarian services organization in Lumpkin County, for the baby pantry, emergency assistance for families, installation of a small phone system, client management and follow-up software, and a payroll increase to provide additional part-time employee hours so more clients can be served.
$15,000 to the Jackson County Family Connection to fund the coordinator's position for the Lindsey's Legacy mentoring program, which recruits and trains adult mentors to work with students kindergarten through 12th grade in all three county school systems, helping to ensure those young people become healthy, educated, employable and connected through participation in family and community life.
$15,000 to the Piedmont Regional Library System for the Winder Library Children's Services program, which offers a weekly story time program, bi-weekly Head Start program presentations, and an annual Vacation Reading program with weekly events and performers; to purchase 1,000 Easy Reader collection books for those beginning to ready or not yet reading and 30-40 books on DC that will update the library's current worn and outdated collection.
$13,800 to Project Safe in Athens, an agency that serves families experiencing domestic violence in Clarke, Madison, Oglethorpe and Oconee counties, to help upgrade and maintain their 16-bed emergency shelter by replacing 21 windows that are rotting and covering labor costs for window and gutter installation.
$12,000 to the Diamond in the Rough Youth Development Program, a Snellville faith-based youth program for girls 10-18, for the Clusters long-term mentoring and leadership development program which uses small group meetings one day per week for 1-2 hours during the school year to build self-image, character, leadership, health and wellness, financial stewardship, healthy relationships and spiritual enrichment.
$10,000 to the Hebron Community Health Center, a Lawrenceville free clinic staffed by volunteer medical personnel which offers medical and dental services to low income, uninsured residents; to provide central information on each patient by unifying medical and dental files, replace broken and antiquated instruments and equipment, and provide prescription medicine.
$8,145 to the Piedmont CASA Program to recruit and train community volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Juvenile Court proceedings in Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties.
$7,400 to the Hall-Dawson CASA Program, which trains and supervises community volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in Juvenile Court proceedings in Hall and Dawson counties, to provide crisis intervention funds, furnish a visitation room for the children served, purchase a DVD laptop for use in training and parent education, and purchase 40 volunteer training manuals.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a young man disabled following a brain tumor operation.
$3,418 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a disabled woman.
$3,402 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a man disabled by post-polio syndrome.
$1,700 to repair the heating and air conditioning system of a senior citizen who cares for her disabled daughter.
$1,600 to purchase a special lift chair that will enable a disabled woman to more easily get into and out of her wheelchair.

Back t

September 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded at total of $70,388 in grants during their September meeting, including $62,475 to organizations and $7,913 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Foster Children's Foundation in Duluth for the SPEAR Program, which will enhance an existing mentoring program for teens in foster care by furnishing a Resource Center with training tables, chairs, shelves, partitions and educational resource materials to teach life skills to help them reach their potential.
$15,000 to the Jackson County Certified Literate Community Program to provide a teacher, materials and supplies to teach GED classes in partnership with the Jackson County Adult Learning Center.
$15,000 to the YMCA of Winder-Barrow for 20 underprivileged children to attend the PrYme Tyme after school program. The program provides activities for children from kindergarten to 8th grade, including homework, sports, games, arts, crafts, songs, skits, daily devotions, and more, in a safe environment while their parents are at work.
$7,475 to fund the Jackson County Choices Program, an interactive decision-making workshop, taught by area business volunteers, that empowers 7th grade students to achieve academic success and pursue their career and life goals by making them aware of the lifelong impact that the choices they make today can have on their lives.
$5,000 to the Gwinnett Community Clinic to help purchase a new EKG machine for the non-profit, volunteer center that provides basic health care to uninsured, unemployed and low income residents of the county.
$5,000 to the Gainesville Care Center to help provide free testing for sexually transmitted diseases for low income residents in the area, helping to stop the spread of those diseases, preventing STD-caused infertility and encouraging clients who test positive to make lifestyle changes.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to assist a single mother with car repairs to get to work.
$2,613 to assist a cancer patient to help with medical and prescription drug expenses.
$1,800 to help pay medical and prescription drug bills for a disabled couple.

August 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $85,934 in grants during their August meeting, including $64,320 to organizations and $21,614 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Empowered Youth Program in Athens to support the Saturday Academy’s Reading Comprehension Rotation program that, by encouraging participants to read more, increases vocabulary, reading comprehension and overall love of reading. EYP’s goals are to increase enrollment in college prep courses, increase school attendance, reduce discipline referrals, and improve exam and academic performance.
$15,000 to the Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services to upgrade the Gwinnett Helpline, which provides a one-stop referral source for callers in crisis or in need of assistance; and to provide tuition assistance for the Leadership Institute, a program that trains and educates community leaders on issues facing Gwinnett County so that they can promote positive change in their neighborhoods and communities.
$14,820 to The Disability Resource Center to purchase equipment and software that will allow the agency to provide individualized instruction in basic computer and assistive technology skills to people with disabilities. Training will increase client’s access to information, technology skills and employability, while improving their self-confidence in their ability to master those skills.
$7,500 to Gwinnett Council for the Arts' smART Honors Program, an ongoing program that enables at-risk students who excel in art but are otherwise underserved to attend advanced art instruction at the Hudgens Arts Center each Saturday morning throughout the school year. Funds will be used to purchase art supplies for the smART scholarship recipients.
$12,000 to The Ark of Jackson County to increase emergency rent and prescription medicine assistance provided to families who have experienced a loss of income, sickness or death.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 to install a heating and air conditioning system for a disabled man.
$2,664 to purchase a smaller wheelchair and vehicle hand controls for a disabled man.
$3,335 to replace the heating and air conditioning unit for a senior citizen and her disabled granddaughter.
$3,500 to help with past due mortgage for a mother of four going through a divorce.
$3,500 to help pay for a handicapped accessible van for a man with multiple sclerosis.
$995 to purchase dentures for a disabled woman.
$620 to purchase dentures for a senior citizen.

July 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $100,549 in grants during their July meeting, including $83,084 to organizations and $17,465 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Winder-Barrow Coalition for Adults & Continuing Education to replace 18 computers purchased in 1999 for the adult literacy program’s learning lab. The computers are used for reading, language, math and job search instruction. Since its founding in 1993, the Coalition has helped more than 7,340 individuals improve their literacy skills, learn to read, write and speak English, or earn a GED diploma.
$15,000 to the Clarke County Mentor Program to assist with the broad-based, grass-roots effort to provide individual support for public school students in first through 12th grade, promoting academic and personal success. Founded as a partnership between the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and the Clarke County School District, the program has grown from 30 original mentors to more than 850.
$15,000 to the Lumpkin County Family Connection to fund four Family Advocates who are housed in local schools and provide services and case management to families who are living in poverty, at risk of abusing or neglecting their children, or experiencing other crisis situations that affect their children. Family Advocates provide food and clothing, help families develop plans to help their children succeed in school and link these families with other agencies who can provide assistance.
$14,880 to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia to provide 250 underprivileged girls in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties with Girl Scout membership assistance. Part of the Strong Troops Obtaining Maximum Potential (STOMP) program, this outreach effort offers Scouting to girls in public housing, low income and other hard-to-serve areas, giving girls an opportunity to develop their potential and become a vital part of their communities.
$13,600 to Good Samaritan Ministries in Buford to help fund the Good Samaritan Inn, a one-year residential prison inmate recovery program that provides three months of classes and work therapy and nine months of employment either inside or outside the ministry. The program is designed to help inmates become productive members of society by working on drug and alcohol issues, and building discipline and self esteem.
$7,800 to the Gainesville Area Citizen Advocacy, community-based organization that organizes voluntary citizen advocacy relationships for the developmentally disabled, to assist with program costs, including replacing outdated computers and office equipment, and refurbishing the organization’s office. The organization recruits, matches and supports over 35 local disabled citizens and their volunteer advocates to bring persons with developmental disabilities into greater contact with the community.
$1,804 to the West Jackson Lions Club to expand The Dictionary Project, which has purchased student dictionaries for third grade students at West Jackson Intermediate School, to third grade students in all Jackson County public and private schools. The program is designed to increase children’s reading ability and comprehension.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to install a walk-in shower for a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 to replace the heating and air conditioning unit of a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 to help purchase a handicapped accessible van for a disabled man.
$3,500 to purchase a wheelchair lift for a disabled man.
$3,100 to replace the heating and air conditioning unit for a disabled senior citizen.
$365 to replace upper dentures for a disabled woman.

June 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $103,796 in grants during their June meeting, including $87,500 to organizations and $16,296 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Gwinnett Housing Resource Partnership in Duluth for the Home Investment Academy, which provides money management classes for underprivileged Gwinnett County residents to help prepare them for housing issues and homeownership.
$15,000 to Extra Special People in Watkinsville to provide an opportunity for 35 special needs or seriously ill children from low income or financially distressed families to attend a weeklong camp where they can explore nature, discover their own abilities, master new skills and make new friends.
$15,000 to Hope Clinic in Lawrenceville, an agency that provides primary and internal medicine care to the uninsured, to help fund a bi-lingual full-time physician’s assistant position that will enable the clinic to meet growing patient demand and non-emergency referrals from local hospitals.
$15,000 to Teen Pregnancy Prevention in Gainesville to help fund “Smart Girls,” a program offered in Hall County middle and high schools that provides girls with the knowledge, skills, self-esteem and self-confidence to make healthy decisions about sexual activity and dating relationships.
$15,000 to Camp Koinonia in Cornelia to provide about 40 Banks County underprivileged children, referred by Family Connection, with a five-day camping experience that provides positive learning experiences to establish strong character, leadership and teambuilding skills and personal relationships.
$7,500 to the YMCA of Athens to provide 22 underprivileged children access to the After School Program, providing opportunities for the children to participate in activities such as football, soccer, basketball, roller hockey, cheerleading, modern dance, swimming, creative writing and art.
$5,000 to Family Connection Partnership to help volunteers who work with Family Connection collaborative in the counties served by Jackson EMC participate in the 2007 Family Connection Conference where they can gather information , including the latest research and best practices, that they use to help strengthen their communities.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to make repairs to a truck equipped with a wheelchair lift for a child with Cerebral Palsy.
$3,500 to install a wheelchair lift on the vehicle of a disabled senior citizen.
$3,468 to repair the storm damage to the roof of a senior citizen.
$2,308 to help pay medical and pharmacy bills for a woman whose illness caused financial hardship.
$2,820 to repair the roof of an older manufactured home for a senior citizen.
$700 to make repairs to a septic system for a senior citizen.

May 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $79,288 in grants during their May meeting, including $60,395 to organizations and $18,893 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$12,000 to The Ark: United Ministry Outreach Center in Athens to provide emergency rent or mortgage assistance to lower income residents who have suffered a loss of income, and to help senior citizens who cannot afford medical costs or have assumed parenting responsibilities for their grandchildren.
$15,000 to the Barrow County Boys and Girls Club to provide the Homework Power Hour, a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program that provides club members with support, resources and guidance to complete their homework and start the school day with a sense of confidence and ability.
$5,495 to Jackson County 4-H to help 70 young people and their adult volunteers participate in the County and District Project Achievement, a learning and leadership event requiring students to prepare a speech and visual aids on a topic of their choice that they present in competitions with students from other counties.
$6,000 to Rising Son Ministries in Gainesville to help fund Operation Global Impact, a program that reaches out to fatherless sons, providing resources and training for mentors and opportunities for fatherless young men and their mentors to engage in activities that will help those young men develop life skills, character and work ethics.
$6,900 to Casa de Amistad in Athens to expand its Youth and Family Education Project computer lab by upgrading hardware and software to provide directed computer instruction for Latino children that will help with homework and provide tutoring, as well provide instruction for adults that would increase job readiness, including GED and English classes.
$15,000 to Mercy Health Center in Athens to help renovate and prepare a new, larger facility that will allow it to expand the non-profit, volunteer-based medical, dental and pharmaceutical care it offers to the area’s uninsured residents, and accept additional volunteers.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to install a wheelchair lift for a disabled senior citizen who lives alone.
$3,400 to install a heating and air conditioning unit in the home of a single mother whose husband passed away last year.
$2,200 to replace a well pump that was hit by lightning for a disabled woman who lives alone.
$2,800 to replace the roof of an older manufactured home for a disabled senior citizen.
$3,493 to purchase specialized computer equipment for a legally blind man so that he can work from home.
$3,500 to install a wheelchair lift on the vehicle of a disabled senior citizen.

April 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $73,235 in grants during their April meeting, including $70,000 to organizations and $3,235 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Annandale Village in Suwannee to help create a self-sustaining micro-enterprise program that will allow developmentally disabled adults to create, market and sell art items, providing them with a sense of accomplishment, pride and improved self-image. Funds from the sales will be returned to participating individuals as income and be used by them to purchase additional art supplies.
$15,000 to Gwinnett SeniorNet Learning Center to help purchase computers for a Satellite Learning Center at the George Pierce Park in Suwanee and replace five-year-old computers at the SeniorNet Learning Center at Bethesda Park. SeniorNet is an international, volunteer-based organization that provides computer and computer program education for adults 50 years and older, enabling them to access Internet information and maintain social contact.
$15,000 to Our Neighbor, Inc. in Gainesville to help purchase a handicapped accessible van that will allow the four physically disabled residents of a group home to remain independent and active in the community. Currently the residents are dependent on public transportation and are home-bound when it is not in service.
$10,000 to the Athens Community Council on Aging for its Project Northeast Georgia Healthy Grandparents, a program that provides social, legal and health support to grandparents who are primary caregivers for their grandchildren. Grandparents and their grandchildren can participate in support groups, receive health evaluations and follow-ups, and obtain legal help with custody issues.
$10,000 to the Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic to produce five textbooks through “Adopt-A-Text,” a program providing educational materials in an audio format that allows students with disabilities to bookmark where they stop and use the recording as study material. The books would be made available to schools in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall and Clarke counties.
$5,000 to the East Hall Branch Special Needs Library to help replace worn and purchase new equipment for special needs children and adults. The equipment for the East Hall Branch includes such items as a scanner/reader, closed circuit televisions, lighted magnifiers, hand-held lighted magnifiers, a personal amplification system for the reading room and a laptop with voice recognition and signing program.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$1,400 to install a new well for a disabled couple with no access to county or city water.
$1,835 to install a walk-in shower in the home of a senior citizen who lives alone and cannot use the tub by himself.

March 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $36,995 in grants during their March meeting, including $26,000 to organizations and $10,995 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$5,000 to the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy in Gainesville to help provide training and program expenses for the Plain Talk Program, a neighborhood- based initiative that helps adults, parents and community leaders develop the skills needed to effectively communicate the importance of abstinence to young people.
$15,000 to Mended Hearts, Inc. in Commerce, a support group for individuals with heart disease, to assist with the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for public buildings in Banks County.
$1,000 to the Spirit of Joy Food Bank in Flowery Branch to purchase food that the organization distributes to people who are in need due to such transitional events as illness, loss of job, etc.
$5,000 to the Gainesville/Hall County Alliance for Literacy to help teach basic literacy skills to adults 16 years and older who have not graduated from high school, and provide instruction that prepares students to successfully pass the GED test.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,100 to a disabled, home-bound man for the installation of a heating and air conditioning system.
$3,500 to a senior citizen who lives alone on a fixed income to replace a water heater, furnace and air conditioning coils.
$3,500 to a severely disabled woman to purchase a mini-van that will be used for transportation to medical appointments.
$895 to a disabled senior citizen to assist with the purchase of dentures.

February 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $72,800 in grants during their February meeting, including $59,500 to organizations and $13,300 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$7,000 to the Barrow County Special Olympics to purchase equipment for about 200 special needs athletes and athletes-in-training from 17 county schools so they can compete in basketball, bocce, bowling, soccer, softball, alpine skiing, swimming, and track and field events.
$7,500 to the Center Point Mentor Program in Gainesville to recruit, train and place caring mentors with at-risk young people in Gainesville City and Hall County schools. Mentors provide one-on-one support to provide encouragement, advice and academic help to complete their high school education and go on to succeed in life.
$10,000 to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens to continue supplying food to those in need through its mobile pantry program. The mobile pantry enables the Food Bank to move large quantities of food, as well as distribute food before its expiration date, and eliminates the need for storage space.
$15,000 to assist a Summer Scholars Institute that provides intensive academic enrichment to at-risk middle and high school students. The summer program, held at Gainesville College, provides skills that will help students be successful and concentrates on the basic areas of reading, writing and mathematics, along with science for third-year students.
$5,000 to The Guest House in Gainesville to help provide a hot, balanced and nutritious lunch and snack to frail, elderly clients who receive day health services at the agency. Guest House allows seniors with functional impairments to maintain some independence, promotes social contact and provides caregivers with a respite.
$7,500 to provide Junior Achievement curriculum materials to 220 students in Hall County Title I schools. The program teaches students the fundamentals of the private enterprise economic system and provides them with practical and realistic hands-on experience in the economics of life, including finances, career opportunities and good consumer habits.
$7,500 to Lilburn Cooperative Ministry to assist needy families with a maximum $250 assistance annually for rent or mortgage payments, helping them prevent foreclosure or eviction. The ministry’s 40 partner churches minister to the material and spiritual needs of those in crisis, including providing a food pantry and thrift store, as well as assistance with school supplies and Christmas gifts.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 for the installation of a heating and air conditioning system in the home of a single mother and her child.
$2,800 for the installation of a heating and air conditioning system in the home of a visually impaired man and his disabled wife.
$3,500 for the installation of a wheelchair lift on the truck of a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 to help purchase a mini-van that will be used to transport a family's special needs children to medical appointments.

January 2007

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $100,790 in grants during their January meeting, including $87,500 to organizations and $13,290 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$10,000 to Colbert Lions Club to help renovate the old Colbert School, creating a community center that could be used by all local organizations and residents. The area has no community meeting space outside of local churches, and the school building has been vacant for 20 years.
$10,000 to help fund counseling and psychological outreach services for the Good News Clinic, Gainesville, using Brenau University student counselors. The program, an extension of a service currently offered on the Brenau campus would provide individual, couples and family counseling to low-income residents who are already seeking medical, dental and pharmaceutical services at the clinic.
$15,000 to Dream House for Medically Fragile Children in Lawrenceville to help fund Family for Keeps, a program begun in 2005 that provides support, education and skills for those who provide care to children relying on life support, medication, therapies or equipment to live. Skills training are available to foster parents, family members, teachers, Sunday school teachers and others who care for special needs children.
$15,000 to the Gwinnett County Association for Retarded Citizens in Lawrenceville to help construct a new, completely accessible group home that will provide four developmentally disabled adults the opportunity to live an independent life. This will be the Association’s fourth group home built in Gwinnett County.
$15,000 to Jackson Creative Community Resource Center in Commerce to help purchase a mini-van that will be used to transport clients to various community activities and jobs. The mini-van will replace an aging vehicle and allow the center to continue integrating developmentally disabled adults into the community and providing them with life-skill training.
$15,000 to NOA’s Ark (No One Alone) in Dahlonega to help provide counseling services to victims of domestic violence. The agency provides a safe shelter for women and their children, along with advocacy and support services in a caring, nurturing environment to assure the victim’s safety, enhance children’s self-esteem and promote the positive parent-child relationship that helps keep families together.
$7,500 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Matthew’s Church in Winder to help provide needy individuals and families with food, prescription medication and rent assistance. The volunteer organization is funded through parishioners’ monthly donations, and serves a growing client base in Barrow and Jackson counties, along with a portion of Gwinnett County.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,234 to provide needed oral surgery and dentures for an elderly man who lives alone on a fixed income.
$2,500 to help purchase adaptive computer and software technology for a visually impaired student so that she can continue her education and remain independent.
$3,300 for the installation of a heating and air conditioning unit in the home of a single mother.
$756 to repay a promissory note for a disabled woman.
$3,500 to make repairs to the leaking roof of an older manufactured home for a disabled woman.

December 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $97,750 in grants during their December meeting, including $87,500 to organizations and $10,250 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Covenant Community After-School Program, started by Covenant Presbyterian Church in Athens, which opened its doors to provide students from a neighboring middle school and high school with a safe, supervised place to gather. Grant funds will be used to update the facility’s furnishings and equipment.
$15,000 to Health Access Initiative, a Hall County agency providing medical care, donated by area physicians, to uninsured indigent adults. Grant funds will be used to help fund a position that processes referrals, conducts screening interviews and enrolls clients, as well as coordinates appointments with HAI’s network of 126 physicians, arranges diagnostic tests and follows up with clients.
$15,000 to L.A.M.P. (Latin American Missionary Program) Ministries, in Gainesville, to help provide high risk youths with a positive alternative to gangs and other delinquent behavior through its Community Youth Outreach program, 3-month sessions that combine group counseling and community activities.
$15,000 to the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry, to purchase day-to-day food resources for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which offers underprivileged clients in the Lawrenceville and Dacula areas a safety net that gives them time to deal with difficult and often temporary circumstances they are facing.
$15,000 to Safe Kids Gainesville-Hall County, a program focusing on child safety education and the distribution of safety devices, such as life jackets and smoke detectors, to families that could not otherwise afford them. Grant funds will be used to help purchase a cargo van that will help transport materials and safety devices to various sites throughout the community.
$7,500 to the Jackson County Health Department, to assist with the Cabbage Patch Program, which provides education, resources and support to pregnant adolescents and women who run a high risk of delivering preterm or low birth weight infants.
$5,000 to the Madison County Health Department, to assist with the Cabbage Patch Program, which provides education, resources and support to pregnant adolescents and women who run a high risk of delivering preterm or low birth weight infants.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,250 for the installation of a wheelchair lift on the vehicle of a disabled individual.
$3,500 for assistance with a down-payment on a vehicle to help a single mother get to and from work.
$3,500 for the installation of a wheelchair lift on the vehicle of a disabled senior citizen.

November 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $43,779 in grants during their November meeting, including $38,100 to organizations and $5,679 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$10,000 to Life Change Counseling Center, Danielsville, to help with rent assistance for office space that had previously been provided for a token amount. The center provides counseling on a donation basis to low-income residents who cannot afford professional counseling.
$15,000 to Rising Families' Food for Life, a Jackson County food bank, to purchase food and supply means for food distribution. Last year, the food bank served an average of 250 families a month and provided more than 250,000 pounds of food through it's monthly food distributions, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
$9,600 to the Elachee Nature Center, in Gainesville, to provide environmental science/nature educational experiences that cannot be duplicated in the classroom for 1,600 students in Title I schools in Banks, Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson and Lumpkin counties.
$3,500 to the Sanford Men's Club, Nicholson, to assist with the renovation of the Sanford Community Center BBQ pit that the club uses to raise funds that go back into the community for individuals suffering a personal disaster, to assist local community organizations and to purchase complete outfits of winter clothing for 38-38 needy children each year.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$350 for the installation of a donated wheelchair lift on the vehicle of a disabled citizen.
$2,364.30 for medical and prescription medicine bills for a disabled senior citizen.
$2,965 to replace the windows in the home of a single mother whose home is being renovated by Habitat for Humanity.

October 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $65,210 in grants during their September meeting, including $57,343 to organizations and $7,867 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to Hope Haven, an Athens agency providing a variety of programs to support developmentally disabled individuals, to help purchase a smaller lift-equipped van that will eliminate the transportation barrier that keeps clients from small group learning experiences.
$6,343 to the Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition to provide computer upgrades and support that will enable the Family Literacy Project to offer a computerized reading curriculum called "Reading Horizons" for adults.
$6,000 to the Music Time Learning Center to help provide "Raising Musical Children" music education classes to underprivileged or special needs children at Gwinnett County schools and daycare centers.
$15,000 to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett to help provide free women's health care to women who have unplanned pregnancies to promote healthy pregnancy and alert clients to complications, such as multiple births.
$15,000 to Tree House, Inc., an agency focused on reducing the occurrence and impact of child abuse in Barrow, Banks and Jackson counties, to upgrade its information technology system and better support its clients' research, education and therapy needs.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$867 for HVAC system repairs and prescription medication to a disabled senior citizen.
$3,500 for electric heat system repairs to a disabled widow who suffers from emphysema and has been trying to heat her home with a fireplace.
$3,500 to replace the heat pump and ductwork in the home of a woman who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and cancer.

September 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $47,050 in grants during their September meeting, including $43,550 to organizations and $3,500 to an individual.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$6,300 to Barnabas Ministries, a Gwinnett County faith-based organization providing encouragement and support to men while in prison and upon their release, to cover one year's rent for office facilities and a transitional house. To help reduce recidivism and help prisoners successfully return to their families and society, Barnabas Ministries provides temporary support, counseling, life skills training and temporary housing.
$5,000 to the Cobb Health Care Center, a Madison County long-term and home care provider, to purchase pedal wheelchairs and tilt recliners not covered by Medicaid that will help wheelchair-bound patients regain some independent mobility. Pedal wheelchairs allow patients without hand and arm function to move about. Tilt recliners allow patients confined to beds to move from bed to chair.
$15,000 to the Gwinnett Children's Shelter to assist with Project PACTS (Parents And Children Together Succeed), a program the helps parents develop and improve their parenting skills, helps teenagers better understand parenting issues and family dynamics, and helps decrease the cycle of family violence.
$2,250 to the Jefferson Lions Club to match funds raised by the club for its vision program, which provides eye exams and new eyeglasses for people in need, referred by Jackson County's Department of Children and Family Services. While the club budgeted $1,500 in 2005 for the program, it provided $2,700 in exams and glasses.
$15,000 to Rainbow Village, a Gwinnett County organization that provides transitional housing for the homeless that helps them become self-sufficient, to provide case management services, along with supplies for and repairs to the housing. The case manager works with each family to set and achieve realistic goals that will allow them to break the cycle of homelessness.

Individual Grant Recipient:

$3,500 to an elderly woman who needed assistance to replace the HVAC system in her 35-year-old home.

August 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $71,202.35 in grants during their July meeting, including $63,100 to organizations and $8,102 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Barrow County Habitat for Humanity to fund the septic system, plumbing, electric and HVAC system for a home currently being built for a single mother with two autistic children. The Barrow County chapter has a goal of providing decent housing for 25 families in 2006 by building Habitat houses as well as providing repairs for substandard housing.
$13,100 to Eagle Ranch, a home for boys and girls in crisis located in Hall County, to fund the expansion of the facility's equine therapy program to include a total of 30 students. Used in concert with counseling sessions, interaction with horses helps develop skills in the areas of self-control, limit-setting, organization, leadership, cooperation and nurturing, as well as address numerous emotional and psychological issues such as fear, control, anger, bonding, confidence, trust and self-awareness.
$15,000 to Family Relations Program's Victim Services/Women's Services in Gainesville to help expand the availability of a bilingual therapist to work with Hispanic clients in stopping the cycle of sexual abuse and preventing victimization of children.
$5,000 to For Her Glory, a Gainesville agency that purchases items for cancer patients, such as wigs, compression sleeves and gloves, bras and other items that are not covered by insurance.
$15,000 to the Jackson County Family Connection Council to fund a coordinator position for the Lindsey's Legacy youth mentoring program, a school-based program that recruits and trains adult mentors to work with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to help build skills, knowledge, personal attributes and positive attitudes to ensure those young people become healthy, educated, employable and connected through participation in family and community life.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to a 16-year-old paralyzed in a hunting accident for a wheelchair lift to improve his mobility and quality of life.
$1,102 to a single mother whose family situation threatened her with the loss of housing and transportation.
$3,500 to a 16-year-old cerebral palsy patient for a refurbished Vangater lift to replace a worn-out lift, continuing to provide him and his family with mobility.

July 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $77,153.60in grants during their July meeting, including $73,653.60 to organizations and $3,500.00 to an individual.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$7,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, to the Lawrenceville and Norcross clubs for supplies and incentives used in "Power Hour," a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program attended by all club members.
$6,500 to Creative Enterprises of Lawrenceville, to purchase equipment for a computer skills lab program that will help individuals with disabilities to learn keyboarding, Microsoft Word, data entry, email and the Internet, to make them more competitive in today's job market.
$7,500 to the Hall County YMCA to provide scholarships for 10 underprivileged students for the 2006-2007 after-school program. The after-school program provides children from kindergarten to 8th grade with activities including homework assistance, arts and humanities, science and technology, character development, literacy, service-learning, enrichment classes, health, wellness and fitness.
$5,500 to the Athens-Oconee Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) to help recruit and train volunteer advocates who work to protect the interests of abused and neglected children, and to find them a safe and permanent home.
$6,000 to the Enotah Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA), serving Lumpkin County, to provide furnishing for the expansion of the CASA office to include a Visitation Center where children who have been removed from their home due to abuse and neglect can have regular, supervised visits with their parents in a safe environment.
$3,000 to the Hall-Dawson Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) to help cover the cost of training supplies and trainers fee for volunteer advocates who work to protect the interests of abused and neglected children, and to find them a safe and permanent home.
$7,653.60 to the Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA), serving Jackson, Banks and Barrow counties, to help recruit and train volunteer advocates who work to protect the interests of abused and neglected children, and to find them a safe and permanent home.
$15,000 to the Hope House of Dahlonega to provide primary medical care for 30 clients who are undergoing treatment to recover from methamphetamine abuse.
$10,000 to the Madison County Habitat for Humanity to assist with the costs of sewer lines to Phase I of its new Habitat Community in Comer, a development where ultimately14-15 simple, well-constructed homes will be built on half-acre lots with green space for gardens and play.
$5,000 to the North Gwinnett Cooperative to help provide Gwinnett County seniors with prescription medicine assistance.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to a 60-year-old woman who lives alone and needed a wheelchair lift to improve her mobility.

June 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $102,756 in grants during their June meeting, including $99,256 to organizations and $3,500 to an individual in need.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$5,000 to Camp Glisson's "Sparrowwood" summer program, a week-long camping experience in Dahlonega for persons with mild to moderate developmental challenges that gives campers an opportunity for social interaction and provides their respite caregivers relief from their work. Funds will be used for scholarships for those who cannot afford the camp.
$5,000 to Gwinnett Council for the Arts' smART Honors Program, an ongoing program that enables 30 at-risk students who excel in art but are otherwise underserved to attend advanced art instruction at the Hudgens Arts Center each Saturday morning throughout the school year. Funds will be used to purchase art supplies for the smART scholarship recipients.
$12,266 to Jones Elementary School in Gainesville to purchase a new sound system, microphones, curtain and projection screen for the school's gymnasium. The items will better enable the school to host assemblies that expose students to visual arts, music, drama, dance and character building programs, as well as encourage parental involvement through PTO.
$15,000 to Rainbow Children's Home, an emergency shelter for abused and neglected children in Dahlonega, to build a low ropes course and provide the support staff needed to work with the children for these interventions. Low ropes courses help to develop communication, leadership and teamwork skills as well as self-confidence, self-esteem and trust.
$1,990 to Reins of Life, a therapeutic equine facility in Lavonia, to help fund the STRIDES (Stepping Toward Results In Developing Equine and Educational Success) program that provides emotional and behavioral help to at-risk youth who have been expelled from school and are dealing with behavioral issues, ADD, relationship problems, anger management issues and self control.
$15,000 to Salvation Army of Athens to assist with family emergency assistance for rent, clothing vouchers and medical prescriptions, as well as breakfast, sack lunch and supper for transitional housing program participants and those served by the soup kitchen for breakfast and supper.
$15,000 to Salvation Army of Gainesville to assist with family emergency assistance for rent, clothing vouchers and medical prescriptions, as well as breakfast, sack lunch and supper for transitional housing program participants and those served by the soup kitchen for breakfast and supper.
$15,000 to Salvation Army of Lawrenceville to assist with family emergency assistance for rent, clothing vouchers and medical prescriptions.
$15,000 to Winder/Barrow YMCA to provide scholarships for 20 underprivileged students currently on a waiting list for the 2006-2007 after school program, PrYme Tyme. The afterschool program provides children from kindergarten to 8th grade with activities including homework, sports, games, arts, crafts, songs, skits, daily devotions, and more. The program focuses on five key character development traits of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to a single mother who found employment, but had no transportation or access to public transportation, to assist her in finding personal transportation.

May 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $98,500 in grants during their May meeting, including $95,000 to organizations and $3,500 to individuals in need.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Friends of the Braselton-West Jackson Library to help purchase reference, hardback, adult, youth and children's books, as well as books on tape for senior citizens. The Braselton-West Jackson Library's new facility, which serves patrons from Jackson, Gwinnett, Hall and Barrow counties, will open in September. While the new facility was funded by the Town of Braselton, the library must raise funds to increase their collection from the present 6,200 books to the new facility's capacity of more than 161,000 books.
$15,000 to the Piedmont Regional Library System to purchase children's books for the Winder Public Library Children's Services and the Piedmont Regional Library Extension Services' bookmobile. The Children's Services program offers a Vacation Reading Program that was attended by 500 children in 2005, as well as weekly story time and bi-weekly programs for Head Start. The bookmobile program currently serves 27 public schools and 19 preschools and childcare centers.
$15,000 to Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett to help pay for costs of services such as additional analysis of laboratory and imaging that must be done for patients with potentially serious medical problems. The center provides non-emergency medical, dental and optometry health care services to the working poor of Gwinnett County who do not have health insurance. While initial laboratory and imaging services are provided at no cost by the Gwinnett Health System, any abnormalities requiring further analysis must be done by an outside center and are billed to the patient.
$15,000 to the Habitat ReStore of Hall County to purchase a box-truck that will enable the organization to pick up donated materials and appliances. The ReStore takes donated used or new building materials and sells them to the public at far below retail cost. By doing this, ReStore raises funds for Habitat house construction, makes good use of community resources and reduces landfill disposal.
$15,000 to the Madison County Senior Center to help fund their Home Delivered Meals program serving frail and older citizens. The program allows seniors citizens to maintain independence and dignity, while receiving nutritious meals, nutrition screening, education and counseling services, and opportunities for social contact. The Madison County Senior Center currently serves 41 home delivered meals a day, five days a week, and could be serving more senior citizens with additional funding.
$15,000 to the Norcross Cooperative Ministry to help fund their emergency Assistance Program. The program provides emergency funds for rent, mortgage and temporary lodging. Norcross Cooperative Ministry serves over 900 families each month that are experiencing temporary or long-term hardship, many of whom are referred by local churches, schools and agencies. Grant funds will allow the agency to provide a minimum support of $100 to 150 families.
$5,000 to the YMCA of Athens to allow 14 Hispanic elementary school children to participate in the Afterschool Scholarship Program for three months. The program is designed to provide the children with opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities such as football, soccer, cheerleading, basketball, modern dance, creative writing, art and roller hockey that they could otherwise not afford. In addition, the program helps improve the children's English speaking skills and provides opportunities to learn skills and gain enrichment that will benefit them the rest of their lives.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,500 to a handicapped individual who lives alone to enable her to purchase a wheelchair lift for her personal vehicle, permitting her to get out of the house more and improving her quality of life.

April 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $72,054 in grants to organizations during their April meeting.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$15,000 to the Clarke County Mentor Program to further increase a broad-based, grass-roots effort to provide individual support for public school students, first through 12th grade, to provide academic and personal success. Founded as a partnership between the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and the Clarke County School District, the program has grown from 30 original mentors to more than 750, with plans to grow further.
$15,000 to the Hebron Community Health Center to replace worn-out donated equipment, and provide diabetic supplies to clinic patients. The health center provides medical and dental care to patients with no health insurance and a maximum household income of $20,000. In addition to diabetic supplies, the grant will enable the clinic to purchase a new computer for its pharmacist, and new dental equipment.
$14,754 to the Jackson County Habitat for Humanity to assist with kitchen cabinets, plumbing and heating and air systems for the affiliate's sixth house, now under construction, and a seventh house that will be started later this year.
$4,300 to the Special Olympics of Madison County to help with fees and expenses for the Winter Games, equipment for the Spring Games and new uniforms for local, area and state games to replace the donated high school basketball uniforms the athletes have been wearing with uniforms that are better suited for them.
$8,000 to the United Way of Northeast Georgia's Success by 6 Program to support a new Critical Years, Critical Needs initiative. The grant will be used to print the Critical Years, Critical Needs booklet, a resource guide on early childhood developmental needs and good child care practices, in English and Spanish. The booklet will be distributed to new parents through a partnership with hospitals in a 10-county area.
$15,000 to Teen Pregnancy Prevention of Hall County to provide the "Smart Girls" abstinence-based education program in Hall County middle and high schools. Through "Smart Girls," young women learn the skills to overcome negative peer pressure, the tools to protect themselves against exploitation and the self-esteem to see their future potential. The program focuses on helping girls make healthy choices about sexual activity and dating relationships.

March 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $88,012 in grants during their March meeting, including $84,597 to organizations and $3,415 to individuals in need.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$12,000 to the Ark of Jackson County, Inc. to help with rent and provide medical assistance to 120 families within Jackson County. The Ark gives assistance to low-income families who have an emergency loss of income due to illness, loss of a job, loss work hours or loss of the primary income.
$15,000 to the Banks County Senior Center to purchase a vehicle to deliver meals through the Home Delivered Meal program. Home Delivered Meals are provided to individuals age 60 or older who are homebound because of illness, incapacitation, disability, isolated or a Community Care Services program client.
$15,000 to Challenged Child & Friends to provide scholarships for three Lumpkin County children for one year, and 14 Hall County children for two months. Challenged Child & Friends provides services to children with special needs.
$15,000 to Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services to purchase additional phone lines and update equipment for the Gwinnett Helpline, and materials and supplies for the Great Days of Service project. The Coalition was founded to provide greater collaboration among health and human service providers within Gwinnett County, helping ensure citizens have access to needed support services.
$5,097 to the Hall County Library System for the purchase of Special Needs Adaptive Playthings (SNAP). The organization provides adaptive toys to parents who have children with disabilities to increase their children's capabilities.
$15,000 to Peace Place, Inc. to purchase appliances and furniture for new Transitional Housing Project. Peace Place is a short-term emergency shelter in a confidential location for battered women and their children throughout Barrow, Banks and Jackson counties.
$ 7,500 to Prevent Child Abuse-Gainesville to provide educational materials and supplies to families of newborns. The organization's First Steps Program provides families of newborns with emotional support, educational materials and contacts to community resources in their county.

Individual Grant Recipients:

A total of $2,215 was given to three individuals to help with rent needs, water pipe replacement and a furnace purchase.

February 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $39,155 in grants during their February meeting, including $30,640 to organizations and $8,515 to individuals in need.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$10,000.00 to the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County to help purchase a used van to transport supplies and take children served by the club from school to the club, and to field trips, library trips, community recreational facilities and events hosted by the club. The club now serves more than 260 at risk young people from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances.
$5,640 to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia to provide 100 underprivileged girls in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties with girl scout membership assistance. Part of the Strong Troops Obtaining Maximum Potential (STOMP) program, this outreach effort offers Girl Scouting to girls in public housing, low income and other hard-to-serve areas, giving girls an opportunity to develop their potential and become a vital part of their communities.
$15,000 to the Lumpkin County Family Connection to fund four Family Advocates, housed in local schools, who provide services and case management to families who are living in poverty, at risk of abusing or neglecting their children, or experiencing other crisis situations that affect their children. Family Advocates provide them with food and clothing, help the families develop plans to help their children succeed in school and link these families with other agencies who can provide assistance.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$3,380 to a single, unemployed mother, to catch up rent payments and maintain a home for her child while she is looking for employment.
$990 to a father of two who had back surgery and needs rent assistance until he can return to work in March.
$3,311 to a man left wheelchair bound following an automobile accident to purchase and install a wheelchair lift in his truck.
$833 to a disabled man and wife who, due to medical expenses, need rent assistance.

January 2006

The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $85,046 in grants during its January meeting, including $76,300 to organizations and $8,746 to individuals.

Organizational Grant Recipients:

$5,000 to the Athens Community Council on Aging's Meals on Wheels, a program that provides a hot meal each weekday to homebound individuals, allowing the program to feed an additional five people for a year.
$9,100 to the Boys & Girls Club of Barrow County, to implement the "Triple Play" program that teaches young people how to understand nutrition, make better food choices and engage in daily physical activities for the health of their growing bodies.
$10,000 to the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children in Lilburn, to help fund the Family for Keeps program that provides support, education and skills for foster parents who provide care to children who depend on life support, medication, therapies or equipment to live.
$7,200 to Junior Achievement of Georgia, to offer the Junior Achievement program and materials to 240 Hall County students in 12 Tadmore Elementary School classes, providing the students with an understanding of the free enterprise system so that they can become better-educated consumers, employees, citizens and leaders.
$15,000 to Mercy Health Center in Athens, which uses a combination of funding and volunteer medical help to provide free medical and dental care, to purchase a dental x-ray unit that will be used to provide dental care to the working poor, unemployed and/or disabled and the homeless.
$15,000 to the Rotary Club of Madison County, to purchase pressure-treated lumber and materials to construct approximately 35 handicapped ramps for area residents, selected on the basis of need, who have suffered an illness or accident and are having difficulty leaving their home.
$15,000 to the Single Parent Alliance and Resource Center in Norcross, to develop and print their Frontline Parenting Series, a program for single parents designed to increase communication and decrease the stress that can lead to violence, with curriculum ranging from traditional parenting classes to cross-gender classes that promote understanding between mothers and sons.

Individual Grant Recipients:

$2,250 to a disabled cancer patient, for emergency dental work.
$2,996 to a resident whose gas furnace no longer works and is using her oven to heat her home, for the purchase and installation of a heat pump.
$3,500 to a family whose son's rare brain disorder has left him wheelchair-bound, for the down payment on a handicapped accessible van.

November 2005

The Operation Round Up board awarded grants in November 2005 totaling $76,575. Organizational grants totaled $75,500, while individuals received a combined $1,075.

Organizational grant recipients:

$10,000 to Center Point, Gainesville, to assist with a counseling and mentoring program
$15,000 to Family Promise, Snellville, for a portion of the down payment for permanent day center
$15,000 to Gainesville State College for the Summer Scholars program to provide scholarships for underprivileged students
$5,000 to the Gainesville/Hall County Alliance for Literacy to provide basic literary skills and GED testing
$15,000 to the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry to help fund the emergency rent/mortgage assistance program
$3,000 to the Lilburn Cooperative Ministry to help fund the emergency rent/mortgage assistance program
$7,500 to NOA's Ark, Inc., in Dahlonega, to provide assistance with parenting classes that promoted effective parent-child interaction and prevent child abuse
$5,000 to the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry to help fund the emergency rent/mortgage assistance program

Individual grant recipients:

$350 to a Jackson County resident for emergency rent assistance
$725 to a Gwinnett County resident for emergency rent assistance

October 2005

The Operation Round Up® board awarded its first round of grants in October 2005, totaling $54,383. Organizational grants totaled $49,500, while individuals received a combined $4,883.

Organizational grant recipients:

$15,000 to The Good News Clinics, formerly named Good News Community Health Center, to cover one month's operating expenses for the medical, dental, eye care and pharmaceutical needs of its patients.
$5,000 to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Athens, to help provide Mobile Pantry Programs in five counties
$4,000 to the Friends of the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia for an environmental education program and scholarships for underprivileged children
$3,000 to the Guest House, Gainesville, to provide lunch and snacks for impaired older adults
$13,000 for the Gwinnett County Association for Retarded Citizens to assist in construction of a new group home in Snellville
$6,500 to Mercy Tree Ministries, Buford, to help provide job training for unemployed or underemployed individuals
$3,000 to the Special Needs School of Gwinnett, Lawrenceville, to provide a music therapy program for children with special needs

Individual grant recipients:

$550 for special shoes for adult with cerebral palsy
$975 for installation cost for wheelchair lift for child with cerebral palsy
$3,358 for a new furnace for single-income family