The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $284,757 in grants, including $270,000 to organizations and $14,757 to individuals, during its April meeting. Among the grants were several for agencies that serve Hall County:
Organizational Grant Recipients:
- $15,000 to Camp Koinonia, Homer, to provide 39 underprivileged third through eighth grade Banks County students referred by Family Connection and DFACS with a five-day camp program that uses positive learning experiences to establish strong character, leadership and teambuilding skills, and build personal relationships.
- $15,000 to Camp Kudzu, to sponsor 15-20 children in a camping program for children and teens with diabetes who live in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC to attend a weeklong overnight summer camp.
- $15,000 to Camp Twin Lakes, a not-for-profit organization offering year-round recreational, therapeutic and educational programming for children facing serious illnesses and other challenges, to help 27 children in Jackson EMC’s 10-county service area attend its fully accessible camp.
- $15,000 to Extra Special People, Watkinsville, to provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC to attend a highly-specialized, individualized summer camp experience.
- $15,000 to Gainesville Housing Corporation, which provides working low-income families of Hall County affordable living environments, improved quality of living, economic opportunities and fair housing, to provide materials for its curriculum-based RISE summer education program for at-risk youth of Gainesville and Hall County.
- $15,000 to The Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry, Inc., an emergency food bank for residents of Lawrenceville and Dacula in Gwinnett County, for its Emergency Assistance Program to purchase food from local food banks and/or local grocery stores.
- $15,000 to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia, Suwanee, to allow rising 10th and 11th grade students in Gwinnett County area high schools to attend its Opportunities Academy Program.
- $15,000 to University of North Georgia Foundation, Inc., for its Steps to College Program, which provides summer high school courses for English learners in Hall and Banks counties to earn credit toward graduation.
- $15,000 to Rachel’s Gift, Inc. an organization providing specialized bereavement care for parents who have lost a child to miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, for its pregnancy and infant loss grief support program in all counties served by Jackson EMC.
- $15,000 to Spectrum Autism Support Group, Inc., Suwannee, a parent-run nonprofit group that provides Gwinnett and Hall county families with support, education and resources for the entire spectrum of autism disorders, to help disadvantaged autistic individuals ages four to 22 attend its weeklong summer camp program, with daily activities that teach social skills.
- $15,000 to St. Vincent De Paul Society of Jefferson, for its Emergency Financial Assistance to Families in Crisis Program providing funds for rent and mortgage payments to families in Jackson and Banks counties in crisis.
- $15,000 to St. Vincent De Paul Society of Winder, for its financial assistance program providing funds to Barrow County families in crisis for rent and mortgage.
- $15,000 to YMCA of Athens, Inc., to help enable children in Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties to participate in its nine-week summer day camp program, which offers supervised sports and other activities, as well as teaches math, reading and values.
- $15,000 to Young Women’s Christian Organization of Athens, to help 32 girls from low-income families attend the summer girls camp program, a structured recreational and educational summer program targeting young girls ages 5 to 14 from low-to-moderate income families and help defray bus transportation expenses.
- $10,000 to Camp Amplify, Winder, to provide 15 children ages seven to 12 from underserved communities in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson and Lumpkin counties with a weeklong camping experience to develop character, leadership and teambuilding skills through a high adventure, overnight camp.
- $10,000 to Cultivating a Lifetime of Legacy, Inc., Bogart, a nonprofit organization that works with people ages 12-24 and provides mentors and other supportive people to help students access resources for 30 students in Clarke County to attend its summer camp and help defray transportation costs.
- $10,000 to MUST Ministries, Inc., for its summer lunch program, which provides breakfast and lunch to children in need in Gwinnett County five days per week for nine weeks.
- $10,000 to Quinlan Visual Arts, Inc., Gainesville, to provide free or reduced cost participation in its summer arts program for 120 students in underserved communities in Banks, Barrow, Hall, Gwinnett, Jackson and Lumpkin counties.
- $5,000 to Foster Siblings Reunited (formerly Camp to Belong) to enable children in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC to attend summer camp and family camp weekend, which reunites siblings living separately in foster care or other out-of-home care to strengthen relationships, increase self-esteem, create healthier attitudes and childhood memories.
- $6,000 to Camp Big Heart, Inc., which provides summer recreational experiences for children and adults with developmental challenges, for 10 campers in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC to attend its summer camp.
- $6,000 to Families of Children Under Stress (FOCUS), Inc., a nonprofit agency serving children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC, to help provide 18 children the opportunity to build social skills, self-respect, character and community living skills at Camp Hollywood in Lawrenceville.
- $3,000 to Georgia Lions Camp, Inc., a nonprofit organization aiming to provide unique recreational experiences for the visually impaired to allow six campers in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC the opportunity to participate in its summer and winter camp programs.
Individual Recipients:
- $5,000 to a man in Jackson County who is disabled to replace his HVAC unit.
- $5,000 to a family in Barrow County to replace their HVAC unit.
- $4,757 to a family in Banks County to repair an exterior wall of their home.