$15k grants awarded to local groups by Jackson EMC Foundation

JEFFERSON - A $15,000 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation has been awarded Hall County Habitat for Humanity - and a similar grant has been presented to Prevent Child Abuse Gainesville.

Habitat will use its grant for its High School Build Program. The money will be used to buy framing packages for houses the students in the program will build for Habitat for Humanity. Through a joint venture with the Hall County School System and the Hall County Homebuilders Association, the Habitat affiliates' High School Build provides students who would like to pursue a career in the construction industry with hands-on experience in all aspects of homebuilding, as well as teaching them the benefit of giving back to the community.

Prevent Child Abuse Gainesville plans to use its grant to purchase materials, and provide personnel for the its parenting classes.

The agency, which has served about 550 families this year, offers the Empower Parents class for parents with children age 10-18, the Positive Parenting class for parents who are expecting or have children newborn through age 9, and the Arriba class for Spanish-speaking parents who are expecting or who have children newborn through age 18.