The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors recently awarded a total of $140,000 in grants to agencies which included $85,000 to organizations serving Hall County.
Jackson EMC said the foundation donated $15,000 to Camp Kudzu to sponsor up to 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 University of North Georgia Foundation, Inc., for its Steps to College Program that provides summer high school courses for English learners in Hall and Banks counties.
$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 Suwanee, a parent-run nonprofit group which 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.
$10,000 to Camp Amplify, Winder, to provide 15 children ages seven to 12 from 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 Quinlan Visual Arts, Inc Gainesville, to provide free or reduced cost participation in its summer arts program for 120 students in 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.
Jackson EMC Foundation grants are made possible by the over 200,000 participating cooperative members who have their monthly electric bills rounded to the next dollar amount through the Operation Round Up program.
Since 2005 the program has funded 1,949 grants to organizations and 432 grants to individuals, putting more than $20.6 million back into local communities.
