Good Samaritan received $10,000 grant from Jackson EMC nomination

Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett has received a $10,000 grant from the CoBank Sharing Success Program, following a nomination by Jackson EMC.

 

Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett is a nonprofit organization providing routine non-emergency medical and dental services to the uninsured and underinsured working poor. The funding will help expand access to essential dental care for individuals in the community, according to a release from Jackson EMC. 

 

“This grant enables us to serve more patients who don’t have dental insurance or can’t afford routine dental care,”  Shameka Allen, Executive Director of Good Samaritan, said. “Dental pain is one of the top reasons that patients go to the ER. It is so important to provide access to general dentistry needs in our community”.  

 

In 2024, Jackson EMC donated $25,000 to Good Samaritan. The donation was made possible using member refunds that had been unclaimed by the electric cooperative’s members for five years. Legislation passed in 2005 permits Georgia’s electric cooperatives to use unclaimed member refunds for charitable, educational and economic development contributions. 

 

This initial donation made Good Samaritan eligible for a grant nomination from the CoBank Sharing Success Program, which matches contributions — up to $10,000 —made by its cooperative members, including Jackson EMC. 

 

CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving industries and utilities in rural areas of all states. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers. 

 

Jackson EMC is based in Jefferson and covers more than 271,000 meters on 15,440 miles of energized wire.