2019 Grant Recipients

2019 Recipients

Newnan Coweta Angel’s House, Inc.

$2,000 Since opening it’s doors in 2004, Angel’s House has been a safe haven for over 220 children. Newnan-Coweta Angel’s House sought grant funding to assist in providing for all of the daily needs of up to ten teenage girls who reside at Angel’s House including but not limited to food, school clothes and healthcare items. In addition the grant is to be used to pay for the operation and maintenance of the home which houses the girls, their caregivers and our administrative offices.

Boys and Girls Club – Newnan/Coweta

$2,000 Newnan-Coweta Boys and Girls Club sought funding to cultivate healthy lifestyle activities by encouraging the children in the Newnan/Coweta Club’s Garden Club to learn about nature and the processes involved in growing vegetables and fruit, and ultimately to prepare healthy meals. The produce from the garden supports their cooking program in an effort to increase knowledge about nutrition and teaching the children culinary skills to prepare healthy meals at home. The foods they will prepare are ones their members may not otherwise have access to, such as organic fruits and vegetables. The Garden Club will be an ongoing and weekly project. The Garden Club will increase not only active involvement because the Club will be equipped with the necessary tools, but also reinforce healthy eating behavior.

Bridging The Gap

$2,000 During the summer, BTG serves lunches 5 days a week for 10 weeks when free schools meals are not available. Each Friday, they partner with backpack buddies to send a bag of food home with each child. They also plan activities with the children, things like kickball, water balloons, ice cream, reading, clean up days and service projects. Along with serving food each day and activities, positive adult interactions and bonds are formed. Volunteers are able to be positive role models and mentors to the kids. Volunteers are given a safe environment to interact with the children in a fun and creative way. During the program they are given the opportunity to interact with parents and invite them to their office for food assistance and to learn about other assistance programs. They end the summer lunch with a bash where we provide back to school clothing for children. For 2019 their goal is 10,000 lunches and increasing awareness of services available to families.

Coweta CASA

$2,000 Coweta CASA sought funding with the goal to recruit, screen, train and support community volunteers for foster children. CASA supports community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings in Coweta and Heard counties. The CASA program is a nationally developed, federally recognized advocacy model that directs the provision of volunteer Guardian ad Litem (GAL) representation for children involved in juvenile court dependency proceedings. Georgia’s Juvenile code requires the appointment of both an attorney and Guardian ad Litem for each child in a dependency case. While an attorney can simultaneously serve in both capacities, the code states that judge shall appoint a CASA to serve as GAL whenever possible. Expected results will include permanency decisions based on children’s best interests, appropriate services offered throughout the duration of court involvement, minimal placement changes, and appropriate visitation.

Christian City

$2,000 Kids come to Christian City from family placements or from DFCS, as well as youth admitted through the National Safe Place Program for Runaway and Homeless Youth. Some youth live at The Children’s Village for a short while; others spend most of their childhood here. Amidst the dire landscape there is hope. Kids who come to Christian City Children’s Village are met by a dedicated staff with decades of experience providing kids with loving support, opportunities to heal physical and mentally, and mentoring to heal their wounds and begin building a positive and productive future. Lead by their dedicated house parents, the cottages function much like a healthy biological family functions – they have family meals, have chores and duties, study, have part-time jobs, participate as a family in community activities, support one another, and often say “I love you.” We hope to change a child’s expectation of how families function and how they will one day lead a family.

CORRAL

$2,000 CORRAL’s mission is to provide and promote equine-assisted learning for physically and/or mentally challenged individuals in a safe, loving and Christian environment by offering participants exposure to a sense of freedom and achievement while enjoying the outdoors. They sought funding to sponsor a horse for one year. Their program depends on the health and wellbeing of nine therapy horses, and the estimated cost to maintain one horse per year is $2500. This grant will cover the normal care of one therapy horse for one year. The four-legged therapists range in age from 16 to 28-years-old. They are maintained on hay and mineral supplements throughout the year and receive special formulated feed to keep them in top working condition. Other expenses include deworming, farrier services, veterinarian services, and yearly dental care. Each member of their herd of nine horses is carefully selected and trained to meet the needs of the riders and drivers.

Coweta Pregnancy Services

$3,000 Coweta Pregnancy Services sought funding for their ongoing Earn While You Learn Crib & Car Seat Program. Through one-on-one parenting education classes that parents attend regularly, the clients can earn a new crib and car seat for their baby. Each year, over 7,000 babies die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome from sleeping in an unsafe environment such as on a couch or in the bed with parents. Their mission is to drastically reduce this number by allowing clients to earn not only the crib and car seat, but also earn diapers, wipes, clothes and other baby necessities. By providing these items, it takes pressure off first time and new parents to focus on a healthy pregnancy as these are two of the most expensive items a parent must have.

Flint River Council, Boy Scouts of America

$2,000 Flint River Council sought support for their Youth Recruitment Project. Each fall they do presentations in 20 elementary schools, 6 middle school and 3 high schools in Coweta County and hold Sign-Up Nights 4 nights a week for 2 months for their Youth Recruitment Project. These presentations and Sign-Up Nights are vital to reaching and recruiting youth into the program. The Youth Recruitment Project in Coweta County cost approximately $10,500. Included in this cost is volunteer training, staff support, printed material such as flyers about the program, upcoming camp events and programs activities, yard signs, stickers and posters. Funding for operating expenses will allow them to focus funds to other areas of the programs such as financial assistance to at-risk youth and families, program supplies and trainings.

Newnan -Coweta Habitat For Humanity

$2,000 NCHFH requested funds to subsidize contractor expenses (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, foundation, etc) and construction materials needed for its Brush with Kindness Repair Program. They currently have a pipeline of existing homeowners in Coweta County who are in need of extensive critical repairs. Through this grant, NCHFH can aid homeowners in need of repairs such as leaking roofs, sinking foundations, repair or replacement of subfloors, termite damage, energy efficient windows and doors, and more. For 2019, NCHFH’s goal is to assist 7 to 10 families in need of repairs for their existing homes

Meals On Wheels of Coweta

$4,200 Meals on Wheels of Coweta’s mission is to promote aging in place and improve quality of life for Coweta County’s homebound elder adults who are ill or disabled and unable to prepare meals for themselves. Since January 1, 2018 MOWOC has experienced a 25% growth in the number of elder Cowetans who receive home delivered meals. MOWOC served an average of 100 clients in 2017; currently 126 clients are receiving meals. This 25% growth requires employees to work more hours to prepare these additional meals.The purpose of this grant is to fund the hourly wages and payroll expenses for one month for four part-time staff employed by Meals on Wheels of Coweta: Director of Meal Services; Coordinator of Meal Services, Chef; and Office Manager. A one-month reprieve from payroll expenses in July 2019 will offset the high cost of electricity to maintain a constant temperature of 75 degrees in the summer months, June – September. This temperature requirement is determined by the Atlanta Community Food Bank, MOWOC’s primary food source.

One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach

$2,000 One Roof Outreach serves clients throughout Coweta County, bringing resources together to meet the needs of those struggling in our community. One Roof has been on the frontline of the war against poverty and need, helping families in crisis, working to help clients remain or become self-sufficient. They requested funds to provide temporary, emergency housing in the form of hotel rooms. One Roof helps keep families in their homes by paying rent and mortgages, and provide other goods as needed. The largest part of their financial assistance budget is in the form of temporary emergency housing, such as hotel rooms. They also provide assistance with rent and mortgage payments to keep clients in their homes during periods of crisis.

Patrons of the Centre

$2,000 Patron’s of the Centre’s mission is to sustain artistic excellence in our community. This grant will assist Patrons in offering a scholarship to one student from each middle and elementary school in the Coweta County School System as well as Angels House and The Boys and Girls Club to attend either a Summer Visual Art Camp or a Summer Musical Theatre Camp session. Estimated cost per student is $150 for the visual art camp and $200 for the theatre camp. This grant would enable 15-20 students to participate in this hands on opportunity. The camps are not only fun and educational but provide students with opportunities to nurture their talents and self expression in an inclusive and confidence building environment. The staffs of the camps are highly skilled teachers and technicians who are passionate about the benefits of the arts.

Piedmont Healthcare Foundation

$2,800 Piedmont sought funding to support Cancer Wellness programs at the Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont Newnan. There are more than 25 program offerings. These programs include nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, dietitian consultations, yoga classes, strength training, massage therapy, support groups, expressive art classes, spiritual counseling, and much more. Research suggests that therapy based programs for cancer patients reduces stress, depression, and even anxiety. Last year, there were 800 patient encounters between these programs. Chair massage is offered by appointment. Massage is most beneficial to patients who develop scar tissue as a result of cancer treatments. Cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers have the opportunity to come together in a supportive environment to focus on life outside their diagnosis. A patient recently shared, “I have been so blessed by the program through knitting, art therapy, and massage. I cannot adequately express my gratitude. It is a restorative place of hope and healing.”

Real Life Center

$2,000 Real Life Center’s mission is providing necessities for living while equipping people for life. They walk with those who are hurting in Fayette and Coweta counties by providing a safe environment to first address the crisis, then promote long-term change.The purpose of this grant is to provide financial assistance to client families in Coweta County going through unexpected hard times. For example: Job loss, illness, divorce, accident, etc. During their initial face-to-face counseling assessment, they spend about an hour understanding the presenting needs. Based on that assessment, they determine the most critical financial need (usually rent or utility assistance), carefully research the need by contacting the applicable parties (such as the lessor or utility company), attempt to get participation from the client and/or other organizations, then agree to pay a one-time assistance payment up to $500. The payments are made payable to the lessors or utility companies. These funds help create initial stability to avoid cutoff or eviction. They then move into a developmental strategy, based on mutually-set objectives for a one year time frame. As of July, 2018, 88% have completed more than 50% of their goals.

Rutledge Center, Inc.

$3,000 Rutledge Center, Inc. is a leading organization in supporting adults with developmental disabilities to have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Rutledge Center recently appointed a new Executive Director as well as many new board members. With this in mind, the organization is requested grant funding to facilitate board development and governance training. This type of training is crucial to strengthen board capacity and to plan, structure and effectively implement governing roles. Consulting, coaching and custom training will afford our agency the opportunity to grow and positively impact our community by improved board engagement.

Senoia Area Historical Society, Inc.

$2,000 SAHS sought funding for ongoing utility operating expenses of the Senoia History Museum. This will allow them to continue their mission to secure, preserve, and promote the social and cultural history of the community. To this end SAHS: engages the public through a variety of programs, maintains their properties, and collections, acquires and preserves additional items of historic relevance; identifies and encourages preservation of historic places and structures; works with the public, private and non-profit organizations to attain this mission; and manage the society openly, ethically and professionally.

Southern Conservation Trust

$2,000 Southern Conservation Trust requested funding to provide two CPR/First Aid certification trainings, once in the spring and once in the fall, to Coweta County nonprofit staff and volunteers. Their Director of Education and outdoor recreation, a certified instructor, will provide much needed, and often costly CPR/First Aid training and certifications to Coweta County nonprofits at no charge. CPR/First Aid training is beneficial to the entire community, and empowers those trained to help someone in need. Those who complete the class should be equipped to: identify a heart attack, perform rescue breathing techniques, handle choking incidents, provide first aid for broken bones, allergic reactions, and burns and cuts. They hope to outfit multiple Coweta County nonprofit employees and volunteers with CPR/First Aid certifications and the ability to correctly and confidently assist those in need.