1
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
2015 Foundation Annual Report
JacksonEMC.com
1
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
Celebrating 10 years and $10 million back to Northeast Georgia.
JacksonEMC.com
2
3
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
A LET T E R O F T H A NKS f r o m b e a u t y p. b a l d w i n & c h i p j a k i n s
I
n terms of impact, what Jackson EMC
Yes. In just 10 years, Jackson EMC members—
members have accomplished in the past
more than 181,000 of them—have given $10 million through their electric cooperative’s
decade is amazing. Because of their generosity, thousands upon thousands have been helped—the sick have been treated,
Foundation to support charitable causes within the co-op’s 10-county service area, which includes Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin,
the homeless have been sheltered, the
Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and
hungry have been fed.
Oglethorpe counties. This massive amount in donations has impacted more than 1,000
These works of good faith have been possible thanks to members of Jackson EMC who participate in Operation Round Up®, rounding up their monthly power bills to the nearest dollar with the extra pennies put aside for charity.
organizations, which, in turn, have reached countless people in Jackson EMC’s service area. These organizations include food banks, domestic violence shelters, free clinics, afterschool programs and so many more.
When Jackson EMC’s Operation Round Up
On top of this, the Foundation has provided more
program got underway on Oct. 1, 2005, the
than 300 individuals with smaller grants to cover
Jackson EMC Foundation was established to
special needs—like repairing a roof after a
administer the funds raised. The Foundation’s
hailstorm, building a wheelchair ramp, or
charter paved the way for grants up to $15,000
buying dentures.
annually to charitable organizations and grants up to $3,500 to individuals with no other source of help. The first round of grants was awarded less than a month later, on October 25, and the rest is history.
For 10 years, directors on the Foundation’s volunteer board have met monthly to consider dozens of grant applications in order to choose those that will make the most positive impact. Deliberations around the board table are
And what a rich history it has been. In October
sometimes lengthy and always detailed, studious
this year, as the Foundation turns 10 years old, it
and insightful. The board has discovered the
has surpassed the $10 million mark in giving.
need is great in our communities, so they never
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
make decisions lightly. The directors are
impact on the individuals and families they serve
honored to serve in this capacity and are amazed
is significant. Their 10-year impact illustrates, in
at how the numbers have added up over the years.
microcosm, the colossal impact the Jackson EMC
To think that in only 10 years, the Jackson EMC Foundation has provided $10 million to support true need in our communities is astonishing. And it all has been made possible thanks to the
Foundation has had on countless individuals and families. One decade, one goal, one Foundation.
10 years, $10 million, 10 counties.
ongoing generosity of Jackson EMC members
And it’s all because members of Jackson EMC give
who round up their bills. Jackson EMC is
pennies when they pay their power bill—pennies
privileged to have created and managed this
that truly become powerful when multiplied.
charitable program for them.
Sincerely,
In celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Jackson EMC Foundation, we wish to share the impact just a few of our grant recipients have had in our communities. We’ve selected 10 organizations that received grants during the Foundation’s first
Beauty P. Baldwin, Chair, Jackson EMC Foundation
year of operation. These extraordinary agencies— like many organizations to which we’ve granted funds in the past decade—fall into five major categories: food, shelter, health, education and
Chip Jakins,
social services. We think you will agree their
President & CEO, Jackson EMC
JacksonEMC.com
4
5
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
M ER CY H E A LTH CE NT E R mercyhealthcenter.net
BASED IN Athens SERVES Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties
st
GRANT
15,000
TOTAL RECEIVED
92,324
$
$
January 2006 for the dental clinic
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
I
n the past 10 years, the Jackson EMC Foundation has helped fund a myriad of programs and projects at Mercy Health Center in Athens, enabling the faith-based free clinic to increase public access to health care, according to Executive Director Tracy Thompson. “By investing in Mercy Health Center, the Jackson EMC Foundation is investing
at 700 Oglethorpe Avenue in Athens. The contributions have gone a long
Patients are provided with quality care and quick service, thanks to what
in their community,” says Thompson.
way in helping Mercy Health Center
Thompson terms an “army of volunteers”
“We are eternally grateful for all the
serve its 2,200 low income patients,
at Mercy Health Center. Of the 800
Foundation does for us.”
according to Thompson, who says the
volunteers, about 150 are clinical
Center handles about 11,000 patient
professionals—doctors, nurse
visits annually.
practitioners, dentists, nurses, physician
Mercy Health Center received its first Foundation grant in January 2006 with funds targeting the center’s dental clinic.
“At Mercy, no matter how you got
assistants, dental hygienists and the
Since then, Foundation grants have
here—car, bus, on foot—and no matter what
like—who volunteer one day or night
funded everything from facility
you wore, we think everybody deserves the
each week. A part-time physician,
renovations to a dental hygiene program.
same respectful care,” says Thompson.
fulltime registered nurse and fulltime
In 2013, a Foundation grant helped the
“God’s mercy was shown to us, so we treat
nurse practitioner are on staff.
Center equip and furnish its new facility
our clients with that same mercy.”
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
Along with primary health care, services in 15 different specialties are available along with a pharmacy and pharmacy counseling, health education, nutrition and exercise services, spiritual care, behavioral health and social services. “What sets us apart is that most free clinics don’t offer
6
“At Mercy, no matter how you got here — car, bus, on foot — and no matter what you wore, we think everybody deserves the same respectful care.”
anything but basic primary care,” says Thompson. “At Mercy, we provide what we call whole person care.”
For Thompson, good news is when she hears success stories
Their services bridge the gap between children who receive
like the one of a recent patient who suffered from alcoholism
PeachCare and senior citizens who get Medicare, according to
and lost his job, home and family. In large part thanks to Mercy
Thompson, who says the three health problems treated most
Health Center, he’s living a healthy lifestyle now and recently
frequently at the Center are diabetes, hypertension and COPD.
started a new job.
Most patients could be classified as “the working poor,” she adds. Along with providing much-needed medical attention, Mercy
Bad news for the director is when potential new clients must remain on a waiting list. “There’s always someone waiting,” she
Health Center has become a training ground for University of
says. Thanks to funding from the Jackson EMC Foundation and
Georgia pharmacy and nutrition students who shadow doctors as
similar partners, that list is not as long as it would be.
they volunteer at the clinic. “Mercy was started to help patients,
“Representatives of the Foundation come to see us and tour
but it’s also about students, staff and volunteers all working
the clinic,” says Thompson. “They care about where their
together in a learning environment,” says Thompson. “Students
money’s going. They have been a terrific partner, a stalwart of
here learn how to treat the poor with respect and dignity.”
ours, and we are grateful.”
JacksonEMC.com
7
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
CHA LLENGED CH I LD A ND F R I E ND S challengedchild.org
st
BASED IN Gainesville
GRANT
15,000
SERVES Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties
TOTAL RECEIVED
90,000
$
$
March 2006 for the Kids Program
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
A
s the Jackson EMC Foundation turns 10, longtime beneficiary Challenged Child and Friends observes its 30th anniversary. Started in 1985, Challenged Child and Friends is an early intervention center that provides therapeutic and educational services for children with disabilities alongside their typical peers. Clients are aged 6 weeks to 6 years. Two things make the program unique: the fact that it serves
inclusion model works well. Kids with disabilities look to their
both children with and without disabilities—and that fulltime
typical peers to learn language and play skills, while typical
nurses are on staff to meet medical needs of the preschoolers.
children learn tolerance, compassion and inclusion.”
“In a classroom with 12 kids, seven may be challenged while five are typical,” says Executive Director/CEO Amy Gates. “This
While all children benefit from the high quality education program and family support services, children with disabilities
JacksonEMC.com
8
Annual Report
at Challenged Child and Friends can receive all necessary services in
For ten years, the Jackson EMC Foundation
one place, freeing their parents from the necessity of making multiple
has funded early intervention and therapy services
stops at doctor offices, therapy centers and preschool.
and helped financially strapped families pay
“We’re a one-stop shop for all therapies, medical needs, education
tuition costs.
and so on,” says Gates. “Parents tell me they know their child is safe and getting the services they need while learning at the same time.” A 1-to-4 teacher-student ratio means children with autism, down syndrome, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy or speech delays—as well as their typical peers—receive loads of individualized attention. In addition, a fulltime registered nurse and licensed practical nurse are on staff, and therapists provide occupational, physical, speech and language, music and pet therapy. “Medical needs are not seen to in the typical preschool,” says Gates,
“We’re a one-stop shop for all therapies, medical needs, education and so on. Parents tell me they know their child is safe and getting the services they need while learning at the same time.”
noting that the service is necessary for the children with disabilities and an extra bonus for those without. School Principal Monique Jackson handles day-to-day operations at
“Financial assistance to families is our biggest
Challenged Child and Friends. The organization’s 70 employees include
need, and the Jackson EMC Foundation allows us
a family resources coordinator who helps families connect with
to say to families, ‘Hey, we can help you,’” says
community resources and a teaching and learning coordinator who
Gates, noting that 21 children were able to
oversees lesson plans and the quality instruction curriculum.
receive assistance, thanks to the most recent
While the school boasts numerous success stories, one involves a 5-year-old student who’s a flag football cheerleader and now mobile
Foundation grant. “Some children with financial need would not have
with a walker, even though she could not crawl or communicate when
been able to come at all without the grant,” she adds.
she came to Challenged Child as a 1-year-old.
“Jackson EMC members who give to the Foundation
“She got occupational, physical, and speech and language therapies, and now her little sister, who is typical, comes here, too,” says Gates.
JacksonEMC.com
can feel good about their donations. These families are so happy, and we are so grateful.”
9
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
NOA’S AR K, I NC. (NO O NE A LO NE ) noonealone.org
BASED IN Dahlonega SERVES Gwinnett. Hall and Lumpkin counties
st
GRANT
7,500
TOTAL RECEIVED
72,000
$
$
November 2005 for parenting classes
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
S
ince 1990, NOA’s Ark, Inc., in Dahlonega, has provided emergency shelter and counseling for those in situations involving domestic violence. By meeting their immediate needs, making counseling available, and helping victims transition into new homes, NOA’s Ark works to stop the cycle of abuse.
For the past ten years, the Jackson EMC Foundation has
While at the emergency shelter (families are allowed to stay
helped fund trauma counseling programs at the domestic
up to three months), women and children have access to as
violence shelter.
many counseling sessions as they desire. Along with individual
“We feel that counseling is the essential component here,” says NOA’s Ark Executive Director Cara Ledford. “The
counseling, two support groups offer extra counseling options. After leaving the shelter, eight more sessions are available.
counselors dig deep into the trauma, help clients put everything
“These women tell us they were at the tipping point and
in perspective and help them through it. Counseling plays a
really needed that counseling,” says Ledford. “You’d think they
crucial role in healing and shift of mindset, self-awareness and
might be reluctant, but they want the counseling, and that’s
self-esteem. It’s the critical piece in what we do.”
why we’re so grateful for the Jackson EMC Foundation. We
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
10
couldn’t do what we do without the counseling. It’s one of the key factors in not repeating the cycle and getting out of the shelter and on with life.”
“We feel that counseling is the essential component here. The counselors dig deep into the trauma, help clients put everything in perspective and help them through it. Counseling plays a crucial role in healing and shift of mindset, self-awareness and selfesteem. It’s the critical piece in what we do.” NOA’s Ark contracts with private practice licensed professional counselors trained in trauma, depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other issues related to domestic violence. Shelter residents and non-residents are offered counseling services, including male victims of domestic violence who are housed in area motels. “Through counseling, victims will learn to process negative emotions and traumatic events and develop the coping skills needed to manage traumatic stress,” says Ledford.
positive change for these clients: It’s about self-awareness,
While the stories of families who seek shelter at NOA’s Ark
noting the triggers, looking at yourself critically to see how it
vary dramatically, one constant is that those involved can
impacts your children, your own life and your future. Without
benefit from counseling. Ledford shares one family’s
the counseling, many of the women would not be able to move
experience: “We had a woman with two children who were
on. It gets them to the point at which they can really shift and
shutdown, not speaking and with barely any motor skills, just
take a different path.”
so far behind mentally. Her husband had been locking the children in closets and hurting their mother. Here, she started counseling, got the kids into Head Start, and within two months they were speaking, interacting and happy, like they were new little children.” Clients end up at the 12-bedroom emergency shelter when they have nowhere else to go, often when the husband or boyfriend has kicked them out, or when they have fled in fear.
NOA’s Ark contracts with private practice licensed professional counselors trained in trauma, depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other issues related to domestic violence.
Typically, the mother’s work and social life has been limited due to her husband’s control, and often the women suffer from
Serving Lumpkin and Dawson counties, NOA’s Ark also
severe depression because of long-term abuse, according
helps clients transition into apartments in their new Rapid
to Ledford.
Rehousing program. The organization’s thrift store in
“When women enter the shelter, they have to turn the tide,
downtown Dahlonega allows clients to shop for free to acquire
and we’re asking them to do it in three months, which is really
kitchenware, linens and other necessities for setting up
tough,” says Ledford. “Counseling is the critical piece to
housekeeping in a new home.
JacksonEMC.com
11
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
B OYS & GIR LS C LU BS O F W I ND E R -BA R R O W CO U NT Y winderbarrowbgc.com
BASED IN Winder SERVES Barrow County
st
GRANT
9,100
V
TOTAL RECEIVED
69,100
$
$
January 2006 to teach children about nutrition and exercise
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
isit the gymnasium when kids are shooting hoops or playing indoor football and you’ll think there’s never a quiet moment at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Winder-Barrow County. You’d be wrong.
Walk across the way to the club’s homework center and
Graduation targets middle and high school students. Both are
you’ll find studious children in deep concentration, finishing
after-school homework assistance and enrichment programs.
school assignments or studying for the next day’s test. They are
Transportation from school to the club is provided.
taking part in the club’s Power Hour and Goals for Graduation programs, both funded with Jackson EMC Foundation grants. The Boys & Girls Club in Winder provides activities and
About 40 to 50 elementary students take part in Power Hour each day, with homework assistance and tutoring provided by staff members and sometimes volunteers. “If the kids don’t
programming for approximately 300 Barrow County students
have homework, there are educational enrichment activities,
aged 6 to 18, according to Director Derek Hutchens, who says
worksheets or computer activities that coincide with what they
elementary school kids take part in Power Hour while Goals for
are studying in school,” says Hutchens.
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
12
“By taking part in this as a daily routine, the kids establish good study habits and become self-directed learners who know how to prioritize, to do work before play,” he says. “Learning this is a lifelong lesson that not only helps students improve grades but builds confidence as well.”
“Students go back to school knowing they’ve completed their homework and are prepared and ready for classes. When you’re prepared, you’re more attentive and easier to teach and manage in the classroom.” Consistently, children and teens who participate in Power Hour and Goals for Graduation present fewer disciplinary problems, according to Hutchens, who says the improved discipline carries over at school. “Students go back to school knowing they’ve completed their homework and are prepared and ready for classes,” he says. “When you’re prepared, you’re more attentive and easier to teach and manage in the classroom. So these programs help not only students here but all who are around them in school. The bottom line, we want to see these kids have academic success because we know that’s the foundation of a successful life: education, knowledge. Everything else is built on your ability to learn.” According to Hutchens, support from the Jackson EMC Foundation goes beyond finances. “Getting their support means they believe in our programs and consider us a trusted agency that consistently strives to fulfill its mission,” says Hutchens. “For the Foundation to grant us year after year, it means their board of directors has done For about 20 older club members, Goals for Graduation offers a roomful of computers for after-school studies also aimed at homework completion and additional enrichment studies. “This program is especially important when you have someone who’s behind,” says Hutchens. “It helps get them and keep them on track for graduation.”
they are willing to invest in this organization and help youth move from grade to grade to ultimately graduate from high school.” At its current location on Wood Avenue since 1999, the Boys & Girls Club is set to move into the repurposed Winder-Barrow County Middle School next summer.
Students who take part in Power Hour and Goals for Graduation form the habit of doing homework independently, a habit that helps them in school, and throughout life, according to Hutchens.
their research and they believe in what we do. And it means
“We look forward to the new facility giving us the opportunity to impact even more kids through Power Hour and Goals for Graduation,” says Hutchens.
JacksonEMC.com
13
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
PIEDMONT R EGI O NA L LI BR A R Y S YS T E M prlib.org
st
BASED IN Jefferson
15,000
SERVES Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties
L
GRANT
TOTAL RECEIVED
70,000
$
$
May 2006 for children’s books
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
ibrarians are busier than they’ve even been, according to Beth McIntyre, regional director of Piedmont Regional Library System, which oversees libraries in Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties.
Since awarding its first grant to the library system to
“Brain development begins at birth, and reading to young
purchase $15,000 in children’s books, the Jackson EMC
children has been shown to increase brain development at those
Foundation has contributed $70,000 to the system to build the
imperative early stages,” says McIntyre. “A variety of books is
children’s book collection and to accelerate the system’s e-book
essential at this level of development.”
program, with emphasis on children’s books, according to McIntyre.
Therefore, according to the regional director, the library system’s first priority is to the children in its communities.
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
“Statistics show that a child not reading at grade level by the
14
“That’s a tiny number compared to our print circulation, but
end of third grade is four more times likely to not graduate on
this serves some who can’t come in to the library,” says McIntyre.
time,” says McIntyre, noting that it is in third grade that students
“It’s fine to check out e-books that are on school reading lists or for
should make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn. “In
people who read books on their phones. We can serve them, and
fact, prison planners look at third grade reading levels to see how
we can serve others with print books.”
many cells they’ll need in the future.”
Most important, she reiterates, is that the communities are served with plenty of options for book reading. Of the 160,000
Along with servicing children’s book needs, Piedmont libraries offer programs like Prime Time, where library staff teach parents how to work with children on reading skills.
people who reside in the three counties served by Piedmont Regional Library System, more than 55,000 are library card holders, according to McIntyre. That’s a lot, but she’s eager to hand out more.
In 2013, only 21 percent of fourth grade children from low income families in Georgia could read at or above grade level, according to McIntyre, who says a state goal is for all third graders to read at reading level by 2020. As the only public institution that offers books year-round, the public library will play a pivotal role in helping meet this goal, just as it currently plays a role in preventing the summer slide—the summer break when many students lose retention of what they learned the year before in school. “Especially in the summer, we can’t keep enough children’s books on the shelves; they fly out the door,” says McIntyre. “The Jackson EMC Foundation grants help us serve more children.” Along with servicing children’s book needs, Piedmont libraries offer programs like Prime Time, where library staff teach parents how to work with children on reading skills, according to McIntyre. While research shows it’s beneficial for parents to read physical books with their small children, there’s plenty of room for e-books as well, she adds. “If we don’t use e-books for our youngest, we’re contributing to the digital divide,” says McIntyre. “Why choose, anyway, when libraries have both?” Whether children and parents read books on paper or on their Kindle is not nearly as important as the fact that they’re reading, according to the librarian, who says both methods have merit. “The invention of e-books is like the invention of the escalator,” she says. “The invention of the escalator did not mean the demise of stairs.” McIntyre doesn’t see the demise of hardback or paperback books anytime soon. In the meantime, more than 2,000 e-books were checked out in a recent month.
JacksonEMC.com
15
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
MA DISON CO UNT Y S E NI O R CE NT E R madcosenior.wix.com/mcseniorcenter
st
BASED IN Gainesville
GRANT
15,000
TOTAL RECEIVED
82,500
SERVES Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Gwinnett,
$
$
Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties
May 2006 for Meals on Wheels
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
W
hile Madison County Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels offers the homebound nutritious meals, the program provides much more than physical sustenance. With the daily home delivery of meals, it also provides a cheerful check on senior citizens, plus peace of mind for their families.
“When we drive up to deliver a meal, our clients are waiting
kidney issues of his own. The couple has lived in Georgia for less
on us, sometimes at the door, happy to see us, kind and grateful,”
than a year, moving here after a home invasion at their residence
says Senior Center Director Kelsey Tyner.
in Ohio left Sloan with injuries that forced his early retirement.
Such is the case with clients Sloan and Ruth, who both receive
“I was stabbed 17 times, in the hospital for two months, and had
a hot lunch from the Meals on Wheels program each weekday.
to learn to walk all over again,” says Sloan, a Vietnam veteran who
Ruth suffers with severe arthritis, diabetes, heart and kidney
had been employed as a maintenance worker in Ohio. “I used to
issues that leave her unable to prepare the delicious meals she
work all the time and all of a sudden couldn’t do it anymore. I like to
once cooked. Her husband and caregiver, Sloan, has heart and
work, was in good health, and wasn’t going to retire until I was 67.”
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
After his injuries dictated he retire early, Sloan and Ruth
In delivering hot lunches Monday through Friday, Meals on
moved to the area last February, hoping to get a fresh start where
Wheels provides its 60 senior clients with nutrition,
they had lived years earlier, when Sloan had worked as a student
independence and socialization, according to Tyner.
housing supervisor at the University of Georgia. In March, the couple signed up for Meals on Wheels.
16
“This is a program that goes above and beyond just lunch,” she says. “Our healthy, balanced meals keep people comfortably at home as long as possible. We work with caregivers and home
“When we drive up to deliver a meal, our clients are waiting on us, sometimes at the door, happy to see us, kind and grateful.”
health providers on this as another piece to the puzzle that can help people stay at home. Plus, for seniors who live alone or whose caregivers work during the day, it’s a good resource to have someone visiting in the middle of the day to check on them. It provides added security to seniors.” Tyner applauds not only the grants received but simplicity in
“We get food stamps, but only $16 worth a month, and after I pay our bills, there’s not much left living on a fixed income,” says
the application process. “When I started work here two years ago, one of the first
Sloan. “The meals really help. We save money on food and it’s a
things the previous director told me was to maintain our
good meal that we enjoy having.”
relationship with the Jackson EMC Foundation,” says Tyner. “I
The meals arrive about the same time each day, helping him
discovered ease of access in applying for the grant, which was a
and his wife stay on a healthy schedule, according to Sloan.
super simple process and a great experience. It’s a celebration in
“The mashed potatoes are always delicious,” adds Ruth, his wife
the office when we get this grant.”
of 44 years.
Some Meals on Wheels clients would be cut from the program
As Jackson EMC members who contribute through Operation Round Up, the couple takes pride in knowing they help
if not for the Jackson EMC Foundation, according to Tyner. “Without the Foundation funding, they’d sit at home
themselves — and others — by their donations to the Jackson
without a meal,” she says. “The Jackson EMC Foundation has
EMC Foundation.
been a blessing.”
JacksonEMC.com
17
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
L AWR ENC EVILLE CO O PE R A T I VE M I NI S T R Y lawrencevilleco-op.org
BASED IN Lawrenceville SERVES Lawrenceville and Dacula
st
GRANT
15,000
TOTAL RECEIVED
130,000
$
$
November 2005 for emergency food assistance program
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
F
or two decades, Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry has provided meals, shelter and more to the needy in Lawrenceville and Dacula. For half of that time, since it formed in 2005, the Jackson EMC Foundation has been there to help. Headquartered just past City Hall in Lawrenceville, the ministry opens each Wednesday and Friday as a food pantry and one-stop shop to meet the needs of those in financial straits, according to Executive Director Linda Freund. “In May, we served 49 families,� says Freund. Clients include single moms with children, senior citizens, men who have lost their jobs and more. Assistance ranges from food and emergency shelter to paying for prescription medicine or water
JacksonEMC.com
18
Annual Report
bills. Housing the homeless is one of the
pay your bills, it’s a crisis. Everybody has a
who recalls her first visit to Lawrenceville
organizations major missions—and one
different crisis, a need they can’t meet at
Cooperative Ministry seven years ago.
that the Jackson EMC Foundation has
the moment. Here, we look at individual
consistently supported.
situations and see what people might
and walked in, looked up and saw a sign
do differently.”
that read, ‘For I was hungry and you gave
“We can buy enough food to get everybody fed, but there’s not enough housing for the homeless,” says Freund. “Our ministry provides families with emergency housing for one week in a motel.” Lines form early at Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry where clients come for a variety of needs. What they may lack in resources, they make up for in faith,
me food,’ and I knew I was home,” says
“Everyone who gives when they pay their power bill contributes, and it’s amazing when you consider how many people have touched our ministry in this way.”
according to the ministry director.
Barbara. “So yes, we provide food, but also friendship and caring compassion to our neighbors going through tough times. Most of these folks work paycheck to paycheck and like us, if they miss a paycheck they can get into dire straits.” Carol, a 45-year-old mother of four living in Lawrenceville, has visited the cooperative ministry about once a year
“All I have to do is open the door to see the people and their faith,” says Freund.
“I was looking for a place to volunteer
since 2009. She has received boxes of food Grants from the Jackson EMC
and help in paying bills, assistance that
“This is a place where people receive a
Foundation have helped the ministry
has filled the gaps her family suffers
personal touch; it’s not all about the food.
reach many.
when she’s in-between the temporary jobs
We ask about their family and pray with
“Everyone who gives when they pay
them. We give both literal food for their
their power bill contributes, and it’s
bodies and spiritual food for their souls.”
amazing when you consider how many
The gifts, both physical and spiritual,
she works while seeking fulltime employment. “I’m very grateful for the help I get
people have touched our ministry in this
here,” says Carol. “Thankful means you’re
are necessary to keep families afloat,
way,” says Freund. “What a great way for
satisfied and appreciative, but grateful
according to Freund.
the community to be able to participate in
means very absolutely, you are
meeting God’s need.”
appreciative. I am grateful.”
“When the Great Recession hit in 2008 and 2009, people were desperate, and many still are,” she says. “When you can’t
About 400 volunteers pitch in to operate the ministry, including Barbara
JacksonEMC.com
19
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
PEA CE PLA CE , I NC. peaceplaceinc.org
BASED IN Winder SERVES Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties
st
15,000
T
TOTAL RECEIVED
GRANT
83,910
$
$
March 2006 for transitional housing furniture and appliances
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
he name of its organization describes precisely what Peace Place, Inc. seeks for its clients: Peace. As victims of domestic abuse, that’s what they crave. And Peace Place delivers.
Incorporated in 1998, Peace Place opened its emergency shelter in 2000 and today serves as one of 46 state-certified domestic violence programs in Georgia with its focus on the
And neither does Peace Place. While women and children are far and away their primary clients, men are served as well. “We don’t house them in our shelter, but we do provide
Piedmont Judicial Circuit, which covers Banks, Barrow and
outreach for men and help them get in to transitional housing,”
Jackson counties. Its clients, however, come from all 10 counties
says Tobias, adding that misconceptions about how men wind up
in Jackson EMC’s service area, and beyond.
as victims of abuse are quelled when the most common scenario
“Nationally, one in three teenagers, one in four women, and
is explained: “Men are asked why they didn’t defend themselves,
one in six men will be in a domestic violence relationship,”
when the minute they do and that woman gets a bruise, he’ll go
says Executive Director Nikki Tobias. “Domestic violence does
to jail—and he’s trying to stay home and protect the kids.”
not discriminate.”
JacksonEMC.com
20
Annual Report
The typical abuser, man or woman, grew
For those caught in abusive
onsite, which is obviously safer and
up watching family members be abusive—
relationships, Peace Place provides a
less expensive for them,” says Tobias.
and eventually modeling that behavior in
24-hour crisis hotline and a 15-bed
“Our funding from the Foundation has been
order to gain power and control over their
emergency shelter with four residential
consistent over the past 10 years and has
victim, according to Tobias. The typical
rooms and shared bathrooms, kitchen,
allowed us to do things to help the shelter
victim, she says, is a hopeful woman
living, dining and laundry rooms. The
feel like a home for our clients and to allow
who’s excited about the man she’s met
emergency shelter offers 30 days of
families to stay in our apartments.”
and their future together.
residence, but extended stays are
“If you got punched on the second date,
available, according to Tobias. “They may
you wouldn’t go back for a third,” says
need extra time for finding a job, getting
Tobias. “But it doesn’t work that way. This
drug or alcohol treatment, or physically
kind of abuse is a steady, gradual thing,
healing from abuse,” she says.
with a million little things happening
Most of the six Jackson EMC
along the way before you get hit. And then
Foundation grants awarded to Peace Place
the abuser says, ‘Honey, I don’t know what
over the course of the past decade have
came over me; it won’t happen again.’ And
been for the agency’s transitional housing
it just builds from there.”
program. In 2006, the funds were used to
To keep women from such
purchase appliances and furniture for the
Most of the six Jackson EMC Foundation grants awarded to Peace Place over the course of the past decade have been for the agency’s transitional housing program.
circumstances, Peace Place uses a teen
program when it launched. Last year, a
dating violence curriculum that shows girls
$15,000 grant went to replace floors, paint
In one recent month, according to its
the difference between a normal, healthy
walls, buy appliances and make repairs at
executive director, Peace Place provided
relationship and one that may lead to abuse.
transitional housing facilities.
1,200 bed nights for victims of abuse.
“We could drive down the number of
“We have four apartments and two
“That means 1,200 nights in one month
domestic violence cases in our area if
houses, and the Jackson EMC Foundation
that someone slept safely at our property
young people knew what to expect in a
grant provided washers and dryers for all
without fear of getting beaten,” says
loving relationship,” says Tobias.
of them so our clients can do laundry
Tobias. “It gives me chills.”
JacksonEMC.com
21
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
R AINB O W VI LLA GE peaceplaceinc.org
BASED IN Duluth SERVES Banks, Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson and Madison counties
st
TOTAL RECEIVED
GRANT
15,000
85,000
$
$
September 2006 for transitional housing assistance
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
D
ecorated with colorfully painted walls, rainbows and stuffed animals, the cheerful classrooms at Rainbow Village’s new community center in Duluth belie the fact that many of its students wind up here because they’ve been homeless.
Far from cheerful, their previous lives might have involved
Rainbow Village residents are required to pay 30 percent of
fleeing from an abusive father, or moving from one apartment to
their income for housing and must attend weekly classes on
the next when the family couldn’t make rent, or ending up
parenting, home management, financial literacy, workforce
homeless because their mom’s medical bills stretched the
development, and health and wellness. After-school programs
family’s budget until it snapped.
are provided for their children, along with mental health support
Since 1991, Rainbow Village in Duluth has opened its doors for
programs for the entire family. Families are allowed to stay at
families who find themselves in these or similar situations,
Rainbow Village for one to two years; graduates of the program
welcoming them to furnished apartments that become home
receive continuing support and mentoring.
while they learn to navigate past the traumas that led to and included homelessness.
“Rainbow Village provides the setting, security, support and time needed for families to regain footing in their lives,” says
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
22
“I was afraid it would be the roughest thing ever, but when the Rainbow Village social worker handed me a key and said go on in, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” she says. “It was nicer than what I had been paying for, and the people took us in as if we were family members.”
Since 2006, Jackson EMC Foundation has funded Rainbow Village with grants targeting assistance in the transitional housing program, financial counseling, children and youth programming, and salaries for case managers. For the next 18 months, Tamika and her children turned homelessness into hopefulness. The kids thrived in daycare and after-school programs at Rainbow Village. Tamika learned how to manage her finances and how to promote herself positively in order to gain employment. She learned to shed stigmas associated with homelessness and to share concerns Karen LaFontaine, development director at Rainbow Village. “We transform lives by doing what short term shelters cannot by permanently breaking the cycle of homelessness, poverty and
with her children. “If I’d known the things they taught, things wouldn’t have gone as far as they did during my time of crisis,” she recalls. “At Rainbow Village, we offer a lot of grace and
domestic violence.”
understanding, but at the same time, accountability,” says
“Rainbow Village provides the setting, security, support and time needed for families to regain footing in their lives.”
Lynnette Ward, graduate services director. “Most people have goals and aspirations; they’ve just lost their way temporarily.” Tamika credits Rainbow Village with helping her family find its way. She has a new job, as a paraprofessional in another public school, and a new home, a Habitat for Humanity house in Gwinnett County. Her kids are healthy and happy, and she feels the lessons
A recent graduate of the program and single mother of five children, ages 5 to 15, Tamika has nothing but good things to say
she learned at Rainbow Village are largely responsible. “It was a blessing to have Rainbow Village in my life,” she
about Rainbow Village, which she credits with helping her get
concludes. “No one says, ‘I’m glad I became homeless,’ but I will say
back on her feet.
it was not a bad experience there. I’m capable of doing a lot more
Things had been going well for Tamika until 2012. A recent college graduate, she had purchased a townhouse in Lawrenceville and was working at a public school as a paraprofessional for special
now because of Rainbow Village. And now that I’m back on my own, I can say that we were blessed to experience Rainbow Village.” Since 2006, Jackson EMC Foundation has funded Rainbow
needs children. She had no trouble making payments on her new
Village with grants targeting assistance in the transitional
home—until the school where she worked lost the Title 1 funding
housing program, financial counseling, children and youth
that had paid her wages, which meant she, in turn, lost her job.
programming, and salaries for case managers. In August,
“I was out of work for eight months and used up all my savings
Rainbow Village opened its new community center, where two
while I looked for a job,” says Tamika, recalling how she moved her
of the classrooms for the Early Childhood Development
family into a hotel after she lost the townhouse. Fearing the
Program have been furnished with proceeds from the most
stigma of homelessness, she didn’t know what to tell her children.
recent Jackson EMC Foundation grant.
JacksonEMC.com
23
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
SALVA TION A R M Y O F LA W R E NCE VI LLE uss.salvationarmy.org
BASED IN Lawrenceville SERVES Gwinnett County
st
GRANT
15,000
TOTAL RECEIVED
110,000
$
$
June 2006 for family emergency assistance
Total JEMC Foundation grant monies
I
n the year 2012, there were 26,300 evictions in Gwinnett County, according to Salvation Army of Lawrenceville Major/Gift Manager Michelle Watkins. To meet as much of that need as they could, the local Salvation Army assisted 598 households (comprised of 1,534 individuals) with rental and mortgage assistance in fiscal year 2014. “Families and individuals come to our community center
stabilize these families in crisis. In order to prevent homelessness,
experiencing significant trauma from having lost all of their
the program provides rental assistance for those behind on
belongings thrown out in an eviction or foreclosure and having
payments and facing eviction, financial assistance for those facing
been reduced to spending nights behind abandoned buildings, in
foreclosure, and professional social work, consultation, prayer and
cars,” says Watkins. “Many exhibit signs of clinical depression,
pastoral counseling for any who request such services.
anxiety and PTSD as a result of these experiences.”
Almost every year since it was formed in 2005, the Jackson EMC
The Salvation Army’s Financial Emergency Services (FES) program offers immediate financial and food pantry assistance to
Foundation has granted the Salvation Army of Lawrenceville funds for rental and/or mortgage assistance.
JacksonEMC.com
Annual Report
24
The goal is to keep those suffering financial crisis in their homes. Typical clients range from low wage earners with scant savings who lost employment to those overwhelmed by high costs from an unexpected illness or injury, according to Watkins. “Everyone needs a little help sometimes,” says Salvation Army Social Services Director Debbie Wengrow. “Foreclosures put a drag on the whole community, while keeping people in their homes helps keep the whole community going. Help from the Jackson EMC Foundation helps keep families afloat, and we’re honored to have a partner like them.”
“We continue to see more requests for assistance each year. Without the generosity from the Jackson EMC Foundation, there is a greater probability that families will be displaced from stable housing. Jackson EMC is an amazing partner.” Glenn and Nneka are especially thankful to the Salvation Army and the Jackson EMC Foundation for helping them remain in their home. “I wasn’t working due to illness, and Glenn was working two jobs but there wasn’t enough to cover expenses,” says Nneka. “Society has it there are just lazy people, but that’s not always the case,” says Glenn, who held down two jobs, one at a WalMart Super Center and another as a security officer at Woodruff Arts Center. “I worked overtime, but we were still coming up short and were going to lose our home.” Salvation Army Caseworker Juan Reyes says that because Jackson EMC Foundation grant monies were on hand, the organization was able to assist the couple. “Salvation Army’s mission is to help as much as we can with what we have, and with Jackson EMC Foundation funding in place, we were able to help them,” says Reyes. “Due to recent federal funding budget cuts in Gwinnett, funds provided by the Jackson EMC Foundation are essential to assist families in crisis,” says Watkins. “We continue to see
The Salvation Army this year celebrates 150 years of international service in 126 countries, according to Watkins. “We’ve been helping families stay in their homes for 150
more requests for assistance each year. Without the generosity
years,” she concludes. “It’s a blessing to have great partners like
from the Jackson EMC Foundation, there is a greater probability
the Jackson EMC Foundation who make it possible to do it
that families will be displaced from stable housing. Jackson
properly and efficiently.”
EMC is an amazing partner.”
JacksonEMC.com
25
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
10 YEAR TOTA L GR A NT CO NT R I BUT I O NS B Y S U BJ E C T A RE A
1
Health & Human Services
Addiction/Recovery
Disaster
$345,450
$78,408
Health
$1,440,760
$1,864,618
2
Education
Literacy, GED, tutoring, libraries
3
$1,543,508
Food
Area and church food banks, feeding programs
$552,500
JacksonEMC.com
26
Annual Report
4
Shelter
Temporary shelter, emergency shelter, Habitat for Humanity
5
$1,569,440
Social Services
Abuse/Neglect
$743,159
Special Needs
$1,323,504
Youth
$1,730,645
$3,797,308
10 YEAR TO T A L C O NT R I B UTI O NS 1
Organizations
1,012 grants =
2
Individuals
319 grants =
JacksonEMC.com
$9,075,454
$856,058
27
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
J AC K S ON E M C F O U ND A TIO N, INC.
STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEARS ENDED MAY 31
2015
2014
CHANGES IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS SUPPORT $1,074,435 $1,061,456
Contributions
232
275
53,722
53,073
1,128,389
1,114,804
1,121,106
974,538
62,104
72,974
General and Administrative 53,722
53,073
Interest Donation In-Kind PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES Community Assistance Family Assistance SUPPORT SERVICE EXPENSES
1,236,932
1,100,585
Increase (Decrease) in Unrestricted Net Assets
(108,543)
14,219
298,224
284,005
$189,681
$298,224
Unrestricted Net Assets, Beginning Unrestricted Net Assets, Ending
JacksonEMC.com
28
Annual Report
J AC K S ON E M C F O U ND A TIO N, INC. SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 2015
4-H Club-Madison County
$5,000
Adventure Bags, Inc.
5,000
American Red Cross-East Georgia Chapter
7,500
American Red Cross-Northeast Georgia Chapter
7,500
Angel House of Georgia
7,000
Area Committee to Improve Opportunities Now
6,500
Ark of Jackson County
10,000
Ark: United Ministry Outreach Center
5,000
Asian American Resource Foundation
7,500
Athens Area Emergency Food Bank
2,500
Athens Nurses Clinic
7,500
Athens Urban Ministries
8,000
Atlanta Mission
5,000
Barrow Ministry Village
3,600
Books for Keeps, Inc.
2,500
Boy Scouts of Northeast Georgia
12,500
Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Atlanta
15,000
Boys and Girls Club of Athens
7,500
Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County
15,000
Boys and Girls Club of Winder
15,000
Bread for Life, Inc.
5,000
Camp Koinonia
15,000
Camp Kudzu
8,000
Camp Twin Lakes, Inc.
10,000
CASA-Northeast Georgia
2,000
CASA-Piedmont, Inc.
11,939
Challenged Child and Friends, Inc.
15,000
ChildKind, Inc.
5,000
Children First, Inc.
5,000
Children’s Center for Hope and Healing
15,000
Christian Education Centers, Inc.
15,000
Citizen Advocacy Athens-Clarke, Inc.
5,500
Comprehensive Pet Therapy
3,500
ConnectAbility, Inc.
5,000
Cooperative Ministry-Lawrenceville
15,000
Cooperative Ministry-Lilburn
10,000
Cooperative Ministry-Norcross
15,000
Cooperative Ministry-North Gwinnett
15,000
Cooperative Ministry-Southeast Gwinnett
5,000
Balance-Carried Forward
$336,039
JacksonEMC.com
29
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
J AC K S ON EM C F O U ND A TIO N, INC. SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 2015
Balance-Brought Forward
$336,039
Cross Pointe Church
2,750
Diamond in the Rough Youth Development Program
5,500
Easter Seals of North Georgia
5,000
Exceptional Kids Athletics, Inc.
1,000
Exodus Outreach, Inc.
15,000
Extra Special People, Inc.
13,500
Eyes of Love Lighthouse Mission
10,000
Families of Children Under Stress
5,500
Family Connection-Lumpkin County
4,000
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Inc.
15,000
For Her Glory Fund
15,000
Foster Siblings Reunited
2,000
Franklin Life Pregnancy Resource Center
4,000
Freedom From Bondage, Inc.
5,000
Friends of the State Botanical Garden
3,200
Gainesville Action Ministries
10,000
Gainesville/Hall County Alliance for Literacy
12,000
Gainesville/Hall Community Food Pantry
2,500
Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
10,000
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
5,000
Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia
12,500
Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett
15,000
Good Samaritan Ministries of Northeast Georgia
3,500
Guest House, Inc.
6,000
Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center
15,000
Gwinnett Student Leadership Team
15,000
Habitat for Humanity-Jackson County
15,000
Habitat for Humanity of Hall County, Inc.
15,000
Health Department-Hall County
15,000
Hebron Community Health Center, Inc.
15,000
Hi-Hope Service Center
15,000
Hope Clinic
10,000
I Am, Inc.
10,000
I Still Have a Dream Foundation
10,000
iServe Ministries
3,000
Jackson County Certified Literate Program
15,000
L.A.M.P. Ministries
10,000
Balance-Carried Forward
$681,989
JacksonEMC.com
30
Annual Report
J AC K S ON E M C F O U ND A TIO N, INC. SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 2015
Balance-Brought Forward
$681,989
Lekotek of Georgia
7,500
Balance-Brought Forward
$1,007,489
Success by 6 of United Way of NE Georgia
14,867
Lindsay’s Legacy
15,000
Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Inc.
10,000
MedLink Georgia, Inc.
15,000
Tiny Stitches, Inc.
10,000
6,500
Tree House, Inc.
15,000
University of North Georgia Foundation
15,000
Mentor Program-Clarke County Mercy Health Center
13,500
Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living
7,000
Urban Ministry-Gainesville
Northeast Georgia Care, Inc.
7,500
First United Methodist Church
Newtown Florist Club
5,000
View Point Health
15,000
No One Alone, Inc.
YMCA-Athens
10,000
Northeast Church-Women’s Mission
2,000
YMCA-Winder Barrow Brad Akins
15,000
Nothing but the Truth, Inc.
5,000
YWCO of Athens
Nuci’s Space
4,000
Our Neighbor, Inc.
10,000
1,750
11,000
Path Project, Inc.
2,000
Peace Place, Inc.
15,000
Prevent Child Abuse Athens
4,000
Project ADAM Community Assistance
7,500
Quinlan Arts, Inc.
5,000
Rainbow Children’s Home
7,500
Randy and Friends, Inc.
4,000
Rotary Club of Madison County
15,000
Salvation Army of Gainesville
15,000
Salvation Army of Lawrenceville
15,000
Salvation Army of Toccoa
5,000
Senior Center-Madison County
15,000
Sexual Assault Center of NEGA
5,000
Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse
5,000
Signs and Wonders, Inc.
15,000
Specturm Autism Support Group
10,000
Spirit of Joy Christian Church
2,500
St. Vincent De Paul Society-Flowery Branch
12,000
St. Vincent De Paul Society-Gainesville
12,000
St. Vincent De Paul Society-Jackson County
12,000
St. Vincent De Paul Society-Winder
10,000
Step by Step Recovery
15,000
Straight Street Revolution Ministries Balance-Carried Forward
$1,121,106
5,000
Salvation Army of Athens
7,000
3,000 $ 1,007,489
JacksonEMC.com
31
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation
2015 Jackson EMC Foundation Annual Report
P.O. Box 38 • Jefferson, GA 30549 www.jacksonemc.com/foundation JacksonEMC.com