PARTNERING TO MEET CRISIS
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
PARTNERING TO MEET CRISIS A letter from Joel Harbin & Chip Jakins
Each month since October 2005, the Jackson EMC Foundation has distributed multiple grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Northeast Georgia. Because these grants are funded by money collected from Jackson EMC members through Operation Round Up, the Foundation employs a rigorous vetting procedure when reviewing grant applications, approving only those that meet the highest standards and serve the most people.
shelter-in-place mandates, many throughout our service area were impacted as schools and businesses closed, parents lost jobs and families lost housing. Our proven community partners worked feverishly to meet the need.
As the pandemic spread, many of our
nonprofit partners lost manpower when their faithful but older volunteers—the demographic most vulnerable to the virus—hunkered down at home. Jolts to the supply chain left food banks in short supply. Social distancing forced the agencies to rethink operational procedures. And as they encountered more need than ever before, nonprofit employees and volunteers were overwhelmed.
To help them help those in greatest need,
It can be a time-consuming process.
the Foundation, for the first time, awarded
When COVID-19 led to business shutdowns
emergency grants to nonprofits that provide
and school closures in mid-March, the
basic services. The grants were offered only to
Foundation’s Board of Directors realized we
past grant recipients that were already vetted,
were in a unique position to meet immediate
thereby eliminating the timely vetting process.
need—and we knew time was of the essence.
We sent emails letting these groups know that
emergency grants were available in addition to
While our guidelines have permitted
emergency funding since the Foundation
routine Foundation grants they may receive
began, 2020 marked the first time in our 15
this year. Knowing our community needed
years that an event of this magnitude affected
help fast—and that the nonprofits needed to
our entire 10-county territory. Within weeks of
get to work quickly—we bypassed the
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Annual Report
traditional application process, requiring only
a two-page summary of requests, another effort
we will recall 2020 as the year the Foundation
to ensure speedy review.
halted business as usual to supply emergency
funding to local nonprofits so they could
In March, April and May, the Foundation
We are quite certain that, long from now,
awarded 32 grants to nonprofits that rapidly
provide immediate aid to those suffering most
responded to the crisis by feeding the hungry,
in this pandemic—people who could be your
housing the homeless and providing medicine
friends or neighbors.
for the sick. This year’s annual report features 11 of these agencies. Their leaders share the
Sincerely,
difficulties encountered while serving those struggling in a pandemic.
One recipient summed up what all our
partner nonprofits told us: “We were so excited
Joel Harbin,
and grateful for the grant. It meant we didn’t
Chair, Jackson EMC Foundation
have to turn anyone away.”
Since its inception, the Jackson EMC
Foundation has partnered with area nonprofits that do the most good, awarding a total of $15,708,412 in grants. This year, the Foundation
Chip Jakins,
awarded $1,240,076 in community grants with
President/CEO, Jackson EMC
$969,319 disbursed as regular grants and another $270,757 given as emergency grants.
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“There was no playbook for this.”
GEORGIA M O U N T A I N F O O D BA N K Gainesville / gamountainfoodbank.org
FOOD
10,000
$
for Emergency Food Assistance
Serves: Hall and Lumpkin counties
Noe, left, shares “thumbs up” with Georgia Mountains YMCA CEO Amy Kienle and Food Bank Board Member Dennis Stockton after receiving groceries at a distribution at the YMCA.
In the middle of March, operations at Georgia Mountain Food Bank transitioned from routine to unpredictable almost overnight. need. The food bank supplies five
imagine what that did to our donations.
hourly, with food donations in sharp
counties, including Hall and Lumpkin
We saw decreases of up to 50%. The
decline, school meals being missed, and
where 49 of their 71 partner agencies are
stores just couldn’t replace products on
service workers losing their income,”
located.
their shelves fast enough. The supply
recalls Executive Director Kay
chain was frozen.”
Blackstock. “A decrease in food
food and grocery products that these
availability created uncertainty for all.”
smaller agencies distribute,” says
go-to for emergency food, Georgia
“Things were developing daily, even
“We typically supply the majority of
Blackstock felt that, as the region’s
Blackstock, noting that, in normal times,
Mountain Food Bank was responsible for
nonprofit food distributor would continue
almost 65% of the food bank’s inventory
acquiring enough food to stock the
to supply its partner agencies on the
comes from retail donations. “When the
frontline food pantries.
front lines of food donations. Those
pandemic began to put a stranglehold on
partners include small food pantries that
the country and people rushed to grocery
we knew we could not let hunger
provide groceries to their neighbors in
stores and emptied the shelves, you can
exacerbate the pandemic,” she says.
Blackstock was determined the
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“There was no playbook for this, but
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Georgia Mountain Food Bank distributed food through community food drives at least once weekly during the crisis.
supporter in multiple ways. We appreciate the fact that the
“We had to provide our service as quickly as possible.”
Jackson EMC Foundation supports many of our partners and
By June, with cash donations from the Jackson EMC
Foundation and other charitable organizations, Georgia
peer food banks as well.”
Mountain Food Bank had purchased $70,000 worth of food for
its COVID-19 response. The director estimates her agency’s total
Mountain Food Bank summer distribution, expresses gratitude.
expense in responding to the crisis could reach $500,000 by
“It goes to show there are still people who care,” she concludes.
Elisa, a client who received groceries during a Georgia
year’s end.
“There was no playbook for this, but we knew we could not let hunger exacerbate the pandemic. We had to provide our service as quickly as possible.” — KAY BLACKSTOCK
“There’s still a lot of need out there,” she says. “When we
look at the counties we serve, we have double-digit unemployment with numbers five times higher than they were last year. We’re helping the newly unemployed who have never been in this position, plus we’re taking care of those already struggling.”
Hearing from Jackson EMC’s Foundation coordinator Lori
Worley was a blessing out of the blue, according to Blackstock: “She said that since we’d been a grant-funded charity in the past, they were offering us emergency funding. We were thrilled by that. Jackson EMC’s Operation Round Up has been our
Adrian, left, calls Georgia Mountain Food Bank her family’s “lifesaver” during the early stages of the pandemic. “It was hard to track down anything in the stores, and what was there was expensive,” she says. “This filled the gap.”
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“We needed the extra help.”
ME NDI NG THE GAP Lawrenceville / mending-the-gap.org
FOOD
3,000
$
Serves:
for Save Our Seniors meal program
Gwinnett County
Betty, resident of an apartment complex in Lawrenceville, receives groceries from Mending the Gap volunteer Lisa Wilson as volunteers Beverly Mayes and B.J. Burton check their list to make sure all participating residents are served.
Just days into the pandemic, Mending the Gap’s average of 300 seniors served by their agency increased to more than 400, according to Founder and Executive Director Fay Josephs. “This is a critical time for senior citizens who are the most
“The increase in services due to COVID left us with empty
vulnerable for COVID-19, which has had a major impact on our
shelves and limited resources,” says Josephs. “At the same time,
programs,” says Josephs. “The needs have dramatically increased.”
there was a decrease in donations as donors were reluctant to
Mending the Gap serves low-income seniors who live independently by providing them with emotional support, camaraderie, groceries, toiletries and household cleaning supplies.
give because they also were feeling the pressure, and our spring fundraiser was canceled.” A $3,000 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation helped fill the gap for Mending the Gap, which worked to keep their senior
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Apartment resident Olanrewaju, left, gratefully receives a bag of food from Mending the Gap volunteer Beverly Mayes.
increased our phone calls to seniors to reassure and
clients at home—safe and healthy. “We needed the extra help,” says Josephs. “It was wonderful because
encourage them through this difficult time,” says Josephs.
we wanted to provide as much support as we could.” Whereas the nonprofit agency routinely delivers groceries and
Darlene, the resident of a Lawrenceville apartment
household supplies to seniors once a month, during the pandemic, they
complex where many seniors receive Mending the
increased deliveries to once a week. And, for the first time, they
Gap services, heaps praise on the nonprofit. “What they do for us is something we can depend
delivered prepared meals to clients.
on,” she says while clutching a brand new bag
“The increase in services due to COVID left us with empty shelves and limited resources.”
chockfull of groceries.
— FAY JOSEPHS
“Because they are so susceptible to this virus, we have been delivering meals to our seniors’ homes twice a week,” says Josephs. “This helped keep them safe at home.” To deliver fresh meals to seniors twice weekly, Mending the Gap worked with local restaurants that donated meals or gave discounts. “That’s mainly what our grant went to—to provide meals and deliver groceries to more seniors, more frequently, which helped them stay home and stay safe,” says Josephs. The Jackson EMC Foundation assistance enabled Mending the Gap to redirect attention that might have gone into procuring funds to addressing other needs of senior citizens. “For older adults who cherish time spent with friends, this distancing can be tough mentally and emotionally, therefore we
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John, a Lawrenceville resident, counts on Mending the Gap for food and household items.
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“Our food pantry was empty.”
LUMP KIN COUNTY F AMI L Y CONNE CTI ON Dahlonega / lumpkin.gafcp.org
FOOD
5,000
$
for food for Backpack Buddies Program
Serves: Lumpkin County
Lumpkin County Family Connection Executive Director Brigette Barker prepares to deliver a box of fresh produce to a family in need.
Brigette Barker, executive director for Lumpkin County Family Connection, relies on numbers to tell the story of COVID-19’s impact on her agency’s mission to provide food to families in need. “Before the pandemic, we were feeding 40 families a week, and that went up to 120 a week,” she says. “Whereas we used to give out 3,000 pounds of food each month, we were doing 10,000
items from food banks were getting scarce. Then when school closed, we started to panic because the number of requests tripled.” Due to school cancelations and parents losing income during the pandemic, the need for assistance with food
pounds because of the virus.” Routinely, Lumpkin County Family Connection provides food on weekends for about 140 children through its Backpack
increased dramatically, according to Barker. “But inventory at the food bank dropped really low, so our
Buddies Program, which sends kids home from school each
food pantry was empty,” she adds. “With inventory also low at
Friday with backpacks loaded with food. But that number more
grocery stores, we had to get creative in order to feed families.
than doubled last spring.
We purchased food wherever we could find it—grocery stores,
“We found ourselves in a predicament around March,” says Barker. “We started to see what was coming with COVID, and
restaurants, food banks—so we could get it to families who get free and reduced lunches or were otherwise affected by COVID.”
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At the height of the pandemic, more than 60 volunteers helped box food at Family Connection’s office at Lumpkin County Middle School where drive-up distributions were held since students weren’t in school to get backpacks. Families received nonperishables, meats, milk and fresh produce. The Jackson EMC Foundation grant helped the nonprofit continue its cause. “A good portion of our funding already comes from the Jackson EMC Foundation, which covers half of the 140 children we typically serve,” says Barker. “Then we got an email asking if we needed more funding. We were telling people ‘We’ll feed you, we’ll feed you,’ but we didn’t know how we were going to do that. It was definitely a faith over fear moment.” The grant was approved about the same time Lumpkin County schools were on spring break, Barker recalls: “Schools had started doing meals, but they weren’t providing them during spring break. We used some of the money from the emergency grant to purchase families gift cards to local restaurants that were struggling as well. It was a great opportunity to help not only families that were hurting but small businesses in our community.” Like many nonprofit agencies who weathered the COVID-19
Volunteer Carl Gibson loads his truck with food he’ll take to families in need.
crisis, Lumpkin County Family Connection has made numerous operational changes, including holding weekly food drives in the summer whereas food was only distributed upon request during past summer breaks. Bottom line, says Barker, “We haven’t had to turn away anyone,
“With inventory also low at grocery stores, we had to get creative in order to feed families.”
thanks to this emergency grant.”
Among the superheroes who served their communities by helping Lumpkin County Family Connection meet abundant need are, from left, volunteer Heather Marshall, Executive Director Brigette Barker and volunteer Wendy Whitfield.
Tammy is grateful for assistance that helps her provide meals to foster children in her care.
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— BRIGETTE BARKER
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“One day they went to work; the next day, they were let go.”
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY/PRINCE OF PEACE CATHOLIC CHURCH Flowery Branch / popfb.org
HOUSING
10,000
$
for Emergency Assistance with rent, mortgage and housing
Serves: Hall, Jackson and Gwinnett counties
Concern for those adversely affected by COVID-19 weighs heavy on St. Vincent de Paul Co-President Ron Lowe.
Some people who were suddenly out of jobs during the pandemic faced a crisis when they couldn’t afford to pay their rent or monthly mortgage. St. Vincent de Paul-Prince of Peace Conference in Flowery Branch worked to meet that need. St. Vincent de Paul routinely provides services and financial assistance to low-income families struggling to meet basic
Lowe, who targeted their Jackson EMC Foundation grant funds to help families pay rent and mortgage.
needs and maintain financial stability. With the onset of the coronavirus, the nonprofit organization anticipated an increase in requests for help. As the economic downturn resulted in high unemployment, many already hard-hit families found themselves unable to pay for housing or utilities, according to St. Vincent-Prince of Peace Conference Co-Presidents Beverly Kazienko and Ron
“I’ve heard someone say, ‘It’s not paycheck to paycheck. It’s minimum payment to minimum payment.’”
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— RON LOWE
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Annual Report
While consultations with clients are usually done in person, St. Vincent de Paul practiced social distancing by visiting with clients on the phone, as Co-President Ron Lowe does here.
averages $1,000 a month in their area. Lowe applauded independent landlords who held off on evictions during the crisis in order to give renters the option to catch up on payments in coming months. “We knew some of these folks were in bad enough financial shape that if they got three months behind, the odds were against them ever catching up,” says Lowe. “These are people living on the financial edge. I’ve heard someone say, ‘It’s not paycheck to paycheck. It’s minimum payment to minimum payment.’” Not all landlords were able to offer postponed payments because some depend on the monthly rent to pay their own mortgage, according to Lowe, who says the St. Vincent de Paul Society routinely works with landlords and banks to prevent evictions and foreclosures. “We anticipate this need will increase dramatically as Opening the mail to find an eviction notice prompts a prayer for help.
the pandemic progresses,” he adds. Their organization already had put in this year’s
“We got that money on April 1 and by April 10, it was gone,”
request for a grant when they got an email from Lori
says Kazienko, noting that 40 individuals were helped by the
Worley advising that the Jackson EMC Foundation was
grant. “In April, so many asked for help, but in May it slowed
offering emergency grants. “We jumped on it because we knew we’d need it,”
down, and we think that’s because people were starting to get stimulus checks and unemployment. The biggest challenge was
Kazienko recalls. “In the beginning when all this got
that people lost their job immediately. One day they went to
crazy and they started shutting down everything, our
work; the next day, they were let go.”
donations went down. We were elated when we heard from
Most families used the funding they received from the
Jackson EMC.”
Foundation to pay rent, according to Kazienko, who says rent
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“I’m so thankful we were able to stay here.”
S A LV A TI ON ARMY/ATHE NS Athens / uss.salvationarmy.org
HOUSING
10,000
$
for Emergency Assistance with housing, shelter and food
Serves: Clarke, Madison and Oglethorpe counties
What might have been a woeful experience for Shylexius and her baby, Brooklynn, was transformed into a joyful memory, thanks to the Salvation Army in Athens. Shylexius was entering her third trimester of pregnancy
Salvation Army Captain Mechelle Henry holds 2-week-old Brooklynn.
so I offered her a job as a dorm monitor. It’s part-time, but with
when her mom lost hours from her job and couldn’t pay for car
COVID she worked extra hours and was able to get back into
repairs. Her mother, Katrina, ended up losing her transportation,
public housing in June.”
job and home. Katrina moved her family, including Shylexius
During their four-month stay at the shelter, Katrina’s family
and her four siblings, into the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope
was showered with love. And at a baby shower shortly before
shelter in Athens just as the pandemic was starting to ramp up.
the baby arrived, employees and volunteers gave the family
“She had stayed here briefly a year before,” says Salvation
“enough diapers to last six months,” according to Mechelle.
Army Captain Mechelle Henry, who oversees the shelter with her husband, Erik. “I knew she was trustworthy and hardworking,
On May 21, baby Brooklynn was born at Athens Piedmont Hospital. Four days later, mother and child returned “home” to
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“It’s a different kind of different; we just have to work around whatever the barriers are.” — MECHELLE HENRY
With a bond that will last forever, Salvation Army Captain Mechelle Henry, left, gets an update on baby Brooklynn’s growth from mom Shylexius and grandmother Katrina.
the shelter. “I’m more than grateful,” Shylexius said while
Prior to the pandemic, Center of Hope operated as an
cradling her 2-week-old baby in June. “I’m so thankful we were
emergency shelter, open 365 days a year but only at night.
able to stay here.”
Typically in the daytime, shelter residents go to work or look for
“It’s been a privilege,” Katrina added, “to have a roof over our heads.”
jobs. But starting in March, jobs and job opportunities were gone. “As the number of COVID cases rose, so did its impact on those who need the Salvation Army,” says Mechelle. To meet the rapidly growing need, the shelter opened around-the-clock. Daily operations changed dramatically. Social distancing allowed only 54 of the shelter’s 76 beds to be in use. Extra cleaning was done twice daily, and residents were provided masks. “It’s a different kind of different; we just have to work around whatever the barriers are,” says Mechelle, noting that the Jackson EMC Foundation grant was instrumental in keeping their services ongoing. “As we got into shelter in place in mid-March, a lot of businesses started closing and, by April, people were asking us for assistance with rent and utilities. We helped a lot of people stay in their homes by paying their rent. And with our shelter care, we helped people with their medicines, helped them look for an apartment, look for jobs, and helped clothe some of them. When it comes to housing, it’s a little bit of everything.” With their thrift store closed due to COVID-19, the Salvation Army needed assistance. “Donations went down, but people still needed help,” says Mechelle. “The Jackson EMC Foundation grant came at a wonderful time. Because of it, we knew that when people came
Shylexius lived at a Salvation Army shelter when daughter Brooklynn was born in May.
to us and asked for help, we would be able to provide it.”
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“Families were grateful.”
JACKSON CO U N T Y S C HO O L S Y S T E M Jefferson / jacksonschoolsga.org
EDUCATION
2,800
$
for Education Assistance with Wi-Fi options
Serves: Jackson County
Kannam, 4, beams with pride as he uses his laptop onboard a Jackson County school bus parked near his neighborhood.
When schools closed in mid-March due to the pandemic, education suddenly shifted from an in-classroom experience to online learning. That shift threatened to leave behind students with limited or no internet access.
Thanks to an emergency grant from
The Jackson EMC Foundation helped
“Due to the limited cable/fiber options
the Jackson EMC Foundation, internet
turn over the proverbial stones by
available, we had approximately 200
access was transported into communities
providing grants to four school systems
students who had no access to learning
that lacked it, giving all students equal
for Wi-Fi access: Commerce, Jefferson,
while being required to shelter in place,”
opportunity for education.
Jackson County and Madison County.
says Jackson County School System
With their grant, the Jackson County
Superintendent April Howard. “Our
kids don’t have internet,” says Jackson
School System purchased three
technology team partnered with our
County School System Director of
SuperKajeet SmartBus Wi-Fi systems,
transportation department and we
Technology Michael Summer. “We need
hot spot products that provide a 100-yard
equipped three buses to allow these
to turn over every stone to do everything
range for connectivity when mounted on
students to participate in the same remote
we can for our students.”
a school bus.
learning experience as their peers.”
“You can’t have distance learning if
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Marleigh, left, and Emma share a laugh while working on school work outside a Jackson County school bus outfitted with a high-speed mobile hot spot.
“Our technology team partnered with our transportation department and we equipped three buses to allow these students to participate in the same remote learning experience as their peers.”
— APRIL HOWARD
A wireless broadband provider that specializes in the K-12 market,
Kajeet supplies content filtering and Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliance, ensuring that children are not able to access unsavory sites or social media, according to Summer.
“They are for educational purposes only,” he says. “Families were
grateful for their children being able to bring home Chromebooks and have internet access to use them.”
The three Wi-Fi-equipped buses were parked in different
neighborhoods where the need was greatest. A piece of paper taped to the door shared the user name and password students could use to connect to the internet. Buses remained parked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“In one neighborhood, the bus driver parked close to a community
pool, so kids were able to sit at a picnic table under the shade to do their schoolwork,” says Summer. “With the Jackson EMC Foundation gift, we were able to reach the most kids in each neighborhood. Moving forward, we may be able to use these Wi-Fi systems more.”
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Marleigh, left, and Mitchell could drive to the nearest Wi-Fi equipped bus to access the internet.
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“COVID-19 created urgency.”
MA DIS ON C OUNTY SCHOOL SYSTE M Danielsville / Madison.k12.ga.us
EDUCATION
8,000
$
Serves:
for Education/Wi-Fi ($4,000) & Food/Backpack Program ($4,000)
Madison County
Gabriella and her brother Bayne check school assignments with Wi-Fi provided by a mobile hotspot on a Madison County school bus.
With approximately 5,000 students attending Madison County School System’s seven schools, about one-fifth of the student population does not have adequate internet access at home. When schools closed and students shifted to online learning in March, these students ran the risk of not getting the same level of instruction as their peers with reliable internet access. “We are a predominantly agricultural district that still has a
we had been cognizant for some time of the homework gap, or
lot of rural areas with limited or no internet access, and this has
digital divide, the gap was amplified by our sudden switch to
been a barrier, a challenge, for many of our students,” says
digital learning as our only option.”
Madison Schools Superintendent Michael Williams. “Although
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Annual Report
“Getting the mobile hotspots to where students live allowed them to either stay at home or walk nearby to complete their schoolwork.”
— MICHAEL WILLIAMS
A $4,000 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation enabled Madison Schools to purchase four Kajeet SmartBus Wi-Fi systems, which were installed in four school buses. With a range of 100 yards, the length of a football field, the mobile hotspot allows students within range to access the internet. In the spring, buses were driven to neighborhoods that lacked connectivity and parked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. “Students within 100 yards of the bus would have internet,” says Williams. “Getting the mobile hotspots to where students live allowed them to either stay at home or walk nearby to complete their schoolwork, and families outside the 100-yard range could drive their kids to the bus and the kids could sit in the car to do schoolwork.” Williams says the school system would reevaluate mobile access locations as necessary in case distance learning carries over to the 2020-21 school term—when all students are issued a Chromebook. “Smartphones are prevalent, but there’s a limited amount of schoolwork you can do on a smartphone,” says Williams. “With Chromebooks, students need internet capability, and with the mobile While schooling from home last spring, Gerardo pedaled his bicycle to a school bus parked in his rural neighborhood to provide internet connectivity.
hotspots that we have now, we’re able to provide that to students who otherwise would not have the internet access they need for schoolwork.” Bringing Wi-Fi into neighborhoods without it came sooner than he might have expected, according to Williams.
“Eventually we would have done this anyway, but COVID-19
created urgency and the need for a rapid response to provide this for our students, and now we’re set up to do it in the future,” he says. “Parents are very appreciative of the ability to connect to the internet, and we are very appreciative of the Jackson EMC Foundation for their generosity and for shortening their application process and increasing the urgency to get this approved. Having the Jackson EMC Foundation contribute to the success of our students is just so impactful.”
This cellphone shows availability of Wi-Fi provided through Kajeet SmartBus.
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“People were under so much stress.”
NORT H GWI NNE TT COOPE RATI VE Buford / northgwinnettcoop.org
HEALTH & MEDICATION
20,000
$
for food and prescription medications
Serves: Gwinnett County
Buford residents Gretta and Eddie know they can depend on North Gwinnett Cooperative. “Eddie has multiple health problems,” says Gretta. “The Co-op helps us with our co-pays for things like inhalers and insulin. I don’t know what we would do without them.”
In March and April, North Gwinnett Cooperative distributed more food than in all of 2019, according to Executive Director Kim Phillips. While the co-op gave out 172,000 pounds of food in 2019, an astonishing 181,000 pounds was provided in just two months last spring. Prior to COVID-19, the nonprofit
confusion from those who had never
worked and, all of a sudden, neither was
served an average of 21 families per day.
been to a food bank and were asking for
working. We saw families who had
On March 30, due to the pandemic, they
help for the first time,” she recalls, noting
savings that ran out while they waited on
served 250 families, according to Phillips.
that 43% of those served at the onset of
unemployment payments.”
“We saw a lot of anxiety and fear, a lot of that deer-in-the-headlights look and
the crisis were new clients. “We had families where Mom and Dad both
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A nonprofit that routinely provides food, medicine and other necessities to those in
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“We saw a lot of anxiety and fear, a lot of that deer-in-the-headlights look and confusion from those who had never been to a food bank and were asking for help for the first time.”
— KIM PHILLIPS
Phillips witnessed the crisis leading to an increase in need for blood pressure and other medications. “People were under so much stress,” she says, recalling one client whose medicine costs $800 a month. “She could only afford $200 a month, so until her insurance company would approve it, we paid the difference.” Every other week, the co-op delivered food and medication to the doorsteps of their clients so that older residents didn’t have to leave their homes. “That helped us keep our seniors safe,” says Phillips. “We are blessed in Gwinnett that so many nonprofits, like the Jackson EMC Foundation, partner with us to get the job done.” As the cost of living due to health concerns goes up for seniors, their benefits do not. “A lot of our seniors make the decision whether they eat or take their medicine,” Phillips concludes. “We want them to not have to make that decision but get both. The Jackson EMC Foundation grant enabled us to provide food during the crisis and to serve 50 additional families with the prescription medication they need.”
Carolyn appreciates the help she gets from North Gwinnett Co-op, which picks up her medicine and pays the co-pay. “The love, patience and personalities of the staff and volunteers are fantastic,” she says. “They just save me.”
need, North Gwinnett Co-op focused on food and medication at the onset of the pandemic. With a $20,000 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation, they were able to meet the growing need. “Like everybody else, we had to adapt quickly,” says Phillips. “In normal times, people would come to our office, be seen by an intake coordinator, we’d give them a check and they would go get their medicine. Last spring, we called all of our senior clients
Ever at her husband’s side, Gretta lovingly adjusts Eddie’s mask to ensure his safety.
and said, ‘Please don’t come here. We’ll get your medication and bring it to you.’”
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“The challenge in March led to a crisis.”
A MERICA N RED CROSS OF NORTHE AST GE ORGI A Watkinsville / Redcross.org/local/Georgia/about-us/locations/northeast-georgia
HEALTH & MEDICATION
10,000
$
for biomedical services for blood collection
Serves: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties
Emily was one of many community members who donated blood as a way to help others during the pandemic.
Groceries and hand sanitizer weren’t the only things in short supply last spring when COVID-19 hit the nation. The America Red Cross faced a severe blood shortage after an unprecedented number of blood drives were canceled during the coronavirus outbreak. “As the pandemic grew, we saw blood drive cancellations
shortage, according to Vella. With 40% of the nation’s blood
grow at an alarming rate,” recalls Joe Vella, regional philanthropy
supply provided through the American Red Cross, the
officer for the American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia. “This
organization takes pride in the fact that it provides a safe and
impacted patients who needed surgery, victims of car accidents
efficient blood supply to fill the nation’s needs, he adds.
or other emergencies, and patients suffering from cancer.
“This is dependent on donors, and the challenge in March
Healthy individuals were needed to give blood to help patients
led to a crisis,” Vella says. “In Georgia and across the nation,
counting on lifesaving blood throughout the pandemic.”
elective surgeries were postponed. In May, elective surgeries
In Jackson EMC’s service area, 51 blood drives were canceled between March 9 and April 30, amounting to a 1,167-pint blood
were happening again, so we found ourselves urging people to donate blood and urging organizations to stage blood drives.”
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The Jackson EMC Foundation grant money was used to fund blood drives by paying for the medical staff and supplies, promotion of the drive, and refrigeration of the blood collected. “While the coronavirus pandemic has grabbed ahold of us and thrown us into a frenzy, the work of the Red Cross to fill its day-in, day-out mission continues,” says Vella. “The $10,000 from the Jackson EMC Foundation is a significant sum that we didn’t have for biomedical purposes, and we are doing what we can to assure a safe and available blood supply.” In the coming year, Red Cross will invest $150 million in the U.S. for biomedical relief and research, according to Vella, who says the outlay will fund research on plasma utilization for coronavirus survivors in order to find antibodies necessary to create a vaccine. Along with ensuring a safe and reliable blood supply, the American
Blood Collection Technician Shakira assists Emily during her donation.
Red Cross of Northeast Georgia assists families who lose homes to fire. “We act as major consolers,” says Vella. “We’re the ones throwing a blanket around those folks in the middle of the night and providing emergency shelter, food and counseling.” In a recent six-month period, the Red Cross assisted 279 victims of house fires in Gwinnett County alone, according to Vella. “Jackson EMC members who donate to Operation Round Up want to make sure their money stays local,” he concludes. “With house fire assistance and blood drives, we accomplish both, and we take great pride in that.”
Blood donor Marci did her part to replenish Georgia’s blood supply last spring.
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“In Georgia and across the nation, elective surgeries were postponed. In May, elective surgeries were happening again, so we found ourselves urging people to donate blood and urging organizations to stage blood drives.”
— JOE VELLA
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“The possibilities are endless.”
COMMU N I T Y HE L P I N G P L A C E Dahlonega / communityhelpingplace.org
OTHER SERVICES
5,000
$
for Emergency Assistance with food, rent and transportation
Serves: Lumpkin County
Jessica takes her trike for a test ride at her apartment complex in Dahlonega.
Community Helping Place was in its early stages of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak when they heard from the Jackson EMC Foundation.
“We were excited and comforted by the news that the
Foundation would consider requests for special funding for emergency assistance,” recalls Executive Director Melissa Line. “Their generous offer to consider additional funding could not have come at a more critical time.”
As Lumpkin County’s largest outreach program,
Community Helping Place serves one in seven Lumpkin
food. We had folks asking for more than we usually provide.”
County residents by providing a variety of needs, including
food, medical, housing and transportation. Just days into the
increased by 30 families weekly, according to Line, who says
pandemic, the nonprofit began to feel the crunch.
the pandemic brought increased costs for extra cleaning
supplies, paperwork and signs to notify clients of social
“We started seeing an uptick in need by the end of March,”
says Line. “We immediately saw a 25% increase in requests for
During the week of March 16, the agency’s foot traffic
distancing. Funds at the nonprofit were already on the
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Jessica’s pride was palpable upon receiving her new trike. From left are, Community Helping Place Executive Director Melissa Line, Logistics Manager David Smith, Jessica, Resource Coordinator Kim Smith and Director of Client Services Debi Holloway.
“This means the world to me,” Jessica says of receiving an adult trike and accessories, including helmet. “I am grateful.”
“We were excited and comforted by the news that the Foundation would consider requests for special funding for emergency assistance.”
help her with health care and other needs,” says Line. “We
— MELISSA LINE
the thrift store, had experienced declining sales since 2018 due mostly to competition from other thrift shops. “We were already stretched as tightly as possible to meet
our budget, and the need for our services kept increasing exponentially as a result of COVID-19,” she says. “But with assistance from Jackson EMC’s and other foundations, we didn’t have to turn anyone away.”
“She’d gone from living in a storage shed to living in a
subsidized apartment and landed on her feet, so we’ve tried to
big a financial burden for her to pay for insurance, tag and maintenance. She said an adult trike would be ideal.”
Community Helping Place used part of their Jackson EMC
Foundation grant to purchase a purple trike with a basket Jessica can use to carry groceries and other items.
“Now I can transport myself to and from places,” she said,
beaming the June day she received the trike. “It may take some practice and endurance, but it will be worth it. I can ride to the park with my kids, go get groceries, and go back and
Their grant money helped the agency expand its gas
forth to work now. This means the world to me. The
voucher program, which provides $20 vouchers for those
possibilities are endless. I am grateful.”
needing assistance with transportation.
Jessica lacked a way to get to work so she didn’t have a job.
would have been willing to get her a car but felt it would be too
downturn, she says, noting that their largest source of revenue,
One client who needed help with transportation was
assisted in a unique way. A single mom in Dahlonega,
“We were able to give out more of those with fewer
restrictions,” says Line. “And we were able to help people with bills as high as $380, thanks to the extra funding.”
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
“This meant the world to my daughter and me.”
GEORGI A M O U N T A I N S Y M C A Gainesville / gamountainsymca.org
OTHER SERVICES
15,000
$
for Crisis Childcare
Serves: Hall County
Tara looks on as her daughter, Tate, and Project Leader Jennifer Godfrey review their day.
Like other nonprofits in Jackson EMC’s service area, Georgia Mountains YMCA received an emergency grant last spring for which its staff and those served were thankful.
“The funds from the Jackson EMC
“It allowed us to offer childcare to
working fulltime was that schoolwork
Foundation helped us fulfill our mission,”
medical professionals, first responders
was adding huge stress. Kids being able
says Director of Development Amy Booth.
and other essential workers who relied
to visit here with our counselors and
on us to care for their children as they
certified teacher took that piece off the
childcare center a month before the
battled this virus on the frontline,” Booth
plate for the family.”
pandemic changed day-to-day life in
says, noting she recognized increased
Georgia. Overnight, the new center
stress levels in working parents who
according to Booth, who says that while a
transitioned into “Crisis Camp” to offer
suddenly had kids home from school.
traditional YMCA day camp costs $135
crisis childcare for families affected by the
“They ran the risk of losing jobs because
per week per child, the cost for crisis
COVID-19 pandemic. The “camp” was open
they didn’t have childcare. One of the
childcare was reduced to $50.
for childcare from March 16 to May 22.
biggest things for parents who were still
Fortuitously, the YMCA had opened a
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Fifty students attended Crisis Camp,
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Annual Report
Tate waves goodbye to her mom as she prepares to enter the YMCA with Project Leader Jennifer Godfrey.
“We lowered the cost and extended our hours to
accommodate law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals whose shifts are typically 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” says Booth, noting that children received two meals, a snack, help with homework and socialization. “At a time when social distancing is a priority, the YMCA can provide socialization, and while we can’t give children hugs or even a high five, we can show them love and support.”
“We truly appreciate the ongoing support of the Jackson EMC Foundation, which has supported us over the years. This added assistance meant a great deal in helping us support the community around us.”
— AMY BOOTH
With help from counselors, students held Zoom sessions
with their school teachers and were able to keep up with classwork in a fun and safe atmosphere, according to Booth.
“We truly appreciate the ongoing support of the Jackson
EMC Foundation, which has supported us over the years,” she says. “This added assistance meant a great deal in helping us support the community around us.”
Tara is a single parent who appreciates the help. An
administrative assistant with Northeast Georgia Health Systems, her job since the onset of COVID-19 has been to support counselors who help fellow employees deal with the stress and anxieties of the pandemic.
“I’ve seen this crisis from every angle,” says Tara. “Having
this childcare has been a lifesaver for me because without it, I would have no job. I simply had no other childcare options. This meant the world to my daughter and me.”
Stress was reduced for Tara and Tate, thanks to Georgia Mountains YMCA.
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
EMERGENCY GRANTS SPR I NG 2020
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Annual Report
American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia: $10,000/biomedical services for blood collection; Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties Athens Community Council on Aging: $10,000/food for seniors; Clarke County Atlanta Community Food Bank: $20,000/food; Gwinnett County Banks-Jackson Food Bank: $5,000/food; Banks and Jackson counties Commerce City Schools: $3,600/Wi-Fi for students; Jackson County Community Helping Place: $5,000/food, rent and transportation; Lumpkin County Duluth First United Methodist Church: $1,000/food for children; Gwinnett County Food Bank of Northeast Georgia: $10,000/food; Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties Georgia Mountain Food Bank: $10,000/food; Hall and Lumpkin counties Georgia Mountains YMCA: $15,000/crisis childcare; Hall County Good News Clinics: $10,000/medications and diabetic testing supplies; Hall County Hamilton Mill UMC Food Pantry: $2,500/food; Gwinnett and Barrow counties iServe Ministries: $10,000/food; Jackson and Madison counties J.M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA: $15,000/food and emergency childcare, Gwinnett County Jackson County School System: $2,800/Wi-Fi for students; Jackson County Jefferson City Schools: $3,000/Wi-Fi options for students; Jackson County Lawrenceville Cooperative: $10,000/food; Gwinnett County Lumpkin County Family Connection: $5,000/food; Lumpkin County Madison County School District: $8,000/food and Wi-Fi for students; Madison County Mending the Gap: $3,000/food and household supplies for seniors; Gwinnett County New Path 1010: $8,857/food; Barrow County Norcross Meals on Wheels: $3,000/food and supplies for seniors; Gwinnett County North Gwinnett Cooperative: $20,000/food and prescription medications; Gwinnett County Salvation Army/Athens: $10,000/housing, shelter and food; Clarke, Madison and Oglethorpe counties Salvation Army/Gainesville: $5,000/housing, shelter and food; Hall, Jackson, Banks and Barrow counties Salvation Army/Lawrenceville: $5,000/food and housing; Gwinnett County St. Vincent de Paul Society/Winder: $10,000/rent, mortgage and food; Barrow County St. Vincent de Paul Society/Flowery Branch: $10,000/rent, mortgage and emergency housing; Hall, Jackson and Gwinnett counties St. Vincent de Paul Society/Gainesville: $10,000/housing, food, medication and transportation; Hall County St. Vincent de Paul Society/Jefferson, $10,000/rent, mortgage and emergency housing, Jackson County St. Vincent de Paul Society/Lawrenceville: $10,000/rent, mortgage and emergency housing, Gwinnett County United Way of Hall County: $10,000/rent, mortgage, food and basic needs; Hall County
TOTAL: $270,757
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
COMMUNITY GRANTS SCH E DU LE OF COM M U N ITY ASSISTANCE FOR TH E YEAR E N DE D MAY 31, 2020
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Annual Report
American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia
$ 10,000
American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia
15,000
Angel House of Georgia
10,000
Annandale of Suwanee
10,000
Athens Community Council on Aging
10,000
Athens Nurses Clinic
15,000
Atlanta Community Food Bank
15,000
Atlanta Community Food Bank
20,000
Atlanta Union Mission Corporation
10,000
Banks-Jackson Food Bank
5,000
Blue Heart Initiative
5,000
Books for Keeps
7,500
Boy Scouts of America - NEGA Council
15,000
Boy With a Ball Global
5,200
Boys & Girls Clubs of Athens
15,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier
14,800
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
20,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Winder-Barrow
15,000
Center Point Georgia
14,750
Chess & Community Conference
10,000
Childkind
10,000
Chris 180
10,000
Commerce City Schools
3,600
Community Helping Place
5,000
Community Helping Place
7,500
Corners Outreach
10,000
Creative Enterprises
7,500
Cresswind LL Veterans, Inc.
2,500
Eagle Ranch
15,000
Elachee Nature Science Center
15,000
Eyes of Love Lighthouse Mission, Inc.
10,000
Families of Children Under Stress (FOCUS)
4,500
Family Promise of Athens (Interfaith Hospitality Network)
15,000
Family Promise of Hall County
5,332
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
7,500
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
10,000
For Her Glory
15,000
Foundation of Wesley Woods
5,000
Gainesville/Hall Community Food Pantry
2,500
Geekspace Gwinnett
7,650
Georgia Center for Civic Engagement
3,000
Georgia Mountain Food Bank
10,000
Georgia Mountains YMCA
15,000
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
6,000
Good News Clinics
7,500
Good News Clinics
10,000
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2020 Jackson EMC Foundation
Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett
$ 15,000
Gwinnett Student Leadership
15,000
H.O.P.E, Inc. (Helping Other People be Empowered)
5,000
Habitat for Humanity - Hall County
15,000
Habitat for Humanity - Madison County
15,000
Hall County Library System
10,000
Hall County Special Olympics
8,400
Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church Food Pantry
2,500
Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church Food Pantry
2,500
Happy Sacks (Duluth United Methodist Church)
1,000
Hebron Community Health Center (Truth’s Community Clinic)
15,000
Heirborn Servants, Inc.
5,000
Hi-Hope Service Center, Inc.
15,000
Homer United Methodist Church
2,500
Hope Clinic
15,000
I Am, Inc.
10,000
iServe Ministries
10,000
J.M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA
15,000
J.M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA
15,000
Jackson County School System
2,800
Jefferson City Schools
3,000
Jefferson Lions Club
7,304
Judy House Ministry
10,000
Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc.
10,000
Just People
10,000
L.A.M.P. Ministries
15,000
Latin American Association
10,000
Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry
10,000
Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry
15,000
Lumpkin County Family Connection
4,000
Lumpkin County Family Connection
5,000
Madison County Health Department
4,500
Madison County School District
8,000
MedLink Georgia
13,600
Mending the Gap
3,000
Mending the Gap
10,000
Mosaic Georgia
15,000
(Formerly Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center) Muscular Dystrophy Association
5,000
New Path 1010
8,857
NOA’s Ark, Inc.
10,000
Norcross Cooperative Ministry
15,000
Norcross Meals on Wheels
3,000
Norcross Meals On Wheels
6,000
North Georgia Interfaith Ministries
4,875
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Annual Report
North Gwinnett Cooperative
$
7,500
North Gwinnett Cooperative
20,000
North Hall Lions Club
7,089
Nothing but the Truth, Inc.
15,000
NSPIRE Outreach Ministries
7,500
Our Neighbor, Inc.
10,000
Place of Seven Springs
9,500
Project Adam
7,500
Rainbow Village
15,000
Reins of Life, Inc.
2,319
Salvation Army - Athens
7,500
Salvation Army - Athens
10,000
Salvation Army - Gainesville
5,000
Salvation Army - Gainesville
7,500
Salvation Army - Lawrenceville
5,000
Salvation Army - Lawrenceville
7,500
Salvation Army - Toccoa
5,000
Sandy Creek Nature Center
12,000
Ser Familia
5,000
Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse
15,000
Sisu of Georgia
15,000
Spirit of Joy Food Pantry
2,500
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Flowery Branch
7,500
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Flowery Branch
10,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Gainesville
7,500
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Gainesville
10,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Jefferson
10,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Jefferson
12,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Lawrenceville (Gloster Road)
7,500
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Lawrenceville (Grayson Highway)
10,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Lawrenceville (Grayson Highway)
12,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Winder
10,000
St. Vincent de Paul Society - Winder
12,000
Sugar Hill United Methodist Church
2,500
The Tree House
15,000
Tiny Stitches
7,500
United Methodist Children’s Home - North Georgia Conference, Wellroot Family Services
10,000
United Way of Hall County
10,000
United Way of Northeast Georgia
15,000
University of North Georgia Foundation
10,000
$ 1,240,076
Denotes organizations that received an emergency grant.
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2020 Annual Report P.O. Box 38 | Jefferson, GA 30549 jacksonemc.com/foundation