Community Impact

$10,000 to The ALS Association of Georgia, for its ALS Care Grant Program which assists people in all counties served by Jackson EMC who are affected by ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a degenerative neurological disease, with expenses not covered by insurance.

$10,000 to NSPIRE Outreach Ministries Foundation, in Lawrenceville, for its Housing Program to assist with housing costs for homeless men and women of Gwinnett and Hall counties.

$7,500 to Lekotek of Georgia, Inc., to assist with the expansion of its services at its Gwinnett and Gainesville locations that support children with special needs and their families to facilitate inclusion in community life.

$5,000 to The Ark Family Preservation Center, Inc., for its Supervised Family Visitation Program, which provides a safe place for broken families in Banks, Franklin, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties to complete referral or court-ordered interactive parent training and family therapy.

Orga nizational Grant Recipients:

$5,000 for assistance with bathroom renovations for a Hall County resident in need.

$5,000 to provide roof repairs for a Hall County resident in need.

Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court

The Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court of Athens supports individuals facing legal charges who have ongoing mental health and addiction problems. Its aim is to assist them in their recovery, reducing the likelihood of further legal issues.

“You should not be punished for your mental health or your addiction,” said Kristen Daniel, Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability court coordinator. “I hate seeing these people in custody when they can get help instead.”

The Jackson EMC Foundation recently awarded a grant of $18,200 to the Western Circuit Treatment and

Accountability Court to fund respite apartments for participants in the Treatment and Accountability Court (TAC) program. The program is a partnership of court, law enforcement and community mental health treatment providers, and provides temporary stable housing for four participants at a time. The goal is to help these individuals transition into their own permanent and stable housing so the program can accommodate more participants.

Participants also have stipulations they must follow in order to receive the help they need. Drug screenings and curfews are a few of the requirements mandated by the court.

"It is a sort of intense probation period,” said Daniel. “I really have seen people go from fully symptomatic to having a full-time job and stable living situation."

John Mitchell