The Coweta Community Foundation held its second annual Grants Reception Jan. 20 at The Newnan Centre and distributed $40,000 in grants to local nonprofits as well as eight Coweta County Schools.
Also at the reception, Meals on Wheels of Coweta received the Foundation’s Nonprofit of the Year award.
The Foundation kicked off the awards portion of its program by presenting 2016-2017 Leadership Awards to Newnan-Coweta Habitat for Humanity, Bridging the Gap and Coweta CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). These leaders were thanked for their leadership and commitment to CCF’s nonprofit partners and the Foundation itself.
Next came the announcement of the winners of the Coweta County Schools Classroom Educational Grants. In the fall, the Foundation opened a mini grant cycle for educators in the Coweta County School System. The Foundation awarded eight grants totaling $4,500 in the areas of elementary, middle school and high school education. The schools chosen to receive the classroom grants include:
• Arbor Springs Elementary, Ms. Lisa Quick, educator, Ms. Julie Durrance, principal, “Keyboarding Kids Program: Teaching Our Children Keyboarding Techniques Through a Whole Body Approach.”
• Elm Street Elementary, Ms. Becca Springfield, educator, Dr. Christi Hildebrand, principal, “Buddy Bench Program: Empowering Students to Find Friends in a Clear and Painless Way While Retaining Dignity.”
• White Oak Elementary, Ms. Paula Corley, educator, Mr. Andrew Clark, principal, “Starry Nights: Constellation Circuits — Designing and Building Constellations with LED Lights.”
• Madras Middle, Ms. Christal Wagner, educator, Ms. Lorraine Johnson, principal, “Stands for Band: Facilitating Better Instruction with the Proper Furniture.”
• Evans Middle, Ms. Suzanne Richardson, educator, Ms. Vera Perry-Harris, principal, “Social Studies Textbooks: Enhancing Learning Through Textbooks.”
• Central Educational Center, Mr. Michael Britt, educator, Mr. Mark Ballou, principal, “LED Lighting — Teaching Students to Learn to Use New Technology.”
• East Coweta High, Ms. Beth Collinsworth, educator, Mr. Steve Allen, principal, “Terror From Paradise Program — Forensic Science, Teaching students how terrorists are stopped from gaining access to airplanes before takeoff.”
• Newnan High, Ms. Allison Hurston, educator, Dr. Chase Puckett, principal, “Community Service Learning Program — Teaching Students to Get Involved in the Community Through Service Projects.”
Also this year, the Foundation chose to award grants to 19 local nonprofits, and the process began last summer with a mandatory grant session that applicants had to attend to be able to apply. In the fall, grant committee members met to review the applications as well as supporting documents such as budgets, audits, tax returns, bylaws, and lists of board members. Site visits were also conducted. The recipients and the projects they will support include:
• Newnan-Coweta Humane Society, Trap, Spay, Neuter Program for Cats
• CORRAL, Coweta Organization for Riding, Rehabilitation and Learning, One-year Horse Sponsorship
• Senoia Area Historical Society, Operating Expenses
• Patrons of the Centre, Elementary School Live Theatre Performance
• Coweta STEM Institute, “Cooking up a Mystery” Eighth Grade Field Trip
• Boy Scouts of America, Flint River Council, Explorer Program
• Newnan/Coweta Boys & Girls Club, Book Club for ages 6-14
• Southern Conservation Trust, Conservation Summer Camp for Coweta Children
• Guitars Not Guns, Newnan Police Department Pilot Program for At-Risk Youth
• Stepping Stones, Materials and Supplies for New Coweta Mothers’ Program at Piedmont Newnan Hospital
• Continental Societies, Generation of Promise Leadership Academy
• Coweta Special Olympics, Coweta Spring Games
• Community Welcome House, Domestic Violence Resource Center Operational Expenses
• Meals on Wheels of Coweta, Trays and Packing Film for 26,000 Meals
• Newnan-Coweta Habitat for Humanity, Brush with Kindness Program
• Bridging the Gap, First Annual Financial Audit
• Coweta CASA, CASA Volunteer Training
• Real Life Center, Coweta Financial Assistance Program
• Can’t Never Could, High School Scholarship Program for Students Affected by Cancer
Following the grant presentations, CCF presented its Nonprofit of the Year Award to Meals on Wheels of Coweta. This nonprofit, which has been serving the community since 1971, serves more than 18,000 meals annually to Meals on Wheel clients. Meals on Wheels of Coweta offers four services: home-delivered meals, handyman services, pet care assistance and friendly visitor services, all at no cost to clients.
At the conclusion of the program, Board Chair Ginger Queener noted that while the Foundation gave $40,000 in grants this year, next year’s awards will total $50,000.
“We cannot be satisfied with the status quo,” she said, noting that the 2017 fundraising goal is $100,000. “It’s lofty, but together we can do this.”
The Coweta Community Foundation is a publicly supported 501(c)3 organization that helps focus local philanthropy on the community’s changing needs. The Foundation manages individual gifts and bequests as an endowed pool of assets, distributing grants to a wide variety of organizations that enhance and support the quality of life in Coweta County, while maintaining the charitable intent of the donors. For more information, call the Foundation at 770-253-1833.
