The Gainesville Jaycees continued efforts toward improving the Gainesville/Hall County community by presenting $5,000 donations to two local nonprofit organizations. The Jaycees presented the donations to Family TIES and Rehabilitation Industries Of Northeast Georgia. Family TIES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families provide a safe, nurturing and positive environment for their children and teenagers. Their programs seek to educate prenatal parents and parents with children up to age 18. Family TIES serves families who are wishing to improve their parenting skills as well as families who are incarcerated or mandated by DFCS or the court system. RING provides vocational services to individuals with disabilities or others with similar vocational needs to reach independence and self sufficiency through training, support and advocacy. Dee Dee Mize of Family TIES and Paula Phillips of RING attended the Jaycees final luncheon of 2011 to accept the donations. The Jaycees capped another year dedicated to improving the community by announcing the winners of their 2011 Empty Stocking Fund raffle. The raffle supported the annual Empty Stocking Fund, which provides clothing, shoes, toys and food to those children and families who might otherwise go without during the holidays. This years Empty Stocking Fund helped make a better Christmas season for over 240 Hall County youths. This years prizes included: Grand prize, a $3,000 Visa gift card; second prize, a $1,500 Visa gift card; and third prize, a $500 Visa gift card and a two-night stay in Chattanooga, Tenn. Jason Kim earned the grand prize, while second place went to Donna Conner, and third went to Stephanie Woodard.