The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded $81,941 in grants during its October meeting, including $33,500 to organizations serving Hall County. The grants included: * $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Flowery Branch for its Aid Hot Line program, which provides emergency aid to families in crisis for rent, mortgage and temporary housing to prevent homelessness and disrupted lives. * $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Michael Church in Gainesville to fund direct aid for housing assistance, including rent, mortgage and temporary housing, for families in crisis. * $6,000 to Family Promise of Hall County to purchase four desktop computers and Microsoft licenses for the day center to provide families with a computer lab to use for job applications, job searches, resumes and cover letters, as well as signing up for TANF, food stamps, birth certificates and other necessities. * $5,000 to the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Georgia Council to provide uniforms, handbooks and summer camp fees helping underprivileged youth participate in scouting, teaching them to make ethical choices and promoting citizenship, leadership, mental and physical fitness. * $2,500 to the Spirit of Joy Food Bank in Flowery Branch to purchase food for the more than 30 families they serve in a month. The Jackson EMC Foundation has put more than $8 million back into local communities since it was founded in 2005, funding 791 grants to organizations and 278 grants to individuals.