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Jackson EMC Foundation awards more than $22K to agencies serving Hall residents
Rape Response from Jackson EMC
Jackson EMC District Manager Bill Sanders, far right, presents a $15,000 Jackson EMC Foundation grant check to, from left, Rape Response advocate Angel Footman, advocate Erica Autry, direct services coordinator Gale Adams, advocate Rebecca Ruelas and Executive Director Jeanne Buffington. Funds will be used for aftercare, clothing and comfort items for adolescent and adult victims of sexual violence.

The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total $58,910 in grants during its November meeting, including $22,500 to agencies serving Hall County residents.

• $15,000 to Rape Response Inc., a Gainesville community-based nonprofit that provides comprehensive services to adolescent and adult victims of sexual violence in Hall and Lumpkin counties, to help fund aftercare and emergency room clothing and comfort items for victims, as well as recruitment and training for volunteer advocates.

• $5,000 to H.O.P.E Inc., a Duluth non-profit serving low-income single parents in Gwinnett and Hall counties who are working to achieve their college degree, to help with childcare and housing when either situation threatens the parent’s ability to continue their classes.

• $2,500 to the Spirit of Joy Church Food Bank in Flowery Branch, which distributes food to those in need in Barrow, Hall and Jackson counties, to purchase food.

Jackson EMC Foundation grants are made possible by the nearly 184,300 participating cooperative members who have their monthly electric bills rounded to the next dollar amount through the Operation Round Up program. Their “spare change” has funded 1,139 grants to organizations and 339 grants to individuals, putting more than $11.5 million back into local communities since the program began in 2005.

Any individual or charitable organization in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC (Clarke, Banks, Barrow, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe) may apply for a Foundation grant by completing an application, available online at http://www.jacksonemc.com/foundation-guidelines or at local Jackson EMC offices. Applicants do not need to be a member of Jackson EMC.