changing lives€¦ · a difference—and every penny donated is put back into the community to...

Jackson EMC Foundation

2011 ORU ANNUAL REPORT

CHANGING LIVESFOR THE BETTER

A Message from Randall Pugh and Shade Storey

The Jackson EMC Foundation is a true

example of pennies adding up to make

a difference—and every penny donated

is put back into the community to change

lives for the better. While participation

in the program remains strong, charitable

organizations and individuals alike are in

greater need of assistance. During the

past year, the Jackson EMC Foundation

received applications from established

nonprofits that had never applied for grants.

The applications for grants to individuals

shifted from requests for health-related

The Jackson EMC Foundation has been a source of positive community impact

since it began in 2005. The change donated by Jackson EMC members has

funded 733 grants, including 109 grants to charitable organizations and 36 grants

to individuals for the year ending May 31, 2011. Even in these belt-tightening times,

nearly 90 percent of Jackson EMC members have sustained their commitment to

Operation Round Up by rounding up their monthly electricity bills to the next dollar.

needs to financial issues related to job loss

and the recession. Families that usually

manage to make ends meet are finding

themselves unable to stretch their budgets

to cope with emergency expenses, such

as repairing a storm damaged roof or

replacing a broken heating system.

Finding ways to economize is on everyone’s

minds these days, and that’s true for the

Jackson EMC Foundation, too. Staff and

board members look for ways to extend the

reach of Foundation funds. In some cases,

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this means dividing funds among worthy

organizations. In other cases, it means

fulfilling grant requests in creative ways by

partnering with other charitable organiza-

tions to most efficiently use donors’ dollars.

Whether the amount requested is large

or small, we focus on the outcome,

working to ensure that every dollar granted

has the highest possible benefit for the

community. Even small grants can have

an enduring impact.

The following stories are a sample of

the many ways in which donors’ change

has worked to improve the lives of people

in our community. None of these grants

would have been possible without the

generosity of Jackson EMC’s members

and their commitment to work together,

cooperatively, to better their communities

and help their neighbors in need.

Randall Pugh,President & CEO, Jackson EMC

Shade Storey,Chairman, Jackson EMC Foundation Board

The Jackson EMC

Foundation is a true

example of pennies

adding up to make

a difference—and

every penny donated

is put back into

the community to

change lives for

the better.


4

They were participating in A Brush

with Kindness, a Barrow County Habitat

for Humanity program that expands

the organization’s reach.

“We found that we could help more

folks by coming out and doing repairs

to their homes than by trying to come

up with enough money to build a

house,” explained Paul Brown, Executive

Director for Barrow County Habitat for

Humanity. “Keeping a house from

Barrow County Habitat for Humanity—A Brush with Kindness

The morning was already hot as Brenda Hudson spread fresh paint onto

her Winder home. To her left and right, eager, paintbrush-wielding teens

were on a mission to help Brenda with some minor repairs and maintenance

to the exterior of her house.

going into disrepair saves homeowners

money and saves us work.”

A Brush with Kindness is a program that

just makes sense. While the overriding

objective of Barrow County Habitat for

Humanity is to eliminate substandard

housing in the county, keeping the existing

homes of low income residents in good

repair is far more economical than building

from scratch. The Jackson EMC Foundation

provided a $10,000 grant to the program,

funds which are used to purchase necessary

materials that aren’t donated by partner

manufacturers. The homeowner then

reimburses the program for the value of

the materials—interest free, over time—

making the Foundation grant to A Brush

with Kindness self-sustaining.

“The grant means that we can finish the

projects we start,” Brown said. Volunteers

:can’t know for certain the extent of a repair

until they start working on it, he explained.

Crews of kids from Barrow County churches helped repair and spruce up the homes of low-income owners during a four-day Habitat for Humanity home rehabilitation marathon. From left to right, back row: Mitch Norman, Youth Minister and crew leader, Kayla Johnson, adult leader, Alaina Beasley, Morgan Davis, and Rose Frazier. Left to right, front row: Connor Mullis, Ethan Farmer, Leanne Bowyer, Tim Baldwin, and Brenda’s grandson Nasir Stephens.

ORU Annual Report 2011

5

They may discover that additional repairs are

needed. Without the Foundation grant, they

would have to stop work until they could raise

enough funds to buy additional materials.

Applicants for the program go through a

stringent approval process. The repairs to

the house must be within the scope of the

abilities of the volunteer crews, and must

be things that can be completed within one

to three days. Having short-term projects

between builds and during the off-season

keeps volunteers engaged with Habitat for

Humanity. If volunteers stay idle too long,

Brown said, they shift their efforts to other

organizations and aren’t available when a

new Habitat project starts up.

The long term plan for A Brush with

Kindness is to repair and maintain one

house per month. But for the program

“We found that we

could help more folks

by coming out and

doing repairs to their

homes than by trying

to come up with

enough money to

build a house,”

explained Paul Brown,

Executive Director

for Barrow County

Habitat for Humanity.

inauguration this summer, Habitat part-

nered with the City of Winder, Winder

Housing Authority, and Winder First

Baptist Church for a 4-day, 14-house

marathon. Brenda’s home was part of the

“Project Winder” push. Church youth

groups provided much of the labor.

After traveling to other cities to do similar

work, the middle and high school aged kids

decided they wanted to do a mission trip in

their own community. Behind lawn signs

that read, “Restoring homes, relationships

and lives through community collaboration,”

overall-clad teens tightened gutters, replaced

trim boards, and painted houses alongside

the homeowners.

Adults, like youth minister Mitch Norman,

handle the tougher jobs. He led the crew of

middle school kids working on Brenda’s

home. “When this group decided to come

out here, I just jumped on board to provide

a little more adult leadership, and because

they needed someone taller,” he joked.

In addition to new paint, Brenda’s home

needed a minor roof repair and replace-

ment of a few rotted trim boards and

one piece of siding. She had called a

couple of contractors for estimates, but

after being laid off from her job, the

cost was out of her reach.

“When Paul called and told me I’d been

approved, I was ecstatic,” she said.

As with the Habitat for Humanity

home building program, homeowners

approved for A Brush with Kindness

must put “sweat equity” into the project.

Brenda worked with volunteers on her

own home, and will contribute four

hours of volunteer labor to another Barrow

County Habitat for Humanity project.

No stranger to volunteer work, Brenda

said she would like to continue helping

Habitat in the future.

Brown said he has an inventory of

houses in need of repairs, and he expects

publicity from Project Winder to spur more

applications for A Brush with Kindness.

“Over time,” he said, “this Jackson EMC

Foundation grant will benefit thousands

of families throughout the community.”

Middle school students and their adult leaders, like Kayla Johnson, repaired and repainted Brenda Hudson’s (right) home.


All were spending half their mid-April

Saturday in an orientation session at

Gwinnett County’s Sweetwater Middle

School to participate in the CFY Digital

Learning Program—a nationwide effort

to put home computers in the hands

of underprivileged 6th graders.

The Jackson EMC Foundation’s

$15,000 grant helped make it possible

at Sweetwater.

“People talk about no child left behind,”

remarked Sweetwater Principal

6

CFY – Putting Learning Technology in Student’s Hands

Expressions around the room were divided neatly along generational lines—

wonder and excitement on the faces of young students, concentration

and mild dismay on the faces of their parents.

Georgann Eaton. “Without this technology,

these kids will never even be able to start

the trip.”

Through a partnership with corporations,

national nonprofit CFY collects used

computer equipment, refurbishes it, stocks

it with a suite of educational software,

and trains students, parents and teachers to

use it. At schools selected for the program,

at least 75 percent of the students qualify for

free or reduced lunch programs. The school

receives four desktop and two to three laptop

computers for its Media Center. Teachers

use the curriculum-appropriate

computer software, as well as material

from CFY’s educational learning platform,

PowerMyLearning.com, in class, and

can even assign students who need help a

playlist of computer programs. The 40

software programs in the learning center

teach concepts with games that make

learning fun for students.

Back-to-back orientation sessions—in

English and Spanish—took place over

several weekends. In the end, about 620

Sweetwater Middle School students were

“We don’t have anything like this at home and, as a single parent I could never give her this,” says Valerie Kahn, with daughter Kayla Powell.


7

prepared to put technology to use at home

and at school.

“Today you’re going to learn how to use

your home learning center to succeed in

school, but you’re going to have so much

fun you won’t know you’re learning,”

instructor James McNiell told an orienta-

tion class rippling with excitement.

McNiell gave students and parents alike a

beginner’s course in computer basics and

an overview of the software programs

in the center, covering math and logic,

language arts, science, art, music, computer

programming, tools and training, media

and accessibility. While the Internet isn’t

needed to use the learning center, students

got a crash course on safely navigating it.

When their session ended, each student took

a computer home, along with information

about affordable broadband options and

four free, year-long subscriptions to online

resources. CFY provides free technical

support and repair services for the life of

these computers.

Sixth grader Alexis Pitts sat transfixed by

Real Lives, a social studies program that

allows users to pick a country to be born and

live in, experiencing the culture as they go.

“You get your computer to learn and fill your

mind with all this cool stuff, instead of

watching TV,” she said as her computer self

began to grow up in Mexico.

Students and parents must agree to spend

at least one hour per week working on

the computer as a family. CFY data shows

participating students perform better in

school and are more engaged when

their parents more involved in their educa-

tion. But Eaton said the program has an

even greater impact. “This changes the

entire community, because it goes beyond

one child or one family,” she emphasized.

“Family members will go online and get

their GED or a continuing education degree.

It just has tremendous reach.”

Mom Valarie Kahn watched as daughter

Kayla Powell explored Freemind, a mind-

mapping software that helps students

brainstorm, plan writing assignments and

organize their ideas and projects. “This is

an absolute blessing. We don’t have anything

like this at home, and as a single parent I

could never give her this.” Kayla enjoyed the

games and said she is looking forward to

the help she’ll get from the math games.

At the end of orientation, parents and

children lugged CPUs, monitors and

keyboards to their cars. “Our first workshop

attendance is usually light because parents

just aren’t sure that it’s real,” said CYF-

Atlanta Executive Director Jeanne Artime.

“They come in to register for orientation and

ask about tickets for the computer door

prize. Some don’t believe it until the

moment they walk out with their computer,

and we frequently have kids and parents in

tears as they leave.”

As they left with their computers, all the

Sweetwater kids and parents were beaming.

Through a partnership

with corporations,

national nonprofit

CFY collects used

computer equipment,

refurbishes it, stocks

it with a suite of educa-

tional software, and

trains students, parents

and teachers to use it.

As CFY instructor guided them, students Leslie Molina and Cristian Vega first explored the basics of how to use the computer equipment they will take home later in the day.

As part of their orientation, students like Million MeKonnen and their parents received instruction on safely navigating the Internet, along with information about affordable broad-band options.

On the cover, far right, Alexis Pitts gets her Dad’s help taking her computer equipment to the car.

Santiago Restrepo explores one of the 40 software programs contained in his learning center, which can be used by teachers along with CFY’s educational learning platform, PowerMyLearning.com, in class.


8

The model railway is on a ledge near the

ceiling, where Matthew can see it from

his bed. But as a growing 11-year-old,

Matthew needed a rail of his own—a

home ceiling lift. Matthew was paralyzed

in a car accident when he was three

months old. Without the specialized

medical equipment, this room would be

the extent of his world. “I’m usually the

only adult home,” said Matthew’s mom

Julie. “Now that he’s so long and weighs

a hundred pounds, I can’t lift him.”

Fragile Kids Foundation—

Expanding the Worlds of Fragile Children

A train track runs around Matthew Bentley’s room. Some train cars

hold heavy construction equipment, like his dad uses at work. There

are also monster trucks, a reflection of Matthew’s interests. “Grave

Digger” is his favorite.

Matthew needed the ceiling lift to raise

him out of bed and transport him to

his wheelchair. Without it, he would

have to stay in bed all day—tough

on the highly social boy who’s used

to going to school every day. But the

equipment was more than Matthew’s

family could afford.

“Insurance and Medicaid won’t cover

home modifications that allow families to

raise kids at home,” explained Carolyn

Polakowski, Executive Director of Fragile

Kids Foundation, an organization that

serves medically fragile children throughout

Georgia. “Even items that are covered may

not be appropriate for the individual child.

The state specifies the model or type of

equipment it will cover, but that might

not be what the child needs.” She said

Medicare has recently cut back on funding

and classified some items as “accessories.”

The agency won’t cover those items,

even if a physician determines they’re

medically necessary.

The Jackson EMC Foundation provided a

$15,000 grant to Fragile Kids Foundation’s

Healthcare Grants Program. One hundred

percent of the funds will be used to help

purchase medically necessary equipment

and medical supplies for kids like Matthew.

Thanks to the grant, his ceiling lift was

installed at the end of May.

“Transferring him from his bed to the

wheelchair used to take two people and thirty

minutes,” Julie said. “Now I can do it by

myself and complete the process in six

minutes.” That makes it much easier to get

Matthew off to school each morning.

The rail supports up to 500 pounds, so

it will continue to serve Matthew as he

grows. Plus, it’s fun. Matthew laughed

as his older brother Christopher pushed

him around the room, spinning and

swinging him in the sling.

The Jackson EMC Foundation provided a

$15,000 grant to Fragile Kids Foundation’s

Healthcare Grants Program.

One hundred percent of the funds will

be used to help purchase medically

necessary equipment and medical supplies

for kids like Matthew. Thanks to the

grant, his ceiling lift was installed at the

end of May.


9

There’s another benefit, too.

“I can take this sling with Matthew to the

hospital,” Julie said. “These rails are installed

all over Children’s Healthcare and Gwinnett

Medical Center, so I can use their equip-

ment. I won’t have to wait for someone to

come help me move him.”

The lift also has a mesh sling that can be

used in the bathtub. “This type of equipment

dramatically improves the lives of whole

families,” Carolyn said. “It allows families

to stop living in one room.”

She said the Jackson EMC Foundation grant

made a big dent in Fragile Kids Foundation’s

waiting list for medically necessary equip-

ment—but new applications come in every

day. About half of the requests are for van

wheelchair lifts, and they get many for ceiling

lifts. Because these items are so expensive,

this Foundation grant is structured a little

differently, to make the best use of donors’

contributions. Families who meet the

qualifications may apply for an individual

Jackson EMC Foundation grant. If they’re

approved, they can then apply to Fragile

Kids Foundation, as well as state agencies,

for funds to make up the difference

between the individual grant and the cost

of the equipment.

Fragile Kids Foundation works with

doctors, physical therapists and Medicare

professionals to ensure that the equipment

funded is medically necessary and appro-

priate for the child receiving it. Carolyn

estimates that 15-20 children in the Jackson

EMC service area will benefit from the

partnership between the Fragile Kids

Foundation and Jackson EMC Foundation.

“This equipment is so important,” she

said. “The child has a better quality of life.

They can go to school and therapy. This

equipment opens the world of wheelchair-

bound children.”

“Transferring him from his bed to the wheelchair used to take two people and thirty minutes,” says Matthew’s mom, Julie.

Brother Christopher adjusts the lift for Matthew. “This type of equipment dramatically improves the lives of whole families,” says Carolyn Polakowski.


10

“Between Social Security and work, we’ve been able to stay on our feet ever since the Foundation grant got us caught up,” says Lisa Andrews, with husband Richard.


11

“I couldn’t eat for three or four

months,” he said. “I went from 210

pounds to 134.”

Too weak to work by November, Richard

couldn’t continue his job as a heating

and air installer and technician. At that

point, Lisa took him to a clinic for

medical help. They referred the couple

to Athens Regional Hospital, where

Richard was diagnosed with esophageal

cancer and a tumor.

“They started radiation treatments

right away,” Lisa said. “Surgery wasn’t

an option because of the spread of the

cancer. It had reached his lymph nodes.”

The Andrews were already facing

financial stress because Richard had

lost so many work hours prior to

having to leave work permanently. Lisa’s

job as assistant manager at a retail store

and Richard’s partial disability payments

weren’t enough to cover all their living

expenses. Their sixteen-year-old daughter

Haley left high school and pursued her

GED so that she could drive Richard to

his doctor appointments and her mom

could keep working. They sold Richard’s

work truck and cut their budget to basic

essentials, but as the months of Richard’s

medical treatments continued, the

Andrews fell behind on their mortgage.

Safeguarding Home and Family

Richard and Lisa Andrews were living the American Dream. Nothing fancy,

but they had a home in Danielsville, a solid job history and a happy family

with two teen-aged children. Nothing fancy, but they had a home in Danielsville,

a solid job history and a happy family with two teen-aged children. Then Richard

got sick.

“We were three or four months behind,”

Lisa said. “We were struggling to keep the

lights on. Losing our home would have

been devastating.”

Social workers at the hospital told Lisa

about the Jackson EMC Foundation. She and

Richard applied for a grant to individuals.

A $956 grant awarded in February allowed

them to catch up on their mortgage pay-

ments, pay off late fees and penalties, and

keep their home.

Between the radiation, which shrank the

tumor, chemotherapy and a feeding

tube, Richard slowly regained some of his

strength. He began receiving disability

payments in the spring. Haley, who began

classes at Lanier Tech in August, worked

full-time through the summer at a

restaurant to help make ends meet.

“Between Social Security and work, we’ve

been able to stay on our feet ever since the

Foundation grant got us caught up,” Lisa

said. She said it’s a relief that the phone

has stopped ringing with people asking for

payment of past-due bills.

Richard still struggles to eat. His esophagus

is scarred and partially blocked. And he

still takes chemotherapy, although it’s in

pill form, now. He hopes to live for two

more years. “It’s kind of sad, but I’m feeling

upbeat,” he said. “Getting our mortgage

caught up was one of the most important

things. Our bills are caught up and my

family can go on without me now.

“The way the Jackson EMC Foundation

helps different folks—not only me—it’s good

to know it’s there for people,” he said.

Social workers at the hospital told Lisa about

the Jackson EMC Foundation. She and Richard

applied for a grant to individuals. A $956 grant

awarded in February allowed them to catch up on

their mortgage payments, pay off late fees and

penalties, and keep their home.


12

“My neighbor Sandra was staying

with Misty while I was at the doctor,”

Mary said. Misty is Mary’s 29-year

old disabled granddaughter, who she

has taken care of since Misty’s birth.

“Sandra said the roof was off and the

front porch was lying against her car.

I told the receptionist the doctor

appointment would have to wait, and

I headed home.”

While the storm didn’t develop into a

tornado, strong winds ripped the metal

roof from the front porch and right side

of Mary’s home. Debris blocked the

front door, making it impossible for Misty’s

wheelchair to get through.

“There was no warning,” Misty said. “It got

dark and scary and I saw the roof come off.”

It’s not the first time Mary’s manufactured

home has suffered storm damage. Four-

teen years ago, a tornado took the roof off

and dropped a tree across her back deck.

She had insurance then, but doesn’t now.

“After a trailer gets twenty years old,

companies won’t insure it,” Mary explained.

While Mary and Misty usually manage to

get by on their fixed income, high heating

oil and gasoline costs had already maxed

out their budget.

“It’s rough in the winter time,” Mary

said. “We don’t have anything extra, but

we have food.

We do fairly well unless something extra

comes up.”

Mary’s neighbors—most of whom call her

“Mom”—helped clear the blockage from

the front door and gathered larger pieces

of the metal to tack back onto her roof.

ORU Individual Grant —Keeping the Roof On

The chill, February sky grew ominously dark as 87-year old Mary Coker sat

waiting for her doctor appointment. Mary rushed to the window and saw

heavy winds whipping the trees around. She called home to see if everything

was OK. It wasn’t.

“There was no warning,” says Misty, Mary Coker’s granddaughter. “It got dark and scary and I saw the roof come off.”


13

A local church collected money to

purchase plywood to replace pieces

damaged by the storm. But Mary still

couldn’t afford the necessary repairs.

“I went to the United Way and Red

Cross,” she said, “but they only provide

food and clothing. Every time it rained,

I went around to every room to see if it

was leaking. It never did, so I was lucky.”

About a month after the storm, Teresa

Reed, deputy director of the community

services organization that provides

support for Misty, told Mary about the

Jackson EMC Foundation. Mary applied

for an Foundation grant to individuals

in March, and her application was

approved in May for $3,290. Roofing

professionals completed her repairs

soon afterward.

“Every time it rained, I went around to every room to see if it was leaking,” remembers Mary.

“They reroofed the side and front

porch and repainted it so the whole

roof looks the same,” Mary said.

Storms were abundant and fierce

this past winter, causing damage to

homes throughout the Jackson

EMC service area. In fact, Mary said

there was a slight delay to her repairs

because storm-related roof repairs

had caused a shortage of roofing tin

at the local supplier. Between November

2010 and May 2011, Jackson EMC

Foundation grants to individuals

helped five other people repair storm

damaged roofs.

It’s rough in the winter time,” Mary said. “We don’t

have anything extra, but we have food. We do fairly

well unless something extra comes up.”

“


14

“You can have a working family that

still can’t buy groceries,” said Gloria

Barrett, Director of Food Bank Ministries

for the church. “Many of our clients are

in the trades – construction and plumb-

ing. They’re just not getting work.”

Working through 208 agencies like

Freedom Church of God, the Mobile

Pantry program holds 25 food distribu-

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia—Mobile Pantry Brings

Food Aid to Families throughout Northeast Georgia

Job loss. Reduced work hours. Those were the themes of families lined up

in the July heat to receive a box of food at the monthly Food Bank of

Northeast Georgia Mobile Pantry food distribution at Madison County’s Freedom

Church of God.

tions each month at locations throughout

Northeast Georgia. They send out 18-foot

refrigerated box trucks that hold enough

food to serve 250 families, and tractor

trailer trucks with enough food to serve

600 families.

“The Food Bank wants to be good at getting

food into our community,” said Develop-

ment Director Tina Laseter. “We depend on

our partner agencies to get it to the people

in need.”

The Food Bank collects food donated by

local and national manufacturers and USDA.

Most of the food comes in on tractor trailers

from outside the region. It’s stored at a

facility in Athens, where it’s broken down

into quantities usable by partner distribution

agencies. The Food Bank’s 4,500 square

foot refrigeration unit and refrigerated trucks

make it possible to provide families with

perishable items like milk and dairy

products. The organization also purchases

fresh produce for each distribution point.

Several area churches work together to

make the Freedom Church of God Mobile

Pantry distribution possible. Delilah

Waldroup, a volunteer who helped get the

food ministry started, said they receive

enough food each month to put together 300

boxes. Any food that isn’t picked up on

distribution day goes into the food pantry to

be given to families facing an emergency

situation. Barrett said she has families in

need that won’t come to the food distribution

because they think someone else needs the

food more than they do.

“We’ve seen a 30 percent increase in the

need for emergency food assistance in

the past year,” Laseter said. “People who Volunteers divide food into hundreds of distribution boxes. “The Food Bank wants to be good at getting food into our community,” says Tina Laseter.


15

Jo Avant (center) has been volunteering at the monthly food distribution since it started. “I feel like I could do this to help the community,” she said.

used to donate to Food Bank are now finding

that they need help. They still want to give

back to the community, so they volunteer.”

In 95 degree heat, volunteer Shirley

Robinson helped divide food into hundreds

of distribution boxes. She’s been receiving

a 25-pound box of food from the monthly

Mobile Pantry since it first came to Freedom

Church of God in 2008. Shirley’s been

unemployed for four years. Her husband, an

electrician, hasn’t seen work in over a year.

“The food helps out a lot,” Shirley said.

“Sometimes it lasts a week or two. Used to

be it wasn’t a whole lot. It’s getting to be

more food.”

“We want to be consistent in the work that

we’re doing,” Laseter said. “It’s important to

remember that this is a supplemental source

of food. We can’t be the sole source of food.”

Marie Bailey drove her niece Anna Bullock

and friend Andrew Winkle to the Mobile

Pantry food distribution because neither one

has transportation. Anna lost her job in

February. She lives with her mom, who is on

Social Security. It’s her second time to

receive food from the Mobile Pantry.

“We don’t have enough money to go

around,” Anna said. “There was no food in

the house at all today.”

Brandy Martin’s husband has been looking

for work to two years, and she just lost her

job. They’ve been receiving food assistance

from the Mobile Pantry for a year. “The food

feeds us for a good week to a week and a

half,” Brandy said. “That means what money

we have we can use to pay bills. Without this

“We’ve seen a 30 percent

increase in the need for

emergency food assis-

tance in the past year,”

Laseter said. “People

who used to donate to

Food Bank are now find-

ing that they need help.

They still want to give

back to the community,

so they volunteer.”

program, we’d have to use our money to buy

food, and then we couldn’t pay our bills.”

They also bring a friend who can’t afford gas

for his car.

“We know that transportation is a problem

for many of our families,” Tina said. “We’re

trying to make sure that we have distribution

points around the county, so the Mobile

Pantry is more accessible.”

A $15,000 Jackson EMC Foundation grant

helps keep the trucks rolling and allowed

Food Bank of Northeast Georgia to add

another distribution point to the program.


16

Being there for a child who has entered

foster care, no matter where “there”

is—today, tomorrow, or next month is

of upmost importance to the child.

When children enter foster care their

lives become very complicated and

stressful. Instead of dealing only with the

problems at home, they must meet with

DFCS case workers, live with foster

families, and appear in court. Through

this tangle of emotional and legal

interests, CASA volunteers sort out

what’s the best permanent home for the

child, and make an expert recommenda-

tion to the judge hearing the case.

Annette Stanifer is one of 62 CASA

volunteers serving over 150 foster

children in Barrow, Banks and Jackson

counties. Ideally, each CASA works with

just one child or group of siblings

throughout the case, from removal from

the biological family to placement in a

permanent home. This commitment can

last from one to three years.

“We try to connect a CASA with each

child within a few days of the child

entering foster care,” said Annette Bates,

Executive Director of Piedmont CASA.

“We’re serving about 70 percent of foster

children right now. We have 62 active

volunteers, but we could use 30 more.”

A Jackson EMC Foundation grant of

$5,094 funded training for 16 new

Piedmont CASA—A Voice for Foster Children

Where you go, I go. This simple, powerful statement, uttered by Piedmont

CASA volunteer Annette Stanifer to her young charges, is the heart, soul

and driving purpose behind the Court Appointed Special Advocate program.

CASAs to serve children in Jackson and

Banks counties.

Training involves 30 hours of classroom

time plus 10 hours observing cases in court.

CASAs learn the parameters of family law,

how to work with families to try to resolve

problems that led to removal of the child,

what signs to look for in the dynamics

between the child and his or her family,

how tribal family law differs from state and

U.S. law, how to work with teachers and

school administrators, how to write reports

for the Juvenile Court, and how to make

recommendations to the presiding judge.

During their first months on a case, they

learn even more, including how to partner

with DFCS and how to fill in the gaps when

DFCS case workers aren’t available. And

“When the children

find out that you’re there

because you want to be

there, they open up,”

Kathy said. “They’ll ask

to talk with us privately.

We’re not counseling.

We’re listening to be

their voice.

CASA volunteers Charlotte Carpenter and her daughter Kathy Berrey work together representing several children in Jackson and Banks counties.

Pat Graham, former Mayor of Braselton, recently completed CASA training.


17

they do a great deal of research that over-

booked DFCS case workers simply don’t

have time to do.

But their most important skill doesn’t come

through training. “We listen,” said Annette.

“We do whatever it takes to get them to

communicate. We make faces. We do flips.

We act silly.”

“I tell them they can call me at midnight

if they want to talk,” said Charlotte

Carpenter. She and her daughter Kathy

Berrey work as a team. Together,

they’re serving 13 children from seven

different families.

“When the children find out that you’re

there because you want to be there, they

open up,” Kathy said. “They’ll ask to talk

with us privately. We’re not counseling.

We’re listening to be their voice.”

Constancy is another absolute CASAs

offer the children they represent.

“We’re the one constant in a child’s life

they can rely on,” said recently trained

CASA volunteer Krista Clark. “No matter

how many DFCS case workers they have,

you’re going to be there.”

A guard at the Jackson County Sheriff’s

Office Jail, Krista has a personal invest-

ment in CASA.

“I’m a product of CASA,” she said. “Who

knows where I’d be if not for CASA.

Certainly not working in law enforce-

ment.”

During her training, Krista learned about

the siblings who were eventually assigned

to her. She’s seen a profound change in

them since she began advocating for them.

“It takes a build-up of trust through the

support system —DFCS, the foster family,

CASA,” she said. “You break the mold.

You stop the chain of abuse. You change

the child forever. My youngest charge

wasn’t talking. Now you can’t get him to

stop. The older one went from biting and

spitting to being well-mannered.”

“That’s what love will do,” Kathy said.

“When these kids finally figure out that

someone loves them and they have a

forever home, they will take that into the

rest of their lives and make good choices.”

Bates summarized the impact of the CASA

program. “Every child who has been helped

can truly become a citizen, now.”

Piedmont CASA Executive Director and trainer Annette Bates (standing) meets with several CASA volunteers. L to R: Charlotte Carpenter, Kathy Berrey, Annette Stanifer, Krista Clark, and Pat Graham.


18

“My addictions began at 13,” Brian said.

“It was just me and my step-brother. My

dad wasn’t around much. There was no

authority figure.”

Drugs were “all in the family” for Brian

growing up, but he said he took addiction

to a whole different level. His first prison

stay came at age 15. At 18, he was rescued

from an overdose. But his addictions

continued, and so did his trips to prison.

Finally, after failing a probation drug test,

Brian asked his parole officer for help.

She agreed to refer him to a drug

recovery program instead of sending him

back to jail.

Because he’d spent a lifetime addicted to

drugs, Brian knew that a short-term drug

recovery program wouldn’t work for him.

On the brink of homelessness, he asked to

go to The Potter’s House, a facility operated

as part of Atlanta Mission.

The Potter’s House is a Christian, 12-month-

plus, work- and faith-based residential

addiction recovery program for men that

focuses on healing the whole person, not just

breaking an addiction. The 180-bed facility is

housed on a 580 acre farm in Jackson

County. It serves a much larger geographic

region, and with post-residential care,

Atlanta Mission impacts the lives of 500

men annually at The Potter’s House.

A $10,000 grant from the Jackson EMC

Foundation helped fund the program.

Beginning on day one, men in the program

attend classes and work. Based on the 12-step

model, the Christ-centered recovery classes

focus on personal development, building

strong relationships and healing broken

ones, and preparing for a stable, productive

reentry into society.

Work is a large part of the program, and all

clients work five hours a day. Their first job

is sorting donated items in the distribution

center. From there, they go into one of

The Potter’s House: A Healing Mission

It’s been a long road to sobriety for Brian Groves, one that spans 20 years

of drug addiction.

Brian Groves (center) with fellow recovery program residents Robert Hood (left) and Chris Scott (right) in the carpentry workshop.


19

several vocational tracks, including appliance

repair, furniture repair and manufacture,

and landscaping.

“The vocational programs allow clients to

work on things with a big global or commu-

nity purpose,” said Jennifer Scholle of

Atlanta Mission’s Office of Development.

“We want clients to re-acclimate to life

in a new way. They have the opportunity to

build into other people’s lives, when

before they were only impacting their own

self-destruction.”

Program Director Jason Gunby explained

some of the challenges the men with a long

history of addiction face. “Some clients are

out of the habit of thinking and functioning.

Just getting up, getting dressed, and getting

to class can be a hurdle. The longer a man is

in recovery, the better his chances of staying

sober and clean. Twenty-eight days is not

long enough to deal with ingrained habits.

Work therapy is a primary benefit of

vocational therapy.”

“Work helps a lot,” said Brian. “Mentally and

physically, it builds me back up. Out in the

real world, I didn’t have accountability, and

my friends—well, we all went down the

wrong street together. Here, I have a band of

brothers. My relationship with God and

relationships with friends I’ve made here are

the most important part of this program.”

“One of our values as an organization is that

change occurs through life-on-life relation-

ships,” Scholle said.

“The selfishness of addiction causes

isolationism and broken relationships,”

Gunby said.

Healing these broken relationships is crucial

to recovery. Brian is working to repair his

relationship with his 8-year old son.

“My son is like a missing puzzle piece in my

life,” he said. “I’m trying to fix the broken

relationships I made while I was out on the

street. I’m working to get mentally and

physically strong. I struggle every day. It’s

always going to be a thorn in my side, but

I’m trying to move forward.”

Building a plan to move forward—to reenter

the larger world—is the final step of the

12-month recovery program. This involves

learning, or relearning, practical life skills

like managing a budget, applying for jobs,

creating a resume, and preparing for job

interviews.

Brian finished his 12-month residency in

June. He has committed to another year at

The Potter’s House to become a certified

addiction counselor. His goal is to go into

juvenile counseling, to work with kids and

prevent them from developing debilitating,

life-long addictions.

“Work helps a lot,” said Brian. “Mentally and

physically, it builds me back up. Out in the

real world, I didn’t have accountability, and my

friends—well, we all went down the wrong

street together.

Work is a large part of the program, and all clients work five hours a day. The Potters House offers several vocational tracks, including appliance repair, furniture repair and manufacture, and landscaping.


20

“It started when my ex-husband went

to jail,” Mayda explained. “Then my

hours were cut at work. Then gas prices

went up.” Without child support

payments and full employment, Mayda

couldn’t keep up with her living expens-

es. She fell behind on her rent.

“I tried getting a second job,” she said.

“But I still needed to pay a babysitter,

and I only saw my daughter in the

morning.” The long hours and separa-

tion were stressful for Mayda and

Jaiden, her four-year-old daughter. And

they weren’t helping to pay the bills.

“Sometimes I didn’t have enough money

for gas. I was using my charge card to

buy groceries and I was a month behind

on my rent,” Mayda said. “I tried every

other outlet. My parents’ work hours

were cut and they were having a hard

time, too.”

Mayda knew there was relief in the

near future. Her work hours would pick

up after the summer and Jaiden would

start school. She just needed a bridge

to get over her tough spot. She went to

Salvation Army of Gainesville’s Social

Services program for help. With the

goal of preventing homelessness, this

program offers rent assistance and

clothing vouchers for people who are

struggling financially. A $10,000 Jackson

EMC Foundation grant allowed Salvation

Army of Gainesville to provide 24 Hall

County families with rent assistance and 262

families in Hall, Jackson, Barrow and Banks

counties with clothing assistance.

“Mayda had a good relationship with her

landlady,” said Cathy McPherson, Salvation

Army of Gainesville’s case worker. “The

landlord is part of the program. He or

she must be aware of the situation and

willing to work with the tenant.”

That’s important because rent assistance

is only $150 per year. It’s not usually

enough to catch up missed payments.

But the program also includes financial

counseling to help families avoid

repeating budget shortfalls.

“Clients meet with Cathy,” said Lieutenant

Matt Cunningham, who serves as

Salvation Army corps officer for the

Gainesville location, along with his wife,

Danielle. “She looks at their finances and

helps put their house in order.”

Applicants must provide their financial

history—all the bills—going back five years.

And they must be willing to prioritize

expenses to qualify for assistance.

“If they have a crazy cell phone bill or $300

cable bill, they don’t get help,” Matt said. “If

a family isn’t willing to prioritize, they don’t

get help.”

The family must also come up with a certain

amount of money, depending on their

circumstances, to put toward catching up

their rent payments.

Salvation Army of Gainesville – A Bridge Across Hard Times

As a single, working mom, Mayda Allen faced some challenges.

She was getting along fine until several setbacks hit at once.

Mayda knew there was relief in the near future.

Her work hours would pick up after the summer and

Jaiden would start school. She just needed a bridge

to get over her tough spot.

“We’re seeing lots of middle class families who’ve been affected by job loss,” says Salvation Army Corps Officer Lt. Matt Cunningham, with fellow Corps Officer and wife Lt. Danielle Cunningham.


21

The organization has seen a great swell

in applications for rent assistance in

the past year. Almost three-quarters of

them are from first-time applicants.

“In the past, there were a lot of repeat

applicants,” Danielle said. “Now we’re

seeing lots of calls from older women on

fixed incomes who are falling behind

because of inflation, increased gas costs and

increases in the costs of their medicines.”

“We’re also seeing lots of middle class

families who’ve been affected by job loss,”

Matt said. “They’ve lost everything. They’re

starting over from the ground up. Those

poor people are your neighbors now.”

The current trend of high unemployment

and job shortages has caused a slight shift

in Salvation Army of Gainesville’s mission

objective. For years, their goal has been to

help families become healthy, functioning

citizens of the community. As the endur-

ing economic downturn affects families

who had previously achieved that status,

they’re now working to get people off of

assistance in three years. There’s a sliding

scale of decreasing assistance each year.

“We know some people will be back,” Matt

said. “But if I only see your face once,

wonderful. We were able to give you the

help you needed to keep going.”

Mayda and Jaiden are still going. They’ve

|had to make some changes in their everyday

lives—like cutting their cable service, using

less electricity, and buying only necessities.

But with the rent assistance and tighter

budget, Mayda was able to quit her second

job. Now she and Jaiden are both a lot

calmer and happier.

“Sometimes I didn’t have enough money for gas. I was using my charge card to buy groceries and I was a month behind on my rent,” say Mayda, with Danielle Cunningham and case worker Cathy McPherson.


22

STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEARS ENDED MAY 31

JACKSON EMC FOUNDATION, INC.

Jefferson, Georgia

2011 2010

Support

Contributions $1,020,083 $1,040,602

Interest 2,697 3,883

Other 3,150

1,022,780 1,047,635

Program Service Expenses

Community Assistance 921,967 1,003,889

Family and Individual Assistance 87,547 80,350

1,009,514 1,084,239

Increase (Decrease) in Unrestricted Net Assets 13,266 (36,604)

Unrestricted Net Assets, Beginning 255,395 291,999

Unrestricted Net Assets, Ending $268,661 $ 255,395

-


23

Action Ministries, Inc. $ 15,000

Alliance for Literacy 10,000

American Heart Association Northeast Georgia 5,000

American Red Cross - East Georgia Chapter 9,409

Annandale at Suwannee, Inc. 15,000

Ark of Jackson County 7,500

Athens Nurses Clinic 5,000

Athens Pregnancy Center 7,000

Athens Urban Ministries 7,500

Atlanta Mission 10,000

Banks County Literacy Council 5,000

Boys and Girls Club of Hall County 10,000

Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta 9,000

Boys and Girls Club of Winder 15,000

Brenau University 2,000

Camp Koinonia 15,000

Camp Twin Lakes, Inc. 5,000

CASA - Piedmont, Inc. 5,094

Center Point 7,000

Childkind, Inc. 5,000

Children First, Inc. 5,000

Citizens for a Better Auburn, Inc. 9,700

Come Alive Ministries of Barrow Co. 6,500

Community Helping Place 10,000

Cooperative Ministry - Lawrenceville 15,000

Cooperative Ministry - Lilburn 5,000

Creative Enterprises 15,000

Diamond in the Rough Youth Development Program 2,325

Dream House for Medically Fragile Children 15,000

Eagle Ranch, Inc. 7,500

Elachee Nature Center 5,000

Exodus Outreach, Inc. 10,000

Extra Special People, Inc. 10,000

Family Connection, Jackson County 15,000

Family Connection, Lumpkin County 5,000

Family Ties - Gainesville 10,000

Fellowship of Christian Athletes 5,500

Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Inc. 15,000

JACKSON EMC FOUNDATION, INC.SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 2011


24

Foster Children’s Foundation, Inc. 14,920

Four Corners Primary Care 5,000

Fragile Kids Foundation 15,000

Friends of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia 3,200

Gainesville State College Foundation 15,000

Gainesville/Hall Community Food Pantry 2,500

Gateway House 15,000

Georgia Children’s Chorus 10,000

Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation 410

Georgia Mountain Food Bank 10,000

Georgia Options, Inc. 5,000

Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia 5,000

Good News Clinics 15,000

Good Samaritan Ministries 7,500

GRN Community Service Board 15,000

Gwinnett Children’s Shelter 15,000

Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Service 12,600

Gwinnett County Public Library 3,400

Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center 10,000

Gwinnett Hospital System Foundation 7,000

Gwinnett Student Leadership Team 14,800

Gwinnett Tech Foundation 15,000

Habitat for Humanity - Barrow County 10,000

Healing Place of Athens 10,000

Health Department - Hall County 10,000

Health Department - Madison County 4,000

Hebron Community Health Center 15,000

Hope Clinic 12,000

I Am, Inc. 14,810

IDEALS Foundation, Inc. 5,000

Junior Achievement of Georgia - Gainesville 7,500

L.A.M.P. Ministries 7,500

Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition 2,400

Madison County Chamber Youth Leadership 3,000

Madison County Senior Center 15,000

Meet the Need Ministry, Inc. 10,000



25

Mentor Program - Clarke County 7,500

Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc. 3,500

Newtown Florist Club 5,000

North East Georgia History Center - Brenau University 7,500

Northeast Atlanta Ballet Ensemble 2,500

NSPIRE Outreach, Inc. 7,500

Nuci’s Space 4,000

Opportunity House, Inc. 5,287

Our Neighbor, Inc. 7,500

Partnership Against Domestic Violence 15,000

Pilot International Foundation, Inc. 2,874

Prevent Child Abuse Athens 2,400

Project Safe, Inc. 5,000

Reins of Life, Inc. 1,000

Safehouse Ministries, Inc. 1,500

Salvation Army of Athens 10,000

Salvation Army of Gainesville 10,000

Salvation Army of Lawrenceville 15,000

Set Free of Gainesville 13,738

Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia 2,600

Side-by-Side Brain Injury Clubhouse 5,000

Signs and Wonders, Inc. 10,000

South Hall Community Food Pantry 2,000

Southern Ballet Theatre of GA 5,000

Spectrum Autism Support Group 10,000

Spirit of Joy Christian Church Food Bank 2,500

Step-by-Step Recovery 7,500

Success by 6 of United Way of Northeast Georgia 7,500

Sweetwater Middle School 15,000

Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Inc. 10,000

Word of Faith Church, Inc. Food Bank 2,500

YMCA - Georgia Mountains 10,000

YMCA - Winder Barrow 10,000

YMCA of Athens 10,000

YWCO of Athens 5,000

Zion Baptist Church Food Bank 2,000

$921,967



26


2011 ORU ANNUAL REPORT

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