Jonesboro, Ga. (December 7, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Gayla Nobles, Executive Director, Melissa Tinsley Cates, Director of Development, and Christie Wooten, Director of Programs & Services, of the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault & Child Advocacy Center (SCSAC-CAC), on November 10, 2016. The $2,600 grant will be used for Forensic Interview Room upgrades, which are to include a new sofa and chair, rugs, acoustic panels, blackout curtains, and a child’s table and chair set. These upgrades will help provide a safe and comfortable environment for children during the interview process. Forensic interviews are provided to children who may have experienced abuse or who have witnessed a crime or other violent act. The primary aim is to aid in ensuring the safety of the individual child as well as other children in the home and the community. The interview is observed by law enforcement and Department of Family and Children Services and produces evidence critical to the investigation and criminal prosecution. Forensic interviews are conducted by specially trained forensic interviewers. In 2015, SCSAC-CAC completed 356 forensic interviews. Year-to-date 2016, they have completed 410 forensic interviews. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (December 7 , 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Dawn Murray, CEO, House of Dawn, Inc. on November 16, 2016. The $3,000 grant will be used to purchase a security and surveillance system that will monitor the property perimeter at its newest location in Jonesboro, now the site of its Transitional Housing Program. Karen Sullivan, owner of Paragon Alarm Systems, who will be handling the installation of the new system, was also on hand for the presentation. Paragon Alarm Systems has provided security and monitoring for House of Dawn facilities for the past 5 years at no cost to the non-profit. While the monthly monitoring is an in‐kind donation, the equipment and installation will cost $3,000. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (November 22, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Linda Crissey, Executive Director of Arts Clayton, Inc. and Elizabeth Gower, Director of Administration & Education of Arts Clayton, Inc. on October 27, 2016. The $4,000 grant will be used by Arts Clayton to help fund the ArtVan Mobile Literacy Initiative. ArtVan is a mobile literacy initiative which uses hands-on art activities in curriculum-based programs to grow reading skills for success in school and in life. All 16 of ArtVan’s certified teaching artists/instructors use the same books and materials in developing programs to meet State Standards at 30 after-school locations, including public and private pre-K and elementary schools. Materials range from quantities of art papers and paints to glue, adhesives, copper tape and batteries for S.T.E.M. projects. Since the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the number of Clayton County schools served has increased, and Arts Clayton was faced with a critical need to purchase more books and materials for the after-school programs throughout the County– equating to 25,800 individual student projects over the next 8 months. The Heritage Community Foundation grant will help purchase these much-needed books and materials. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (November 17, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Patti Brown, President, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy – Henry County; Debbie Watkins, Community Action Team, Grants/Corporate Donations, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy – Henry County; and Carolyn Fuller – Henry County Library System Superintendent on October 19, 2016. The $3,800 grant will be used to send books to preschool children, aged newborn to five, who are registered in The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy (“FFCL”) program. Age-appropriate books are mailed to the children’s homes monthly, after being carefully selected by early childhood educators, development specialists, librarians and FFCL staff. It costs $36 per child per year to send 12 books to one child, along with a parent engagement newsletter. The Heritage Community Foundation grant will allow 105 new children to be enrolled in the program. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (November 15, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Susan Crumbley, Executive Director, and other staff members and volunteers of Connecting Henry, Inc. on October 18, 2016. Students enrolled in the nonprofit’s SWAG program (Students Working To Achieve Greatness) were also on-hand for the presentation. The $2,800 grant will be used to help meet some of the needs of the SWAG program. Specifically, funding will be used to pay for official GED tests for ten (10) students in all four content areas (Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Social Studies & Science) and to purchase a year’s subscription for online GED portal software for ten (10) licensees. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (October 28, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Judy Chambers, Chairman, and other members of the Fayette County Education Foundation Board on October 11, 2016. The $4,000 grant will be used to help fund Project Lead the Way (PLTW) in eleven Fayette County elementary, middle, and high schools. Specifically, the HCF grant will be used to purchase additional PLTW modules, with a focus on areas such as computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (October 28, 2016) – On October 6, 2016, Board Members of the Heritage Community Foundation met with Teresa Bestwick, Executive Director of Shining Light Ministries (SLM), and Linda Clark, owner of C&C Fence Company in McDonough, to commemorate the installation of a new privacy fence on the SLM property. C&C Fence Company, a Heritage Community Foundation Partner, agreed to provide and install the fence in a generous show of support to both the Heritage Community Foundation and SLM. According to Vanessa Jackson, SLM Board Member, the beautiful privacy fence is already providing much-needed privacy and protection for the residents of SLM. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (September 20, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Chelsea Folds, Executive Director of the Good Shepherd Clinic on August 31, 2016. The $5,000 grant will be used to purchase new medical equipment so that the Clinic can better serve patients. It is currently in the process of expanding the nursing/triage area from one room to two. The funds will be used to buy a new centrifuge, rolling blood pressure monitor and cart, digital scale, two professional grade thermometers, and two pulse oximeters. Lastly, an AED (automated external defibrillator) will be bought for the Clinic to have on hand in case of medical emergency. Each of these items is essential to patient care and to the Clinic’s overall mission to provide quality healthcare to the uninsured in its community. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (September 20, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Mollie Cole, Executive Director of the Hands of Hope Clinic, Inc. on September 13, 2016. The $2,000 grant will be used to purchase a new copier for the Clinic’s office. Rocky Davis, Executive Director of the Heritage Community Foundation, introduced Ms. Cole to Derek Mills, owner of Tri Copy Office Equipment in Fayetteville. Mr. Mills generously offered the Clinic a copier at a discounted price and was present for the grant presentation. The Clinic’s current copier was six years old when it was purchased in 2010, and is no longer functioning adequately. Due to the large volume of copies that the Clinic makes on a daily basis, the absence of a reliable copier has been difficult for staff and volunteers alike. continue reading →

Jonesboro, Ga. (August 29, 2016) – The Heritage Community Foundation presented a grant to Tammy Wiggins, Executive Director, and Gina Moore, Co-Founder and Director of Programs, of Crosswalk Ministries USA, Inc. (Crosswalk) on August 16, 2016. The $2,000 grant will be used to purchase art supplies for the ARTreach 180 program. Specifically, the grant will be used for the purchase of consumable art supplies for all 3 campuses of ARTreach 180 (including canvas panels, watercolor pads, Sharpies, plastic art trays, acrylic paints and small canvases with easels for display). Currently, ARTreach 180 meets at the Excel Academy in McDonough (central campus), Momentum Christian Church in Mcdonough (south campus) and Stockbridge First United Methodist Church in Stockbridge (north campus). continue reading →