Although oil is only trickling out at the moment, the oil spill has caused cataclysmic problems along the Gulf Coast.  Our friends at the Greater New Orleans Foundation have created a fund to help communities recover from the spill in the coming months.  Click here to contribute to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.  GNOF’s blog post “Lemons, Booze, Biking and More to Aid the Gulf Coast” is an entertaining account of how creative, caring citizens are raising money for the cause.  The post highlights how "everyday people" make a difference.  Please share with us your local stories of people volunteering in or raising money for the Gulf Coast.  Also, we’d love to hear about other “everyday people” in Central Georgia who are making a difference for causes and organizations they care about.  Please email us at info@cfcga.org.

Kathryn

This month's "Second Sunday" event, hosted by the College Hill Alliance, hit record attendance levels with more than 850 people in Washington Park on Sunday, July 11, 2010 for Second Sunday at Sunset (7pm) featuring the local band, The Grapevine.

Check out how the new Associate Minister at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church described the event on his blog - click here. 

Have you been to Second Sunday?  Hope to see you there soon!

Julia

At the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, we believe that our donors do not give TO the Community Foundation, they give THROUGH the Community Foundation.   While "Asset Size" is a common metric in the Community Foundation world, it is genrally because our asset size relates to the amount of grants our donors can make.  But many factors such as grantmaking, fundraising, donor engagement and community participation all contribute to a Community Foundation's unique identity.  A 2009 Columbus Survey characterized community foundations in factors other than asset values.  We were thrilled to make the Top 100 in three different categories.  CFCG ranks 55th in "Most Active Grantmakers", 59th in "Most Gifts per Capita", and 100th in "Most Activity".  Click here to view the full report.

Non-profit organizations feel the pinch of the tight economy.  Many have asked CFCG about grant opportunities.  Congressman John Lewis is hosting a forum in Atlanta this Friday, July 9th from 1-5.  More information may be found by clicking here .  You must register TODAY by 6:00, 7/7/10, by emailing GA05rsvp@mail.house.gov.  For more information, please call (404) 659-0116. 

One of the many reasons the Community Foundation of Central Georgia is a great place to work is the interesting people we meet.  Pam Thomasson is one of those special people.  She has boundless energy and enthusiasm that I wish I could bottle.  She is creative and hard-working.  Recently, Pam and I met to discuss one of her several interesting ideas to make the College Hill Corridor an even better place to live, work and play. She mentioned that her husband, Dick, and she had planned to travel out-of-town for the weekend, but instead had decided to stay in Macon because there are so many interesting things to do and never enough time to do them!  She sent me a great picture of them on a tandem bike they rented from The Bike Store in the College Hill Corridor.  It looks like they had a great time pedaling around our beautiful city!!!

Let’s all look for fun things to do in our hometowns this summer.  Ocmulgee Expeditions has trips scheduled and rentals available for fun on the River.  There are plays at Theatre Macon and Macon Little Theatre.  Bragg Jam is a month away.  The Museum of Aviation has the Tour de Moose, a bike ride through the Base.  And giant insects are crawling around the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Please let us know what’s going on throughout central Georgia this summer.  Just email us at info@cfcga.org and we’ll spread the word.

~Kathryn

With summer in full-swing, people of all ages are going Geocaching.  It's a high-tech treasure hunting game, and all that is required is a GPS device and a sense of adventure.  Basically, you search for hidden containers called "caches" and you can log your experiences online.  It's a great family-friendly activity that can take you to surprising local sites or landmarks with an interesting story. 

Mercer's Geocaching Club was a first round recipient of a Knight Neighborhood Challenge grant to purchase GPS units and geocaching accessories so that more caches can be hidden and found in College Hill.  When the new materials were in, we invited a group of donors to go geocaching with us.  When we asked what everyone's favorite cache was, some liked the walking bridge to Beall's Hill while others enjoyed the Community Garden at Centenary or the statue of Jesse Mercer. 

Families across the country are spending their "staycations" exploring their own communities and learning about new sites and history through geocaching.  Others are opting to travel via car instead of flying so that they can stop and geocache along the way.  If you're new to the "sport", a Geomate, Jr. is an ideal GPS device for beginnings.  Or you can even go geo-caching with a GPS-equipped smartphone, such as the iPhone 3G. 

Have you ever tried geocaching?
Julia

Below is a short how-to video from the official Geocaching website. 

I recently read about a Mother-Daughter Book Club that incorporated a community service storyline.  So many mothers of upper-elementary school girls are trying to find ways to spend time with their daughters while not making them feel "uncool" in the process.

One mother suggested a book club and ten fourth grade girls and their mothers joined in to create a fun environment that encouraged reading, self expression, friendship, and mommy/daughter bonding.

The original plans did not include the charitable giving project, but the mother who hosted the first club thought, why not?  Each girl brought at least three gently used books.  Two were age-appropriate for their friends, and they would find out why on club day.  Then the mom used a community service how-to kit on book donation (The Book Exchange Act of Kindness Kit) to organize the donation.

The girls put one age-appropriate book in a bag marked "Book Exchange" and the other in a bag labeled "Mystery." Remaining books went into the "Donation" box. (This was in preparation for a surprise group game.) The mother said, "The book conversation was remarkable. I anticipated that the girls would speed through their analysis so they could play. But they were completely dedicated to the discussion. We could have ended there with great satisfaction."

As it turns out, the service project was as fun as the book discussion, they talked about the value of books and who needs them.  Then, the activity — a book exchange game.  They dumped out the bag marked "Book Exchange" so the books could be seen. Each girl could pick a book from the pile to keep for herself. Or, if she didn't like those options, she could pick a surprise selection from the "Mystery" bag.  As a final part of the day, the girls made bookmarks and book plates to include with their donation to make it even more special.  The girls loved it!  They thought that doing something for others was fun!

Too many children in our very own community do not have the books that they need or the opportunity to participate in community service activities.  The Junior League of Macon has recently selected a new focus area of Early Childhood Literacy, School Readiness, and School partnerships.  They've worked together with other organizations like local schools, Barnes & Noble, Education First, the Downtown Macon Rotary Club, Central Georgia Technical College's Adult Learning Center and more to improve access to books and to foster a love of reading for children in our community.

Just one Junior League member created a partnership with Barnes & Noble that included a book drive, book fair, and special storytime featuring Elf on the Shelf, and through the project, more than 900 books were collected and distributed to the new library at Northwoods Academy on Pierce Avenue and the Shurling Drive Headstart Location.

We'd love to hear what you're doing to work with children and improve literacy in Central Georgia!

Julia

Oglethorpe Street in Macon’s College Hill Corridor has a lot to look forward to in the next few…hundreds of years!  Thanks to a Knight Neighborhood Challenge grant, dozens of green thumbed Mercer University students descended on Oglethorpe Street to plant a variety of trees for the project “Oglethorpe ReLeaf”, created by Mercer University professor Dr. Heather Bowman Cutway (Dr. BC).  The goal of the “ReLeaf” project is to simply plant more trees.  Dr. BC shared with us in her grant application how trees enhance our local biodiversity, provide us with shade (we all know how valuable this is in the summer!), pollution control, and habitats for animals.  The trees selected for planting are native to our area in Georgia, and include some familiar favorites such as the Dogwood and White Oak, and other more unique trees such as the Grancy Greybeard.  For more information about planting trees in your area, the Macon Tree Commission and the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission are great places to start! ~ Jennifer Wells

Mercer student volunteers tell us what the "Oglethorpe ReLeaf" project means to them

Many indicators of a community's success tie back to Education and Literacy in a community.  Several organizations are rallying around Literacy efforts to begin to make an impact for the future of Macon.  The Downtown Macon Rotary Club is partnering with Education First and The Junior League of Macon to expand the Ferst Foundation's Imagination Library Program in Macon.  In its second year, the program mails a hard cover book a month to children age birth to five years to more than 700 children in our community.

The Junior League of Macon is involved in several other literacy programs for our community.  In November, JLM partnered with the Barnes & Noble at the Shoppes at River Crossing to host a book drive, book fair and story time for children.  The event collected more than 900 books, which were donated to the new Northwoods Academy and the HeadStart Hall Center.

Central Georgia Technical College's Adult Education Program continues to serve the adult population with literacy skills and GED preparation.  Considering that most states plan the number of jail cells to build based on the number of children who are not reading on grade level at the third grade, I am grateful for the momentum behind improving literacy in our community.

Julia

This past week, Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival and Milledgeville’s Deep Roots Festival racked up over 20 awards at the Southeast Festivals and Events Association 2010 conference.  Award winners for the Cherry Blossom Festival included the Pink Pancake Breakfast held at Central City Park and the Telegraph’s “Turned Pink” newspapers.  The Union Recorder newspaper in Milledgeville described Deep Roots’ wins as “Marketing Magic” ; the younger of the two festivals enjoyed winning top awards in categories such as “Best Website” and “Best Marketing Campaign”.  To see a complete listing of festival awards, CLICK HERE

The 2010 Deep Roots Festival is scheduled for October 23rd and will feature the ever popular Memphis in May sanctioned BBQ competition, the Old Capitol Club Car Show, the fun and family friendly Kid Zone, and the always anticipated line up of live music(can’t wait to find out who will be there this year!)  CLICK HERE to visit the Deep Roots website

Tomorrow on February 27, Maconites are encouraged to “Think Pink!” in preparation for the upcoming March 19 – March 28 Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival.  A “Think Pink!” kick-off will be held at ACME Paint and Decorating on Riverside Drive, where folks can spread their Cherry Blossom cheer by getting the iconic pink flowers painted on their car windows.  For even more cheer, the Cherry Blossom gift shop is now open at the 577 Mulberry St. location in downtown Macon.  For more on the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival, CLICK HERE

Thanks to everyone involved with these award winning Middle Georgia festivals! ~ Jennifer Wells

The Community Foundation had visitors for two days from Grand Forks, ND.  We spent yesterday show casing Macon and today highlighting Milledgeville.  As we passed Fort Hawkins and the Indian Mounds and I was telling about them, one of our guests said, “You guys are just a hidden treasure! I want to move to Georgia.”  Both raved about the deep history and the exceptional architecture found in our cities (and of course our Southern hospitality and accents).  They were impressed with the progress Macon and Milledgeville have made in their downtowns, the energy behind the College Hill Corridor project, and the imagination and momentum emanating from the Knight Digital Innovation Center in Milledgeville.  As my friend Heather Holder, Director of Digital Bridges, said, “Thanks so much for letting us share our project with your visitors! Sometimes you don't know how far you've come until you are able to share with others..." 

I challenge each of you to take time to look at our hometowns with a fresh pair of eyes.  You will like what you see!

Kathryn

I am grateful each time I hear of something good that Macon has to offer.  Just this morning I was reading the article from the Washington Post highlighting Macon as a good place to visit.  It mentioned Macon places on the National Historical Register, the Intown Macon neighborhood’s “Lights on Macon” walking tour, and our musical heritage.

This afternoon, The Macon Film Festival held a dedication ceremony to rename the Best in Show Award as the Melvyn Douglas Award.  Mr. Douglas’s granddaughter, Illeana Douglas, made special remarks about her grandfather before a special “Melvyn Douglas Matinee” screening of The Candidate, a rare screening of the 1972 archival film in which Douglas plays the father of Robert Redford.

Melvyn Douglas was born in Macon on April 5, 1901.  His career began on Broadway in 1928 and alternated between stage and screen the rest of his life.  He won the triple crown of acting awards including several Academy Awards, an Emmy Award and a Tony award. 

If you have the chance, I hope you will enjoy The Macon Film Festival this weekend — February 18-21, 2010.  Through a grant from the Knight Neighborhood Challenge, there will be six free workshops on various aspects of filmmaking held at Mercer University.   These workshops are open to visiting filmmakers, students and the community.

Julia

I would like to second Julia Wood’s comment in her recent blog post about loving her job!  Handling the grants side of things at CFCG, I often get the pleasure of conducting site visits with local organizations that have received grants from us and get to witness first hand the positive impact they are making on the citizens of our community.  Most recently, I visited with the Motivating Youth Foundation (MOYO), an after-school and summer youth program created and run by Roger Jackson out in the Davis Homes neighborhood.  MOYO was a brand new organization when Roger submitted a responsive grant application to CFCG in the fall of 2008 and he successfully secured an $8,000 grant to purchase a phonics program for his budding after-school program. One year later MOYO is thriving and truly making an impact on the lives and education of the youth they serve.  I would like to highlight that MOYO is not simply a “babysitting service”, as Roger put it; education is the main focus.  The children’s schedule involves educational support from certified teachers (3 of whom were awarded Bibb Co. Teacher of the Year awards!) which includes help with homework, tutoring, CRTC test prep, phonics, and more. Once the educational responsibilities of each child are complete, they are able to have activity and play time.  This emphasis on education has proved to be a success.  Roger shared that when MOYO first started, they had five children that were on the honor roll at their schools…now they boast 42!  Roger likes to showcase the students who have achieved honor roll by framing their picture and G.P.A on the wall, which has helped create some healthy competition and more students are getting closer and closer to honor roll status.  Kudos to Roger Jackson and the staff of the Motivating Youth Foundation for helping some of Macon’s youth become more engaged and successful in education!  ~ Jennifer

I had the pleasure of attending a press conference this week, announcing plans to install historical markers in Macon in prepartion for the sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War.  Macon, in the heart of Georgia, played a critical role in the war between the states.  It served as a hub of vital railroad lines, a manufacturing center for essential war materials, and in the latter years of the war, a refuge and hospital haven for thousands.  As we observe the sesquicentennial of American’s most tragic war, Macon’s citizens, in partnership with the state-wide organization Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails, Inc., are installing markers at historic sites around our city.  Each marker will tell a story relating that site to one of Macon’s many roles in the war.  The permanent markers will enhance their text with period photographs, illustrations, and maps to help educate people about Macon’s role in the war.  It is expected that thousands of people following the state-wide network of trails will visit Macon, which played an important part in that fascinating story.  Pictured here is Steve Longcrier, the Executive Director of Georgial Civil War Heritage Trails, Inc. and below is a map documenting important sites and events in Macon during the Civil War.  Click here to make a contribution to this project.
Julia

CFCG Responsive Grant Recipient: Morningstar Children & Family Services
Grant Amount: $12,000
Focus Area: Children, Youth, & Families
Location: Macon, GA

Morningstar Children & Family Services provides an array of services that strengthen some of Central Georgia’s most in-need families.  One of the services provided by Morningstar is the “Child Access and Visitation Program”.  This program offers non-custodial parents a place where they can have supervised visits with their child.

The amenities for this program originally consisted of a very limited and sparse indoor space that did little to foster positive interaction and play between parent and child.  Morningstar staff had witnessed many families at a loss of what activities to do with their children, as well as some that cut their visit short! 

Seeing the need for a better and more positive place for their families to interact, Morningstar requested funding from CFCG’s Fall 2008 Responsive Grant Cycle to build a picnic area and playground, and was awarded $12,000 to make it happen.  After receiving an outpouring of volunteer support, the picnic area and playground have since been built, and Morningstar staff has already begun to see the impact this project has made.

Training Director Dianne Reel Fuller wrote in her Final Report to CFCG, “It is wonderful to look out the office window and see a non-custodial parent pushing their child on a swing, or helping them climb up the ladder, or sitting quietly on the bench swing talking.  The parent is focused on the child and the child on the parent.  That time spent together, parent and child interacting in a positive place and manner, is important to the continued relational growth and the health of children.”

   ~Jennifer Wells, Donor Relations & Grants Associate
Click here for more photos

Click here for more information on Morningstar Children & Family Services

Over the weekend I had several experiences that prompted this post.  I really enjoy shopping with Julie Evans at Karats & Keepsakes.  She remembers me and my taste, and is great at helping me find something that is flattering AND fashionable.  Then Brown and I went mattress shopping – not a task I relished.  Chris Lee of Beds and Bedding really impressed us.  He talked to us about our sleep patterns and REALLY knew his products.  He did not pressure us, but had excellent sales skills; also, he has worked at the store for over 12 years.  After a grueling few hours of shopping, Brown surprised me with an excellent lunch at a place outside of my comfort zone! We ate at Pho Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant, on Mercer University Drive.  The owner/chef and his father served us one of the most delicious and unique meals I have had.  The owner helped us order, and my usually unadventurous palate was delighted.

In November, I attended a conference and heard of a new concept — The 3/50 Project.  Individuals are encouraged to spend $50/month at three locally owned businesses that they would hate to see close. Of course we all need the major chains, and appreciate and depend on them.  But a community needs a balance of the two.  Our communities need local shops and restaurants that add character and a sense of place.  Entrepreneurs and their businesses also fuel our local economy and often differentiate us from other places around the country.  The successful balance of small and large businesses creates a vibrant community. 

I challenge you to join the “3/50” movement.  Consciously decide which local businesses you would miss, and support them.  And be adventurous and try new places too!  You will be better for it, as will your community.

Kathryn

Throughout 2010, Disney is offering a free pass to Disney World to individuals who volunteer a day of service with a qualifying local organization.  Disney wants to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities. So they're celebrating your good work by giving you a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to the Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free.

You can volunteer with Central Georgia organizations like the American Red Cross, Georgia Children's Museum, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, Rebuilding Together Macon, and Volunteer Macon.

For program details, click here.  But hurry!  There are only 1 million tickets available and they are going fast so don't wait too long!

Julia

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced their acceptance of a $10,000 grant that will provide a study on what the best use of the vacant A.L. Miller High School building in Macon will be.  The grant for the study was awarded from the Knight Fund for Macon, which is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

The vacant A.L. Miller High School building has many historical and architectural values, and was listed on the Trust’s 2008 “Places in Peril”, which is a program that helps identify, protect and preserve important historic properties in Georgia.  Other locations in Central Georgia that have been included on the Trust’s list of “Places in Peril” are: the Capricorn Recording Studio in Macon, Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, and Andalusia in Milledgeville.  ~ Jennifer Wells

    Property Fact Sheet
                                   > > Click HERE to read the full press release 

> > Click HERE to learn more about “Places in Peril”

> > Click HERE to watch a video of the 2010 “Places in Peril”

Are you curious to know what happens when a group of individuals join forces for the greater good of our community?  Well you don’t have to be curious for long!  Community Partnership, Inc. is hosting a neighborhood celebration on Thursday, October 8th at 3:00 p.m. at Southside Community Church. This celebratory event has Macon Mayor Robert Reichert scheduled to speak, and will showcase the successes that have been achieved through the power of collaboration in Macon’s Lynmore Estates Neighborhood.  Following the Mayor’s speech, news anchor Portia Lake will read to neighborhood children from the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” as part of the national early literacy event “Read for the Record”.  Come and learn about the great things that can happen here in Macon when people work together towards a common goal. 
I hope to see you there!  ~ Jennifer Wells

> > Click here for the event invitation
> > Click here for the full press release for the event
> > Click here for Ed Grisamore's article on Portia Lake and Read for the Record

The mission of Community Partnership is to improve the well-being of children and families in Macon.  In August of 2007, Community Partnership convened local nonprofit organizations, government agencies, law enforcement, and community members to form a collaborative group to work towards fulfilling its mission.  After 18 months of planning and research, the collaborative launched its program, and so far over 40 collaborative partners have participated in providing health, nutrition, parenting and financial management classes; summer camps, senior luncheons, and other educational opportunities to residents in the Lynmore Estates Neighborhood.

A project of John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Knight Neighborhood Challenge is a $3 million competitive grant program that will underwrite the best ideas to transform the city’s first neighborhoods into a vibrant college town connected by leafy roads and bike paths to Macon’s downtown. This grant will fund creative, transformational ideas for the Corridor from organizations and individuals. A broad-based, competitive grant program, the Challenge will fund the best ideas – small and large – that give College Hill a sense of place, spruce up its parks and public spaces or enhance the arts and entertainment scene. The effort also aims to get people involved in College Hill through an array of civic and cultural projects.  
The first deadline is October 15, 2009.  Click here to submit your online application. 

This past March, in celebration of our 15th anniversary, CFCG made a “Double Your Impact” matching grant offer of up to $50,000 that is currently available to Central Georgia public school teachers through DonorsChoose.org; which is a nonprofit website that allows public school teachers to request the educational materials they need, and connects them with donors who want to help.

We have recently had a lot of excitement surrounding our 15th Anniversary grant due to American Idol’s 8th Season runner-up, Adam Lambert, announcing his support for DonorsChoose.org and challenging his fans to do the same.
 
>> Click here to view Adam's YouTube video about DonorsChoose.org 

Since Lambert’s announcement, we have seen seven Central Georgia music and performing arts related projects fully funded thanks to his support and the generosity of his fans.  One project in particular, titled “Can You Hear Me Now”, caught the special attention of Adam Lambert himself, who helped fully fund the project.

>> Click here to view "Can You Hear me Now" and Adam's message to the classroom

CFCG notified the local media about this exciting news, and articles were published in the Barnesville and Milledgeville newspapers.  Since the launch of CFCG’s “Double Your Impact” offer, 108 Central Georgia projects have been fully funded and will impact the education of almost 14,500 students, and total over $50,000 in new materials for classrooms in Central Georgia.

~ Jennifer Wells

>> Click here to read the Herald-Gazette article about Adam Lambert's support

>> Click here to read the Union Recorder article about Lambert's fan's support

The Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice will be hosting a free information seminar for heir property owners on August 24th and August 25th.  This program will help owners of heir property to understand and protect their property rights, and will include expert presentations on Property Basics: Title, Deeds, and Taxes, The Importance of a Will, and Steps to Protect Your Land.

> > Click HERE to view the informational flyer

The program is free of charge, however registration is requested.  To RSVP, or for more information, email info@gaapleseed.org or call 404-685-6750.

MIRACLE TREAT DAY
Today is Miracle Treat Day!  Buy a Blizzard at a participating Dairy Queen location today and $1 or more per Blizzard will benefit The Children's Hospital at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.  You'll be helping to save and improve the lives of children right here in Central Georgia.

Click here to view the video coverage from 13WMAZ.com

Family Counseling Center of Central GA., Inc. received grant funding from the Flint Energies Foundation’s “Operation Round-Up" Program to help the agency with the purchase of agency Brochures, Parenting Manuals and other items needed to serve families.
 
The Family Counseling Center is a United Way agency that provides counseling and workshops for individuals/families in 11 Central Georgia Counties including Houston, Bibb, Crawford, Peach, Macon, Wilkinson, Dooly, Monroe and Twiggs Counties. www.fcccg.org

1st Row L-R, Family Counseling Center of Central GA Executive Director Frank Mack, Flint Energies Foundation, Inc.’s Chairperson Carol Glasgow, Director Connie McCutchen, Treasurer Jane Hobbs, Secretary Joanne Hamlin, Director Pat Bartness;  2nd Row L-R, Vice Chairman Fred Jarrell, Directors George West, Dozier Blackstock and Dr. Rudy Hollingsworth.

When Jay's HOPE Foundation began looking for free space for their office, they found it in a small un-used closet in the Jacques Flat building across from the Ronald McDonald House of Central Georgia.  Knowing that there was unfinished space adjacent to the closet, they asked the owners of the building if they could use the unfinished space if they renovated it.  Now, with renovations almost complete, their agreement is that they can remain in the space for four years, rent-free.

Jay's HOPE received a responsive grant from CFCG for the renovations to create a family room that includes a reference library for families who have children disagnosed with Cancer.  With additional funding, they also created the Cox Communication's Life Connections Center - the only walk-in bone marrow testing center in the state of Georgia, as well as adding much needed meeting space and a children's room for play therapy. 

They are busy finishing the renovations, like adding old mantles on the original exposed brick walls where the original fireplaces were, in preparation for their Open House on September 1, 2009 from 10-12.  They will open their new doors with a proclamation from Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Family Room


Meeting Room


Play Therapy Room

Rehoboth Life Care Ministries, Inc. is building a Volunteer Dental Clinic to address the lack of oral health care in the poor, Medicaid eligible, children, elderly and minority poulations of Central Georgia.  The new mobile and permant facilities will improve access to quality dental care.

Kathryn and I met with the Executive Director, Yesmin Wilson, and some of the volunteers for the clinic.  They currently have a mobile dental trailer that houses 3 dental chairs and all the necessary equipment to provide extractions, resorations and sealants.  They also have a home that they are renovating to create a permanent location for the clinic.  The immediate needs of $75,000 will enable them to renovate the home to accomodate a more modern dental clinic, where more than 15 dentists are committed to volunteering their time to provide these services.

Click here to see the new layout for the home renovations to transform it into a permanent dental clinic.

Julia

This past Friday, Julia and I had the pleasure of visiting the Georgia Industrial Children’s Home, a Campus of Twin Cedars Youth Services (GICH), which has been serving the needs of Macon’s youth for more than 100 years.  We were invited out to the campus to see the progress they have made with renovations to the facility’s main kitchen, which was partially funded by a 2008 Community Foundation Responsive Grant. 

Renovations had been put on hold in January during the merger between the GICH and Twin Cedars, but are now back on track and the kitchen should be fully operational within two weeks.  GICH will then be able to add culinary skills training for the youth they serve in their Independent Living Program, which teaches youth up to 21 years of age the living skills needed for a successful transition into life outside of GICH.  The residents will also benefit from the increased social interactions and responsibilities that come with communal cooking and dining.

We also had the opportunity to tour the GEICO and Lions residential cottages, which are both receiving critical renovations to both the interior and exterior.  Once these renovations are complete, GICH will have 6 cottages and will be able to serve up to 60 youth.

To continue to enhance and expand the services available to the youth they serve, GICH is currently seeking volunteers.  Some ways volunteers can make a difference include: helping the kids develop “Go Green” program on campus, mentor or tutor a child, or teach a class in music, art, or on sports.  For more information on volunteer opportunities at the Georgia Industrial Children’s Home go to www.gich.org/volunteer , or contact Linda Finley at 478-474-8220.

Jennifer Wells

 

Kathryn and I had the opportunity to meet with Valerie Biskey and Nic Manacheo to get an update on the work of the Macon Volunteer Clinic, providing excellent healthcare to the medically underserved in Bibb County.

Valerie is passionate about that work that they do, and she emphasized that the patients are so grateful for the services.  They are currently seeing about 700 patients.  Many of them are managing diabetes, and there is also a big need for dental services. 

Recently, two new doctors have begun volunteering their time at the clinic, and a good number young doctors and pre-med and medical students are getting involved, too. 

The clinic has increased its hours and sees patients four days a week.  Valerie would love to have the clinic five days a week in the future, but that will require additional support staff and volunteers.  Both the Medical Center and Coliseum hospitals are very supportive of the clinic, and MVC is a member of the Georgia Free Clinic Network. 

The MVC's annual event, the Cotton Ball, will be August 21st at the Armory Ballroom.  All proceeds from the event will support the day to day operations of the clinic.
www.maconvolunteerclinic.com

- Julia

Do you work with a non-profit organization that needs funding for a project?  Would you like to know more about fundraising?  Have you ever applied for a grant and been turned down?  If so, then consider attending this free training session at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth in Macon.  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED though.  It is Thursday, August 20th from 2:00-4:00 in the Rumford Center of the Methodist Home, 304 Pierce Avenue, Macon, GA.  Email Vernetta.dumas@themethodisthome.org to register as soon as possible!  Participants will learn how to find funders using the Foundation Directory Online database and how to get the most out of the resources on the comprehensive Foundation Center website.  Thank you to our wonderful friends at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth for hosting this seminar!

Kathryn

Macon Area Habitat for Humanity  has new volunteer management software to make it easier for you to help build.  All you have to do is visit their website, register, and use the calendar to select the day and place that you would like to work.  It will automatically provide a list of the volunteers for each site to help Habitat prepare. 

Click here to check it out!

More than 35 people representing 20 local non-profit organizations attended the new IRS Form 990 Seminar presented by Clifton, Lipford, Hardison, & Parker, LLC.  Starting with the 2008 filing year, the IRS has made significant changes to the Form 990.  These new reporting requirements are an effort to make nonprofit organizations more transparent to the public.  These changes will cause organizations to review, add or update policies and procedures.  Other changes will require additional recordkeeping of the organization's activities. Board members may be required to disclose information regarding business transactions with the exempt organization.  Kelly Mattox and Steven Rumford presented these changes and explained how local non-profits will be affected by these changes.

Today,  Macon Outreach at Mulberry hosted a "Salute to America" celebration.  The celebration, designed especially for the homeless, needy, and deserving in our community, served a traditional summer fish fry lunch including fried fish, watermelon, lemonade and cake, in the newly renovated headquarters of Macon Outreach.  

While I was there, I had the opportunity to speak to Reverend Tommy Martin, the Senior Pastor of Mulberry United Methodist Church.  He said that Macon Outreach is serving more people this summer than usual.  In the past, they would see about 200 people per day, but just one day last week they served more than 280 people.  Allison Gatliff, Assistant Director of Macon Outreach, said, "I am very happy to report that we served more than 320 meals today."

A community-wide cooperative ministry, Macon Outreach at Mulberry is the largest congregant meal provider in middle GA serving the homeless and working poor.  It is located at 267 First Street in downtown Macon, in the chapel level of Mulberry Street United Methodist Church.

Julia

Two and a half years ago, four Mercer University students had an idea. Now a $3,000 grant from the Knight Fund for Macon of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to support their Senior Capstone class project has evolved into the College Hill Corridor with $5,000,000 in funding behind it!

We hope that’s how the Knight Neighborhood Challenge will work. Ideas from citizens who live,  work, study and play in College Hill will be funded and will then transform the area. This competitive grant program is a new approach to community engagement. It will fund the best ideas, both small and large. There will even be special categories for those under 25 and over 60.

The best ideas don’t have to come from the usual suspects, nor do they always require a lot of money. The Community Foundation of Central Georgia looks forward to our partnership with Knight Foundation, Mercer University, and the College Hill Corridor Commission as we begin this journey. Please stay tuned to our website for more information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, I would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generosity. Knight Foundation is achieving amazing results in Macon, in the fields of journalism and information technology, and in 25 other communities around the country because of its innovative leadership. We are truly grateful.
Kathryn

Click here to view the press release 

Click the following link to watch the press conference http://www.mediafire.com/?dy2i31zfmgt

Mercer University President, William D. Underwood, announces the $5 million Knight Foundation grant to support the work of the  College Hill Corridor Commission

Beverly Blake, Program Director with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

 

Too often we hear what’s wrong with our communities.  Community Foundation leaders will use this space to share what’s right.  We won’t always shy away from the needs and problems faced by our citizens.  But with those needs and problems there are always opportunities for change and betterment.  Alberto Ibarguen, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, goes so far as to say that they are looking for “transformational” change in communities and their foundation will not fund needs, only opportunities!  CFCG Board member Marc Albertson refuses to discuss problems, he only talks about opportunities!  See where I’m going…  In my role as President of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, I am blessed to be part of countless uplifting moments and to meet people in Central Georgia with remarkable stories serving their fellow man, as are my colleagues.  We want to share those stories with you.  As one of my favorite songs says, “There’s a dark and a gloomy side of life.  But there’s a bright and a sunny side too.  You’ve got to keep on the sunny side of life.”  Here, you’ll hear what’s right with Central Georgia.
Kathryn

One of our donors enjoyed reading the recent Telegraph article entitled Seeds of Community  (Click here for the full text) and asked me to do some research on the Pleasant Hill Community Garden.

I called Ms. Johnson who was listed as the contact for the garden in the paper, and she told me about the Pleasant Hill Youth Activities Task Force.  It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the Pleasant Hill Community Garden, Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Improvement and Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Development.

Volunteers plant and maintain the garden, and in addition to the vegetables it produces, it is an opportunity to have art and science lessons for the neighborhood children.  One Mercer University volunteer even created a website for the Garden, which you can visit at  http://freewebs.com/phcommunitygarden/

I had the pleasure of attending the Macon Music and Creative Arts Alliance public forum last week, where John Elkington, president of Performa Entertainment Real Estate, which operates Memphis’ famed Beale Street, spoke to Maconites about how we can use our music heritage to build an entertainment district to attract tourists to Macon. 

I was particularly impressed by the cross-section of people who were present at the meeting.  The usual community stake-holders were there but there was also a strong presence of just local citizens who care about Macon.

Mr. Elkington toured Macon and met with local groups and then made remarks at a public forum on Tuesday, which focused on five tips to building a successful entertainment industry for tourism.

(1) He believes you create a brand for your city and communicate that brand via television.
(2) There are five main groups of tourists, and you have to reach all of them:  Group tourists, Leisure tourists, Conventioneers, Business travelers, and local residents.
(3) Be realistic about your costs.  Make sure your building and rental costs reflect the types of people you’re trying to attract. 
(4) It will be hard to finance – be resourceful!  We have 1 million square feet of vacant space to fill, and that’s a lot, but we can do it!
(5) Diversity is the key ingredient.  The people who own the buildings and the people who work in the buildings will be your customers, too! 

What I liked about his enthusiasm was that he believes there are very few places in America that are hollowed ground and Macon is one of those places!  He believes in Macon, and we should, too!

I really could feel the energy behind this group.  I could tell that people were working together, and not set on their own ideas, but on getting the buy-in from the whole community. 

I liked this quote from Mr. Elkington, “Success is keeping people who don't like it away from those who don't know if they like it or not!”

Click here to read the Macon.com article by Philip Ramati.

Click here to read the Macon.com article by Kenny Burgamy.

The Lillian Tyus Cartledge Memorial Scholarship was created to assist graduating seniors who display a capacity for learning and a desire for academic achievement, and it is open to graduating seniors of Griffin High School and Spalding County High School.  - more -

CFCG made a Fall 2008 Responsive Grant to the 2009 Gaudet Baseball Camp, that provided a baseball and glove to underprivileged children through the "Have a Ball" program.   CFCG President, Kathryn Dennis, was one of the speakers at the opening ceremonies.

Click here to view the photo gallery from Macon.com

Formed to spearhead the revitalization of downtown through the branding of Macon as the "Birthplace of Southern Rock," the Macon Music and Creative Arts Alliance is a new civic organization founded by a group of Macon business leaders and community advocates.

The group's mission is to create a downtown entertainment district capitalizing on Macon's rich musical history that attracts investors, business owners and ultimately, tourists. These efforts would assist in filling over one million square feet of empty downtown property.

Members of the media and general public are invited to attend an open forum to introduce these plans on Wednesday, June 10, at 2 p.m. 

In addition, John Elkington of Performa Entertainment Real Estate in Memphis, Tennessee, will be on hand to discuss the challenges and possibilities of the group's goal. Elkington is the developer responsible for creating Memphis' famed Beale Street entertainment district. His visit to Macon has been made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

WHAT: The newly formed "Macon Music and Creative Arts Alliance" is holding an open forum this Wednesday to discuss plans for creating an entertainment district in downtown Macon. After presenting the alliance's preliminary plans, John Elkington, Memphis developer responsible for the creation of Beale Street, will talk about what it takes to successfully complete an economic development plan such as this.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 2 - 3 p.m.

WHERE: Cox Capital Theatre

Lynn donated a portion of her award to benefit the Central Georgia C.A.R.E.S. Fund at the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.  Pictured to the left is the check presentation from Lynn to Kathryn Dennis, CFCG President.

Lynn Poe, Coliseum Northside Hospital volunteer, was recently awarded Coliseum Health System’s 2008 Frist Humanitarian Award, which recognizes a volunteer at each HCA-affiliated facility who demonstrates extraordinary concern for the welfare and happiness of patients and their community. 

Lynn Poe began volunteering the day after she retired from twenty years of nursing at Coliseum Northside.  As well as running the hospital gift shop, Lynn has assisted with fund raisers and events for charities like Make-A-Wish Foundation, Relay-For-Life, Alzheimer’s Association and DFCS.  She also volunteers with American Heart Association collecting donations in her neighborhood and at Heartland Hospice Service where she visits with the inpatients and performs clerical work.  She began the “Sitters Ministry” with her church Sunday school to relieve caretakers during the care for their loved ones.
 
Click here to read the article featuring Lynn Poe in the May 2009 issue of Senior News.

Macon Golf for Kids is an all volunteer organization dedicated to providing golf instruction and character building programs to underserved children in the Macon area. Macon Golf for Kids developed a youth golf practice facility at Bowden Golf Course.   A grant from USGA provides equipment, instruction and rounds of golf for qualified children.  Macon Golf for Kids believes that golf is a game of life, for life.

Click here to read more about Macon Golf for Kids on the Brickyard Collegiate website.

Last week, I had the pleasure to sit with Debbie Schuchmann from the MedCen Community Health Foundation at Rotary.  She gave me an update on the progress of the new Hospice Home, which is the only not-for-profit free-standing Hospice facility in Macon.  She said that The Hospice of Central Georgia Advisory Board, volunteers, and Hospice staff have been hard at work raising funds to build a much-needed inpatient Hospice Home to be located on five beautiful acres at 6281 Peake Road.  So far, almost  $5 Million has been raised towards the $5.5 Million goal.  Now, the MedCen Foundation has an anonymous donor who has agreed to write a check for $250,000 when the matching $250,000 is successfully raised to complete the campaign.  I have a special place in my heart for the Hospice staff and patients who need their care.  I hope that you never need to use this service.  But I also hope that if you do, the best care and facilities are available right here in Central Georgia.
Julia

The College Hill Corridor wants to help connect students looking for summer work with Maconites who need help with odd jobs.

Here’s how it works: E-mail info@collegehillcorridor.com with the following information:

• Your name
• E-mail address
• Date range of availability (i.e., June-August or June 09-June 10)
• List of jobs you would be qualified to perform (sitting, yard work, handyman work, bartending, office work, painting, lifeguarding, kayak guide, etc.)
• Whether you are also interested in volunteer work with the College Hill Corridor or other local organizations
• Skills or certifications
• Year in school
• Other relevant information (resume not needed)

CHC will publish a database of this information to our website and send it to their partners.  Of course, CHC cannot vouch for anyone on the list or otherwise recommend people, but they CAN put people looking for work in touch with people looking for help.

Please submit your information NO LATER than Friday, June 5, 2009.

If you follow CFCG on Twitter, you may have seen our tweet this morning.  Giving While Living or Endowing Funds Forever?

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of conversations on the phenomenon of foundation “spenddown,” or limited lifespan. These discussions have been spurred by the heightened visibility of individual philanthropists who have announced their intention to limit their foundation’s lifespan. 

The Foundation Center in cooperation with the Council on Foundations recently released the results from the first national survey of family foundations on the topic of lifespan planning, called Perpetuity or Limited Lifespan: How Do Family Foundations Decide? Click here to view the full text.

A few of the key findings include:

• The study’s most basic fi nding is that while perpetuity is the norm for most existing family foundations, a small segment plan to have a limited lifespan (12 percent) and a larger segment are undecided (25 percent), either because they have not yet discussed this issue or due to uncertainty about the family’s future involvement in the foundation.
• Having a living donor is an especially strong determinant of lifespan planning choices: foundations with a living founder are three times more likely to expect to spend down than those whose founder is deceased.
• Foundations that plan to limit their lifespan are more likely to make a formal decision at some point after the foundation’s establishment, rather than at inception.
• The two leading reasons for deciding to exist in perpetuity are a desire to have a long-term impact on the community and a desire for family engagement across generations.

CFCG applauds those donors who spend today and those who endow the future. We need all of them.

Congratulations to the 2009-2010 Al Lucas Memorial Scholarship Recipients as they prepare for Graduation this weekend.

Left to Right: Key’erra Rozier, Northeast High School; Yi’sheika Bell, Westside High School; Angelia Hill, Southwest High School;  Marcus Jones, Central High School; Reginald Cater, Northeast High School; and Maurice Davison, Rutland High School (not pictured).

This morning, we held a follow up press conference at Vineville Academy to show the media some of the innovative projects that have been funded via CFCG's Double Your Impact Matching Grant to DonorsChoose.org.

It was inspiring to see the children enjoying two new microscopes for Vineville's new science lab, 12 puppets that are used to help promote literacy and language development, and three half-sized violins for the strings class at this Fine Arts magnet elementary school in Bibb County.

We will post pictures from the event next week, and you can click here to read the full press release.

To date, we've had 38 projects fully funded.  There are 64 Central Georgia project requests on DonorsChoose.org today.  The summer is a great time for teachers to create project requests in prepartion for the fall.  You can click the link to the left called "Matching Grant to DonorChoose.org" to browse project requests.  I'm always inspired by seeing all the exciting ideas for our children.  They are the future of Central Georgia! 

Congratulations to CFCG Board Member, Juanita Jordan, who was selected as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia.  The Women of Distinction event is a fundraiser sponsored by Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, that offers recognition to women within the Girl Scout council communities.  These honorees are women who, as representatives of a diverse spectrum of professional and personal accomplishments, are excellent role models for today's girls.  Jordan will be honored today at noon at the Armory Ballroom in Macon.  Other 2009 honorees include: Neva Fickling, Del Ward Leslie, Dr. Catherine Meeks and Martha Thornton.

When God chose heavenly healing for Cassandra Dayton after a battle with Cancer, her son Matthew and former husband Bill knew exactly how they wanted to honor her. They chose to establish a charitable fund in her name that would perpetuate her volunteer service to the Barnesville community.  - MORE -

By Walter Geiger
The Herald Gazette
Friday, May 8. 2009  

Central Georgia C.A.R.E.S. (Critter Advocates Requesting Ethical Standards) is a group of citizens who have been long time animal advocates in the community.  The focus of the group is to improve the condition of Macon's abandoned pet population by moving the shelter to a more public-friendly environment, increasing the rate of adoption, and implementing a more humane euthanasia technique.

Today, we attended the Animal Shelter's Gas Chamber Demolition Ceremony.  Central Services & Macon Animal Control is poised to move forward with building modifications to end the gas chamber and switch to euthanasia by lethal injection.

Click here to read the post on the DonorsChoose blog about CFCG's Double Your Impact matching grant. 

Click here to view all projects eligible for CFCG's matching grant.

To date, twelve projects have been fully funded, resulting in 874 hours of learning for 2,592 Central Georgia students.

Congratulations Malcolm for being selected as the thirteenth annual Executive of the Year for the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College and State University.

Click here to read GC&SU's announcement.

As part of the Third Street Park Festivities, the Southwest Philharmonic Society performed at the Cherry Blossom Festival on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

The Southwest Philharmonic Society received a Responsive Grant for $8,500 from CFCG in January 2009 to assist with the cost of travel to a national choral competition.

The Southwest Philharmonic Society of Southwest High School is comprised of students from some of the lower social economic communities of Macon.  Over the years, they have won top honors in competitions entered, from Los Angeles to New York City.  Travel to these competitions is a wonderful opportunity for these students to not only showcase their talents and bring acclaim to Macon, but to be exposed to new and different cultures and be apart of something positive.