Kicking off its third year of supporting community needs, healthcare, education and economic/cultural development, the Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC) Foundation has awarded seven grants totaling $26,500 in 2024’s first quarter:

• The Arc North Florida, $5,000: The grant was presented by OREMC Foundation Trustee Tina Mobley and OREMC President Wayne Combs to support the laundry program at the Baker County Adult Day Training (ADT) center, which provides advocacy and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By teaching clients how to do their own laundry, aids in fostering their independence and provides them with employment skills such as working laundry services at a hotel or hospital. Pictured are (l-r): Baker ADT Client Mickey, OREMC Foundation Trustee Tina Mobley, The Arc Executive Director Beverly Standridge, Baker ADT Client Johnathan, Baker ADT Supervisor Saige Sanders and OREMC President Wayne Combs. Present but not pictured is Baker ADT Manager Lakeisha Williams.

• Baker County Minister Association, $5,000: Supporting the Samaritan Food Bank, the $5,000 OREMC Foundation grant award is intended to help feed the 500-600 food insecure families locally, provide transportation assistance through gas vouchers and homeless/emergency shelter with motel vouchers. The Samaritan Food Bank was established 23 years ago by a network of local churches to help maximize the impact they could have on feeding families in need in Baker County. Picture are (l-r): Samaritan Volunteers Diana Brennan and Jennifer Young, OREMC Foundation Trustee Tina Mobley, Samaritan Founder Mitch Rhoden, OREMC President Wayne Combs and Samaritan Volunteer Maria Jennings.
  
  
• Baker County Council on Aging, Inc., $5,000: Set to open in July 2024, the Baker County Council on Aging’s new senior center will include a well-equipped kitchen and dining hall to host their congregate meals which help address elderly food insecurity and social isolation issues. Helping to furnish the new dining hall with tables and chairs is the purpose of the $5,000 OREMC Foundation grant. Pictured are (l-r): OREMC President Wayne Combs, Baker COA Executive Director Christina Harvey, Baker COA Finance Director Ginny Braddock and OREMC Foundation Trustee Tina Mobley.
  
  
• Charlton County Extension/4-H, $1,500: Supporting Project Achievement, which helps 4-Hers develop leadership, creativity, public speaking and record keeping skills to name a few, is the intent of the $1,500 grant awarded by the OREMC Foundation. Specifically, the grant is intended to help foster greater participation in the Junior/Senior District Project Achievement by helping to offset the cost of competition for competitors and their families. OREMC Foundation Trustee Carolyn Strickland presented the grant to Madison Sands, Charlton County Extension Coordinator/4-H Agent, and Extension Administrative Assistant Leighann Kitchings.
  
  
• America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, Inc., $2,500: OREMC Foundation Trustee Shallen Crum resented the grant to Branch Manager Jennifer Floyd and Program Specialist Justin Thornton. The funds will be used to support their Mobile Pantry program, which is a refrigerated truck that delivers food directing neighborhood distribution sites in the seven-county area.  Annually, America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia distributes 4.4 million pounds of food equal to 1.7 million meals through the 100 partner distribution sites, along with the mobile pantries, school pantries, Brown Bag program Sand Backpack Buddies program.
  
  

•  Golden Isles Youth Orchestra, Inc., $2,500: To support the acquisition and refurbishment of instruments to be used by student musicians in the orchestra, training orchestra, school-based pods and String-On! Programs. By providing instruments to students at no or low cost breaks down the financial barriers to musical enrichment, practice and participation. OREMC Foundation Trustee Shallen Crum presented the grant to GIYO’s Vice President of Development Ken Bleakly with Maestro Jorge Peña, student musician leaders and the full philharmonia orchestra in the background.

The next OREMC Foundation grant application deadline is Friday, April 5, 2024. Qualified organizations can apply for grants on a quarterly basis that support programs and initiatives approved by the OREMC Foundation trustees in accordance with the Foundation’s charter. Applications are available, and can be downloaded, at oremc.com/foundation.