The taste of cereal just got a whole lot sweeter for 23 local nonprofit organizations and schools. The groups, including five Rockdale-area organizations, recently received money from the General Mills foundation for their mission to serve the local community.
Students at JH House Elementary will soon be jumping for joy. The school was the recent recipient of a $9,000 grant from the General Mills Foundation as part of the Healthy on the Inside and Out grant.
"It is very exciting and I know the students will be thrilled about the recess packs," said PE teacher and 2010 Teacher of the Year finalist Stacy Roper.
The money will go towards buying a kit of PE equipment, such as sports balls, jump ropes, bean bags, and frisbees, to encourage kids to exercise during recess. The money will fund the purchase of one kit for each of 23 classrooms, grades pre-K to kindergarten and third to fifth grade plus some gym equipment.
The Barksdale Boys and Girls Club also received funds from the grant, $15,000 for its healthy habits program.
Elks Aidmore, Inc. received $2,500 to support the expansion of its programs for at-risk teenagers and young adults.
The nonprofit center, which has more than 80 years of history in the area, is in the process of expanding its services to meet the increased need generated in part, by the country’s economic recession and is appreciative of the capacity enhancement grant provided by the General Mills Foundation.
“We are appreciative of General Mills philanthropy and their support of the communities where their employees live and work. Our expansion is necessary to service the growing population of children and families that are in need of specialized services. This is our effort to stabilize lives while reducing the homeless rate for current and former foster children,” said Abe Wilkinson, CEO of Elks Aidmore, Inc.
Since 2007, half of Georgia’s providers for at-risk youth have closed their doors, according to Development Director Dawn Butler.
Other Rockdale-based nonprofits that received grants are the Project ReNeWal, Prevent Child Abuse Rockdale, Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts, and Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families.
The organizations that received grants from the General Mills Foundation are:
- Camp Twin Lakes
- Community Arts Association in Newton Co.
- Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts
- Fairview Elementary School
- Georgia Elks Aidmore Children's Center
- J. H. House Elementary School
- Middle Ridge Elementary School
- Newton County Community Partnership for Children and Families
- Newton County Senior Services
- Newton County School System
- Newton County Sheriff's Office
- Prevent Child Abuse Newton
- Prevent Child Abuse Rockdale
- Project Renewal Domestic Violence Intervention
- Rainbow Community Center
- Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families
- The Learning Center
- Washington Street Community Center
- YMCA of Covington
- American Red Cross East Georgia Chapter
- Boys and Girls Clubs of North Georgia
- Walton County Senior Citizens Council
