The Halsey Family Scholarship: Music + Science, a component fund of The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, awards two $8,000 scholarships over the course of 2-years to Camden County High School graduating seniors – 1 pursuing a music degree, 1 pursuing a science degree.

This year’s 2022 Halsey Family Scholarship recipients are Mary Margaret McNeil (Music) and Elizabeth Tran (Science). Mary Margaret will be attending the Manhattan School of Music, Bachelor of Music Program in Classical Voice - Soprano. Elizabeth will be attending the University of Georgia, majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The Glynn Academy (GA) Class of 1969 Scholarship, a component fund of The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, awards an annual $2,500 scholarship to one deserving GA graduate - to honor GA Class of 1969 classmates no longer with them - “Gone, But Not Forgotten.”

The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to a graduating senior who did not meet the standards for the Georgia HOPE Scholarship, but otherwise demonstrated characteristics of a dedicated student. The goal is that with financial assistance during the first year of college, the awarded student will raise his or her GPA enough to qualify for the HOPE Scholarship by the end of the first semester of college.

This year’s 2022 GA Class of 1969 Scholarship recipient is Marisela Guerrero-Gomez, a first-generation college student who plans to attend The College of Coastal Georgia. During high school, Marisela completed multiple dual-enrollment, advanced, and honors courses while participating in GA’s Color Guard.

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) is pleased to announce its 2022 Community Impact Fund grant cycle will open January 3, 2022. Proposals are due by February 28. Awards will be announced in early May. 

Good Grit Magazine, a lifestyle magazine based in Birmingham, wrote a lovely tribute to St. Simons Island writer, Eugenia Price, and the Foundation's efforts to continue her philanthropy.

The Christ Church Frederica Episcopal Church Women Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to three graduating seniors recently. 

Waverly Brown plans to attend the College of Coastal Georgia. Ma'Kayla Hulett plans to attend Georgia Southern University. Hannah Martin plans to attend Auburn University. Congratulations to all the recipients!! 

Congratulations to Amirah Richardson and Dillon Booker on being the recent recipients of the Correll Scholarships. Amirah is attending Valdosta State University and Dillon is at the College of Coastal Georgia. 

Emergency Needs Fund disperses $655,000 to the community for COVID-19 relief. 

Coastal Georgia COVID-19 Community Emergency Needs Fund

The Communities of Coastal Georgia announced that it has awarded $40,000 in grants to agencies in Camden County providing basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, water, prescriptions/healthcare, and medical care to those who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following funding awards represent Phase One and Two of a multi-phase response to quickly deploy resources into our Coastal communities:

Camden Connection – $20,000 (Challenge) - Camden Connection established a community relief fund to alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on Camden families. These funds are intended to challenge others to support this effort.

CASA (Camden) - $5,000 – Ongoing support of Camden clients.

Methodist Home for Boys - $5,000 – Residential Care.

Camden Community Crisis Center (Camden House) - $10,000 - Support services to domestic violence victims impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Additional funding phases will occur in the coming weeks. If you wish to be considered, please complete this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLJVYWK

“We are so pleased to be able to help our Camden community weather the health emergency and economic storm created by the COVID-19 pandemic. As our community begins reopening, we are seeing so clearly that this pandemic is having a deep and wide impact on the local economy,” says Paul White, President and CEO of The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation. “We encourage all who are able to consider making a gift to the Emergency Needs Fund at www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.”

About the Coastal Georgia Foundation

The Coastal Georgia Foundation was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets over $30 million and has awarded over $17 million in grants, the majority to community organizations in the three-county region and Georgia. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org

Coastal Georgia Foundation Awards $107,700 in recent grant cycle

Twenty-two organizations working directly with our community’s most vulnerable populations were awarded a total of $107,700 in grants from the Coastal Georgia Foundation’s Community Impact competitive grants initiative. Although these organizations provide critical and important services to at-risk youth and their families in Glynn, Camden and McIntosh counties, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an added factor in the decision-making process.

The Foundation annually budgets $50,000 for its Community Impact grants initiative, and especially this year, generous fund holders and friends were able to make up the $57,700 gap to meet the needs of twenty-two recipients.

“At a time when communities are reeling from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, generosity is reaching new heights. The Foundation was able to more than double the support it is making available to agencies providing essential services to Coastal Georgia’s most vulnerable population; at-risk youth and the adults caring for them. Well done, Coastal Georgians!”

The next Community Impact grants cycle will open in January 2021, with applications due in February 2021.

A brief description of the grant recipients and programs follows:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia, Brunswick - $5,000

Camden Community Crisis Center, St. Marys - $5,000

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Glynn, Inc., Brunswick and St. Marys - $4,200

Camden Connection* (CCAR), St. Marys - $5,000

Centered for Life*, Brunswick - $5,000

Children in Action Sports Club (CIA), Brunswick - $5,000

Coastal Coalition for Children, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

Coastal Outreach Academics, Brunswick - $5,000

Communities in Schools of Glynn County, Brunswick - $4,000

The Gathering Place, Brunswick - $5,000

Georgia Legal Services Program, Inc.*, Brunswick - $5,000

Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association, Brunswick - $5,000

Grace House of Brunswick, Brunswick - $5,000

Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

Hope 1312 Collective, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

House of Hope, Refuge of Love, Brunswick - $5,000

Morningstar Children and Family Services, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

The Remedy Project*, Brunswick - $5,000

Safe Harbor Children’s Center, Inc., Brunswick - $5,000

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Darien - $5,000

STAR Foundation, Brunswick - $5,000

YMCA of the Golden Isles, Darien - $5,000

*denotes first-time competitive grant recipient

About the Coastal Georgia Foundation

The Coastal Georgia Foundation was incorporated in 2005, as a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. The Foundation now has assets over $30 million and has awarded over $17 million in grants, the majority to community organizations in the three-county region and Georgia. The Foundation serves ordinary citizens who have the extraordinary vision for a better life for their neighbors, friends, families, and fellow coastal Georgians - today and for future generations. The Foundation seeks to be the region’s trusted source for thoughtful philanthropic counsel, sound financial management and strategic community investment. www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org

The Community Emergency Needs Fund has awarded a total of $100,000 in grant distributions to coastal agencies providing basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, water, prescriptions/healthcare, and transportation to work and medical care to those who have been disproportionately impacted by the corona virus pandemic. The Needs Fund is managed in partnership by the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and United Way of Coastal Georgia to serve coastal residents that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

These funding awards represent Phase One of a multi-phase response to quickly deploy resources into the community. Phase One recipients are:

America’s Second Harvest – Providing community-wide food distribution events and increased food distribution to partner agencies.

Faithworks Ministry – Providing food distribution at the Sparrow’s Nest and maintaining the Well for the homeless.

Golden Isles YMCA - Providing childcare for the children of essential workers who don’t have the option of working from home and require childcare (healthcare workers, first responders, DFCS, Gateway).

Boys and Girls Club – Food distribution of snack and dinner to area children.

Salvation Army - Extended their capacity to shelter clients by resourcing their chapel into a temporary shelter to accept 20 additional clients.

Safe Harbor Street Outreach - Providing homeless assistance with hotel/motel vouchers, transportation, and food distribution.

Coastal Community Health Services - Providing financial assistance for fees, copays, and medication for those who have lost insurance due to unemployment as well as extending their capacity for drive-thru COVID-19 testing.

Communities in Schools – Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.

Coastal Outreach Soccer - Food distribution for families that have no access to transportation. Distributing donated computers to students without access to a computer in the home.

Morningstar Family and Children’s Services – Providing telehealth counseling sessions. Continuing to provide residential care to students.

Darien United Methodist Church – Providing weekly food delivery to elderly and at-risk individuals in McIntosh County.

St Andrews and St Cyprians Episcopal Churches – Food distribution and financial assistance for rent and utilities for McIntosh residents.

House of Hope – Providing residential care for girls that are victims of human trafficking.

Grace House – Providing residential care and treatment to women recovering from addiction.

Additional funding phases will occur in the coming weeks.

“We are so pleased to be able to quickly begin distributing resources to help Coastal Georgians weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Mary Jenrette, United Way of Coastal Georgia Board Chair.

“As we look toward reopening our community, we are seeing so clearly that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a deep and wide impact on local economy,” Jack Kilgore, Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation Board Chair. “We will see and feel the need continuing to increase for some time. We encourage all to consider making a gift to the Emergency Needs Fund.”

Individuals, families, businesses and other philanthropy organizations are invited to continue to give to the Needs Fund at this link.