Grants for Organizations

Since 1955, the Christian Center has been at the forefront of addressing the rise of homelessness in Madison County and is dedicated to monitoring the ongoing needs that arise. Their grant proposal was centered around meeting one of those needs: emergency transitional family housing. Emergency housing is a growing concern. Opening a transitional home for women and children can have profound and multifaceted benefits for Madison County. This facility will not only provide emergency housing but will also enhance safety, health, and economic stability for our community. 100% capacity is projected at the launch of the facility. Renovation is already underway and the Spark Grant will play a role in bringing it to completion.

“The Christian Center is called to be change agents for good, to step into the gap on behalf of the homeless and marginalized in our community. The Well, shelter for women and children, is the next step in our response to our community’s greatest un-met need.”

-Rob Spaulding, Executive Director The Christian Center

The mission of Firefly Children and Family Alliance is to empower individuals to build stronger families and communities. From proactive child abuse prevention services to family preservation programs, they work to ensure child safety while helping families work toward long-term stability.

The Spark Grant will support their Recovery Court pilot project, aimed at helping families navigate the child welfare system, especially those struggling with substance use. This program promises to transform lives with services including case management, therapy, and parenting classes, ultimately working towards family reunification and long-term stability. The goal to is to serve 50 families concurrently. Funds from the Spark Grant ensure the continued viability of this pilot project.

“Firefly is honored to receive a Spark grant from the Community Foundation. This generous grant will have a tremendous impact on the lives of so many families as they seek recovery and reunification. With your support they will undoubtedly achieve their goals faster, allowing us to reach more people in need.”

-Tina Cloer, President and CEO Firefly Children and Family Alliance

The Minority Health Coalition is dedicated their mission, “To improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities and enhance the quality of life.”

This organization will use the funds from the Spark Grant to launch a Neighborhood Reading Program. This initiative aims to boost reading skills among at-risk youth, addressing a critical need in our community, Through partnerships with the Anderson Public Library, the Madison County Literacy Coalition, and Anderson Community Schools, the program will provide essential resources and support to enhance literacy and educational success.

“The Spark Award provides an opportunity for MHCMC in collaboration with Anderson Community Schools, Anderson Public Library, and Madison County Literacy Coalition to make a difference in the community by helping students who are below the proficiency reading level. As the Author Tomie DePaola stated ‘Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.’”

-Veda Morris-May, Executive Director

Operation Love Ministries has served the Madison County community for over 40 years with tangible goods and services for neighbors in need. They have consistently been dedicated to the collective efforts of many individuals, organizations, businesses, and churches to meet ongoing needs and make an impact.

With the support of the funds from the Spark Grant, and working alongside key partners, they are committed to empowering our community through the HELP Project. In partnership with Park Place Church of God and South Meridian Church of God, this initiative will educate and equip individuals and organizations on how to effectively support their neighbors in need with easy-to-digest introductory sessions on topics such as: available resources in Madison County, understanding poverty, boundaries, de-escalation, identifying mental health needs, helping without hurting, financial social work, suicide prevention and more.

“This Spark Grant means that we can mobilize caring Madison County community members in a way that equips, informs, and engages them in the critical mission to help their neighbors in need in safe and effective ways. Without this funding, the project would not be enacted successfully, if at all. We are incredibly grateful that we will be able to impact the community not only in the near future, but in years to come by creating a group of neighbors helping neighbors while also building a program that can be replicated in multiple different areas and groups in our community."

-Andrea Baker, Executive Director