Georgia Magazine - March 2018 - 15

COBB EMC

New York Times best-selling author Brian Lies teaches children about illustration during
Literacy Week in October.

Cobb EMC Literacy Week brings
authors to local schools

tudents from 43 schools in metro
Atlanta received visits from 11
award-winning
children's-book
authors during Literacy Week Oct. 2327, a celebration of reading and writing hosted by Marietta-based Cobb
Electric Membership Corp. (EMC)
and Gas South.
The participating authors were
Andrew Chaiken, Brian Lies, Chris
Rumble, Danny Schnitzlein, Diane
Shore, Gail Karwoski, Jenny L. Cote,
Kim Hardy, Michael White, Robyn
Hood Black and Suzanne Slade.
"Our original goal for Literacy
Week was to encourage students'

love of reading," says Mark Justice,
director of education and community
relations at Cobb EMC. "Eight years
into the event, we hear stories from
parents like one student who hurried
home from an author visit, got out
paper and pencil and started writing
her own book. The authors' impact
on students is evident, and we're
proud to help provide this experience to local students."
Throughout the week, authors
challenged 24,000 students to expand
their creativity through writing and illustration and to build lifelong reading habits.

summer camp; it now provides a space
for outdoor enrichment for the 300 families served by ESP.
* On duty: Thanks
to a donation from
Marietta-based Cobb
EMC, the Cherokee
County Sheriff's Office
has a new officer. Volt,
a Belgian Malinois, is
taking the place of retiring K-9 officer Amp,
who also was purchased with support
from (and was named in honor of) Cobb
EMC. Volt came to Georgia from Kasseburg Canine Kennels in New Market, Ala.,
and originally was from Hungary. He will
undergo training with his handler, Deputy
Jack Fulenwider, to assist with tasks that
include narcotics detection.
* Support in tough times: Jacksonbased Central Georgia EMC donated
$5,000 in Operation Round Up funds to
McDonough-based Rachel's Gift, which
provides counseling and other support to
parents who have lost infants.
* Party with a purpose: With raffle funds
raised at the company holiday luncheon
last year, employees at Coastal Electric
Cooperative in Midway made three
recent donations. The raffle raised more
than $2,000, and the co-op made an
additional donation to bring the total to
$4,500, which was divided equally among
the Liberty County Homeless Coalition
in Hinesville, Family Promise of Bryan
County in Richmond Hill and the Empty
Stocking Fund of McIntosh County.

Carroll EMC awards 2017 Bright Ideas grants

March 2018

CARROLL EMC

arroll Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) in Carrollton recently
awarded grants totaling $76,438 to 98 local educators in 36 schools.
The grants will be used for creative and innovative educational
projects for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Grants of
up to $1,000 were awarded to public school teachers in any subject.
Bright Ideas grants are funded through the donations of Carroll EMC members who participate in Operation Round Up, through
which their monthly bills are rounded up to the next dollar. The program is overseen by the Carroll EMC Foundation trustees. In addition
to Bright Ideas grants, it funds student scholarships and many health
and human services programs.

Carroll EMC awards Tara Ferguson, a teacher at
Sharp Creek Elementary School in Carrollton, a Bright
Ideas grant.

More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

SGT. MARIANNE KELLEY

Short takes CONTINUED

http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2018