Georgia Magazine - April 2020 - 14

Currents

News from Georgia's electric co-ops * Compiled by Amy Schneider

Camp Kudzu credits EMCs for ongoing support
'We knew our grant would be a valuable
investment in the lives of over 500 youths
with Type 1 diabetes in our service area
who would benefit from Camp Kudzu's
- Marcus Carter, chairman of the
programs.'

JENNIE CLAYTON PHOTOGRAPHY

GreyStone Power Foundation

Campers show off the colorful bags they decorated to store their
diabetes supplies during Camp Kudzu.

G

eorgia's electric membership cooperatives
(EMCs) have donated more than $115,000
to Camp Kudzu, a nonprofit organization
that educates, empowers and inspires children
and young people living with Type 1 diabetes.
The organization marked its 20th anniversary in
December with a celebration in Atlanta.
Over the years, funds from EMCs' Operation
Round Up programs (in which members round
their monthly bills to the nearest dollar, with the
extra going to charitable causes) have supported
Camp Kudzu, allowing thousands of needy children in their service areas with Type 1 diabetes to
go to camp. The foundation of one of those EMCs,
GreyStone Power Corp. in Douglasville, contributed $9,000 last year.
"We receive many requests for donations,
and it is vitally important to our board directors
to be good stewards of the dollars our members
contribute," said Marcus Carter, chairman of the
GreyStone Power Foundation. "We knew our
grant would be a valuable investment in the lives
of over 500 youths with Type 1 diabetes in our service area who would benefit from Camp Kudzu's
programs."
Other EMCs that have donated to Camp
Kudzu over the years are Amicalola EMC (based
in Jasper), Central Georgia EMC (Jackson), Cobb

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EMC (Marietta), Coweta-Fayette EMC (Palmetto), Flint
Energies (Reynolds), Jackson EMC (Jefferson), Oconee
EMC (Dudley), Sawnee EMC (Cumming), Snapping Shoals
EMC (Covington), Tri-County EMC (Gray) and Walton EMC
(Monroe).
More than 6,000 children and teens in Georgia are living
with Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong, insulin-dependent autoimmune disease. Camp Kudzu teaches campers how to manage the disease in an inclusive, fun-filled environment and
creates lifelong friendships for both campers and volunteers.
"Georgia's electric membership cooperatives have
been a tremendous partner in our work to make sure the
children in their service areas can benefit from educational
camping programs, for which we are forever grateful," said
Robert Shaw, Camp Kudzu executive director. "Our goals
are ambitious for 2020: expanding programming, deepening
our reach into underserved communities [and] honing our
ability to serve culturally diverse families where language or
other factors could be a barrier to receiving the best potential diabetes-management education. With continued support of Operation Round Up programs, I have 100 percent
confidence we will succeed."
For more information about Camp Kudzu, go to camp
kudzu.org or call (404) 420-5911 or toll-free (833) 995-8398.
Camp Kudzu is part of Camp Twin Lakes, which encompasses camps for children facing a variety of challenges; to read
a July 2017 Georgia Magazine story about Camp Twin Lakes,
go to bit.ly/gm0717camptl.
http://www.campkudzu.org http://www.campkudzu.org http://www.bit.ly/gm0717camptl
Georgia Magazine - April 2020

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