Georgia Magazine - March 2022 - 15

SHORTTakes
Ongoing friends of FFA: Habersham Electric
Membership Corp. (EMC) in Clarkesville is a
platinum sponsor (donation level of $2,500) of
the Habersham County FFA Alumni. FFA alumni
groups throughout Georgia are open to adults
who want to support and promote FFA activities
and agricultural education through their
time, talents and resources. Members of the FFA
alumni groups also help students who participate
in FFA continue to grow and develop.
The 11th Annual Heroes Invitational Golf Tournament in October raised money for the
Sua Sponte Foundation and the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless.
Book benefi ciaries: Hiram-based
Golf tournament raises $140,000
for veterans, military families
T
ucker-based Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp., Georgia
System Operations Corp. and Georgia Electric Membership Corp. presented a
total of $140,000 Nov. 22 to two Georgia-based nonprofits that support veterans
and military families. The donations came from proceeds raised at the 11th Annual
Heroes Invitational Golf Tournament, held in early October at the Georgia Club
in Statham.
A portion of the tournament's proceeds was presented to the Sua Sponte
Foundation, a volunteer nonprofit organization that provides rapid assistance to
the Rangers and families of the 1st Ranger Battalion, part of the U.S. Army's elite
75th Ranger Regiment based in Savannah.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Sua Sponte has assisted Rangers and their families in times
of crisis. The organization also hosts and sponsors events to increase Rangers' morale
and cohesiveness, helps renovate wounded Rangers' homes, sends care packages to
deployed troops, provides financial aid for medical expenses, offers job-search assistance,
helps Gold Star families (those who have lost loved ones in military service) and
maintains memorial grounds dedicated to fallen warriors of the 1st Ranger Battalion.
In addition, a check was presented to the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the
Homeless to benefit its Tiny House Project. This unique initiative provides permanent,
affordable community housing to homeless military veterans.
Residents have access to support staff and case managers, employment search
assistance, skill-building workshops and health classes, all with an emphasis on building
self-sufficiency. Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2019, is home to 23 military
veterans. Phase 2 will end homelessness for 23 additional veterans. Once veterans'
applications are accepted, they are permitted to live in these homes indefinitely.
" We are thankful for this very generous donation, " said Cindy Kelley, executive
director of the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless. " The funds will allow
for the construction of three Phase 2 houses in the Tiny House Project community,
providing independence for those military veterans who have proudly and bravely
served our country. "
Since its inception in 2010, the Heroes Invitational Golf Tournament has grown
exponentially in both participation and monetary donations.
GreyStone Power Corp. donated a collection
of children's books to Bessie L. Baggett
Elementary School in Powder Springs in
December after receiving the books as a holiday
gift from Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in
Arlington, Va. A national network of electric
co-ops, Touchstone Energy works closely with
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to spread a
love of reading in children age 5 and younger
and set them up for success in school.
Cultivating interest: The Jeff erson Energy
Cooperative Foundation in Wrens donated
$16,500 to the Jeff erson County University of
Georgia Extension and 4-H programs to support
work with farmers and schools. The funds will
be used for a cargo trailer for the Extension
and 4-H offi ce as well as raised-bed gardening
programs for fi fth graders at Louisville Academy
in Louisville, Wrens Elementary School in Wrens
and Carver Elementary School in Wadley.
Popular co-ops: Five Georgia electric
cooperatives were among the best-rated
electric utilities in the 2021 J.D. Power annual
survey of residential electric customers. Walton
EMC (based in Monroe), Jackson EMC
(Jeff erson), Sawnee EMC (Cumming), Cobb
EMC (Marietta) and GreyStone Power Corp.
(Hiram) all were ranked in the top 20. The 2021
J.D. Power Electric Utility Residential Customer
Satisfaction Study is based on responses from
100,999 online interviews conducted from
January through November. The survey
targeted residential customers of the nation's
145 largest electric utilities, representing more
than 101 million households.
www.georgiamagazine.org
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BRIAN RICKMOND / GEORGIA TRANSMISSION CORP.
COURTESY GREYSTONE POWER CORP.

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Georgia Magazine - March 2022

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