Celebration of the Plateau is an annual event in which South Cumberland Community Fund salutes the organizations who are doing great work to build hope and prosperity for all in our region. We will raise up the 13 organizations receiving grants in our spring grant round as well as all other partner organizations on the Plateau.
The event will be held at Kennerly Hall at the Parish of St. Mark and St. Paul, 216 University Avenue, Sewanee, on Saturday, June 10th, 2023 at 12:00 pm.
Because we will be serving a simple meal, please RSVP at this link so that we can plan accurately.
"We are delighted that the thirteen applicants chosen for this round of grants will mainly focus on strengthening our local economy, building the health and well-being of our Plateau residents, enhancing the beauty & accessibility of our natural wonders, and educating our students," said Marguerite Lloyd, board chair. "We believe funding these organizations will promote economic growth across the Plateau and help bring our communities together."
This spring's grants
The following organizations will receive grants in the 2023 spring cycle:
BetterFi – $2,500 for the purchase of event equipment and supplies that will be used to enhance organizational appearance, provide greater flexibility, and spread awareness at community events about financial assistance programs available to Plateau residents.
Community Action Committee (CAC) – $6,000 to increase the effectiveness of the Emergency Assistance Program by developing an education series program that will teach money management, energy, and water conservation strategies.
Tracy City Free Clinic (Christians Celebrating God's Bounty, Inc.) – $10,000 for care and prevention of Hepatitis C patients in the Plateau community. This invisible, diseased population will receive testing, care plans, and medications, (as well as publicity and education for the larger community).
Dependable Laundry – $8,160 to upgrade laundry equipment thereby providing job and career training as well as post-secondary learning for special education students from Grundy County High School.
Folks at Home – $3,000 to renovate and upgrade the Folks at Home public bathroom facility in downtown Sewanee for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Thus providing a more “inclusive and welcoming" facility to disabled persons in Sewanee and the Cumberland Plateau as a whole.
Friends of South Cumberland State Parks – $10,000 to grow enrollment at Cumberland Forest School in their nature-based education program for 3-5 year old children from the Cumberland Plateau.
Grundy County Saddle Club – $8,500 to install 10 camping stations on the show grounds thereby providing hikers and visitors a peaceful location on the Cumberland Plateau (as well as families needing services during events).
Housing Sewanee Inc. – $10,000 to purchase the HVAC system and kitchen appliances for their third home in the Sherwood Spring neighborhood (and 19th overall) which will be starting this summer.
MARC - Marion Animal Resource Connection – $3,340 to provide free clinics in various locations across the Cumberland Plateau and innoculate dogs for Canine Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, & Parvovirus (DAPP) vaccines, (as well as providing microchips and printing ID tags).
The Mosaic Recovery Center – $10,000 to provide a better living experience (as well as job skill training), through kitchen improvements for the 26 Plateau residents in their addiction recovery center.
Sewanee Community Chest – $8,500 to convert the exterior and parking lot of Sewanee’s Depot building into a trailhead and information center for the Mountain Goat Trail. This will include parking lot improvements, benches, signage, and landscaping.
St. Mark's Community Association – $10,000 to preserve and enhance this community center as an event location for members, Cumberland Plateau residents, and other groups as an historical landmark, and the last remaining non-housing community structure dating back to the cornerstone of the University of the South.
Town of Tracy City – $10,000 to replace and install better lighting (including new poles and LED lighting) on the Tracy City football field thereby making it safer for children to play and encouraging more participation.
Established in 2012, South Cumberland Community Fund works to build hope and prosperity for all by increasing philanthropy and supporting leadership of the area’s communities, schools, and nonprofit organizations.
Image of new construction at Cumberland Forest School.
For more information about South Cumberland Community Fund, go online to <www.southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>, visit our Facebook page at <https://www.facebook.com/southcumberlandcommunityfund/>, or contact us at <info@southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>.
All the best to you. Sincerely, Tom Sanders Executive Director South Cumberland Community Fund