2004-2005 CCF Grantees

A Place of Grace (Mount Olive, NC) will network with the Going Home Initiative and the Transition Aftercare Network of the North Carolina Department of Corrections as a community-based organization dedicated to helping reduce the recidivism rate of prisoners in North Carolina . Our Vision is “To equip ex-inmates with the necessary resources and skills needed to become productive members of society.”  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Academic and Life Skills Center (ALSC) (Durham, NC), a tutorial program in existence since October 2004, was birthed out of a concern for the educational achievement of at-risk youth living at or below the poverty line in SE Durham, N.C. The program goals were to provide mentoring and after school tutoring in all core curriculum courses. ALSC found it necessary to address our participants’ physical as well as academic needs. Through partnering with community programs we provided needed school supplies, winter clothing, shoes, and food for afternoon meals. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Alpha Prevention Treatment Services (Raeford, NC)  is a community-based organization located in Hoke County . We were incorporated in 2003 and initially began to build capacity to support service delivery to at-risk youth. At full capacity, our target populations will include youth, parents and elderly. This CCNC project targets the low income elderly.

Historically the elderly population has been at increased risk for depression due to loneliness, prescription drug abuse due to lack of education/ information, and diminished perception of self- worth due to limited role responsibilities. This serious social dilemma is true nationwide as well as in Hoke County . However, there are presently no services in Hoke County that address these critical needs. The objective of project “OPERATIONS” is to fill this service gap by providing the elderly with education, resources, activities, training, and interactions. The expected outcome of the project is enhanced quality of life for persons served. (CCF Funding: $17,500)

Amazing Grace Etiquette (AGE) (Raleigh, NC) seeks funding from the CJH-CCNC Project amounting to $17,300 toward capacity building initiatives for its “True Self” Program.  AGE is a nonprofit organization with a major focus on providing education on image development, interpersonal communication skills and job preparedness for adults.  The agency’s mission is to provide courses that have a positive impact on people’s lives, encouraging them to become more empowered, positive and motivated for life’s successes .  AGE will utilize trained staff and community collaborations to provide a varied selection of hands-on courses, including interviewing skills, job etiquette, and conflict resolution.  (CCF Funding: $11,000)

Brothers Organized To Save Others (BOTSO). (Greensboro, NC) Project Im-P.A.C.T. (P ersonal Development, A cademics, C aring, T eaching), intended for high risk, low-income, African American boys, represents a unique partnership between Brothers Organized To Save Others (BOTSO) and Communities In Schools of High Point, Inc. (CIS) to create a school-based, mentoring program in three middle schools in High Point, NC.

The BOTSO After-School Mentoring/Tutoring organization will use CCF funds to build capacity to include a mentoring component during school hours that integrates the involvement of existing male professionals as mentors and an agency partnership with CIS.  Funding will support administrative assistance, computer-based accounting and record keeping, marketing, training and consultation to help us transition into a more efficient organization, answering the increased demand for our services.

Guilford County School statistics show that African American boys represent the highest number of dropouts, school suspensions and expulsions, presenting an urgent crisis we need to address.  (CCF Funding: $16,000)

Building Bridges (Fair Bluff, NC) recognizes that student’s educational success is a shared community responsibility.  Focusing on critical issues affecting high-need schools, Building Bridges is challenging the high rate of illiteracy and low academic performing students in the Fair Bluff community, located in rural southeastern North Carolina .

In 2002, the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation ushered in standards that clearly posed a challenge for Fair Bluff Elementary School students.  Of approximately 130 students, over 70% performed below grade level in reading and math, according to the Adequate Yearly Progress report.  For two consecutive years the school failed to make improvements in student academic proficiency, classifying it as a Title I Improvement School.

Building Bridges primary focus is an after-school enrichment program that fosters social and educational empowerment for students in a supportive learning environment.  Not anticipating the overwhelming support from the community-at-large, Building Bridges now serves more than 1/3 of the students from Fair Bluff school district.  (CCF Funding: $19,000)

Community Based Learning Alternatives Center, Inc. (C-BLAC) (Smithfield, NC) is a community-based grassroots nonprofit (501)(c)( 3) agency providing services in rural Johnston County , Smithfield , North Carolina .  C-BLAC target population/clients are members of traditionally under-served and hard-to-reach populations struggling with the effects of poverty, mental illness, substance abuse and social stigmatization.  The level of illness and lack of financial, personal and social resources make this population challenging to serve with limited resources.  C-BLAC expects to increase services to medically indigent clients. (CCF Funding: $18,396)

Derek’s Renaissance House, Inc. (DRH) (Knightdale, NC) is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to improve community acceptance and the quality of life for adults with serious mental illness by facilitating meaningful work, education, housing and social opportunities.    DRH operates a state-licensed psycho-social clubhouse which offers the members a safe, accepting place to develop social skills, assistance with personal needs, and develop computer and administrative skills.

The objectives of this grant from CCNC is to acquire fund raising skills: formal training, develop DRH’s message for lifelong private donors and community groups, and have access to experts to assist us in our goal of sustainability.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Empowerment Ministries: Innovative Bible Institute and Learning Center (Elizabeth City, NC) The Learning Center, an extension of the Empowerment Ministries: Innovative Bible Institute, will introduce at-risk youth to positive life-style alternatives.  Its primary purpose is to target at-risk youth caught-up and deceived into unhealthy, dysfunctional life-styles.  These dysfunctional life style choices prevent them from reaching their full potential as young people and adults.

The Learning Center’s, through group mentoring and character building, primary objective is to help at-risk youth create a vision for their future by teaching positive “life” skills planning; identifying action steps for an enhanced, healthier way of living; and helping participants overcome roadblocks preventing them from achieving their goals. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Family Housing and Credit Solutions (Raleigh, NC) The mission of this project is to p rovide education, counseling and training geared towards helping homeless women achieve housing and financial independence. To help accomplish this mission we have created a project entitled P.O.W.E.R (Positive Outcomes With Educational Resources). P.O.W.E.R is a program that provides, job readiness skills, housing and financial education as well as referrals to women who are homeless and living in transitional housing.

P.O.W.E.R. consists of two components: 1: Job Readiness Skills and 2: A Guide To Housing and Money Management. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Food Assistance, Inc. (Greensboro, NC) Food Assistance Groceries on Wheels project is focused on seniors 65+, seniors raising children, and the disabled living in Guilford County on low incomes (using TEFAP federal guidelines), limited mobility, and with no family in the area to assist them. They do not qualify for Mobile Meals. Volunteers deliver food, friendship, and hope and spend 15 – 30 minutes with each participant. Participants are referred by other agencies and are interviewed in their own homes. They are referred to other agencies in Guilford County when other needs are disclosed during the interview. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Franklin County Volunteers in Medicine Clinic (FCVIMC) (Louisburg, NC) was established to meet the health care needs of the County’s medically uninsured citizens.  The proposed pharmacy initiative would augment clinic services by providing access to prescription medications for patients free of charge or at a nominal cost.  The project proposes to obtain a NC Pharmacy Permit, purchase and implement pharmacy management software, train volunteers to assist patients with access to medications, and provide grant writing training for FCVIMC’s Executive Director to sustain pharmacy activities.

Having a pharmacy program, the clinic itself would be able to expand its capacity to serve more individuals in a regularly scheduled rather than crisis oriented setting.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Freedom Family Foundation Inc. (Greenville, NC) The purpose of the Child, Family and Community Enrichment Program of Freedom Family

Foundation is to provide a comprehensive continuum of care to at-risk youth and their communities in Pitt County , North Carolina .

One service, the Child Care Program will provide educational and other support during those times when children are not in school.  The program is designed to address several areas of the consumer’s functioning, including educational, emotional, physical and social.  By attending to the whole child it is the program’s hope that lasting growth and maturation may occur alongside the development of numerous tools the child may use to lead and enriched and productive life.

The Community Support Program attempts to provide services ands support to the families and primary support groups of at risk youth.  By providing activities in the form of guest speakers, advocacy and support groups, this program aims to educate parents and guardians about the issues faced by their children.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church , (Charlotte, NC) an African American church located in the inner city of Charlotte , NC , sponsored and formed the Friendship Community Development Corporation (FCDC) in July 2001.  The FCDC serves at risk populations, including the homeless, persons living with HIV/AIDS and the elderly in targeted areas of Charlotte , NC .  These areas consists of several neighborhoods which have been classified by the City of Charlotte Quality of Life study (2004) as fragile and threatened based on 20 social, physical, crime, and economic variables.

The grant funds requested would be used to hire a facilitator to assist the Board in developing in three key areas: Board Development (understanding the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors), Strategic Planning (understanding and documenting the long term goals of the FCDC), and Program Development (understanding how to develop programmatically to implement the strategic plan). (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church (Bunn , NC)
The Look Up Project will be implemented in Franklin County, North Carolina. The Project is targeting an empowerment program for senior citizens aged 50 and older. Strategies will be to provide health, physical exercise, socializing opportunities and outreach activities for this population. Many are able to continue at some level of involvement but want to be more active and utilized in the church and local community. Improving their overall health and inclusion in activities will benefit the individual and community.

The second component is for the faith community (specifically GMBC and surrounding churches) to participate in training to provide them with organizational development skills.

Training will be for leaders, ministers and interested representatives from across the county.  The goal is to increase the participant’s capacities/abilities in leadership, tracking, evaluation and program development. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Holy Tabernacle Born Again Faith, Inc. (Wade, NC)
The purpose of the project is to develop a skills training employment program for the unemployed and underemployed. The specific target populations are the Western Cumberland County homeless and low/moderate income individuals who want to pass the Employment Security Commission (ESC), or private employment agency clerical/computer skills’ tests; the program will also provide the same assistance to other Cumberland County and Fayetteville Area low/moderate income individuals who need to refresh their clerical/computer skills’ prior to taking clerical or computer tests at the ESC or private employment agencies. Additionally, the CCF funds will be used to improve the viability of the board of directors and to improve the financial reporting system. (CCF Funding: $17,500)

Joseph’s House, Inc. (Greensboro, NC) is a faith-based nonprofit organization (tax-exempt status pending) designed to address the unmet needs of homeless young adults (18-21) residing in Guilford County , North Carolina . We have summarized our capacity building objectives into two categories which deal with external and internal capacity building: 1) the acquisition of one facility for administrative and direct service provisions for our target population and 2) secure internal resources by June 2005 to include hiring of 3 staff members and develop training and development plans. Our services include providing shelter, food, clothing, counseling, life skills training, employment training, substance abuse referrals, case management and other supportive services.  Joseph’s House will serve homeless young adults who may have broken family ties; may have a history of drug abuse; may have a history of criminal activity; may have dropped out of high school; may be victims of abuse, or who may have aged out of foster care.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Kramden Institute , (RTP, NC) a not-for-profit corporation (501(c)(3)), incorporated in the state of North Carolina, is based on the work of Kramden Innovations, a father/son pilot project initiated in June 2003 to refurbish and fix older computers to donate to middle school students in Durham, NC who cannot afford home computers.  From July 2003 through May 2004, over 90 personal computers and 65 monitors were donated to the project from individuals and businesses, and 50 computer systems were completed and donated to the school under the Kramden for Kids™ name.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

L L Reid Learning Center, (Oak Ridge, NC) a community based program located in Guilford County , NC , is dedicated to the growth and development of adolescents and young adults ages 10-15.  The organization’s focus is to serve low income families, particularly those children with single parents and those residing in areas denoted as low wealth and high crime areas of the community.  L L Reid’s capacity building objectives are:

1)	establish a fully equipped office accessible to businesses, collaborators and clients
2)	establish a strategic plan, and
3)	increase knowledge of Board and Staff members working for the organization. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Pieces of A Dream (Raleigh, NC) Stopping the Exposure of Violence to Children is an intensive program that address issues of training, awareness, education, and statistical data involving children exposed to domestic violence ages 0 – 15. Stopping the Exposure of Violence to Children is a program that meets at least 3 times per week for a minimum of 3 hours per session. Sessions are done in a group setting that encompasses education, intervention, and awareness.  The target population is youth currently residing in Domestic Violence shelters in the Wilson County area.  The philosophy of Stopping the Exposure of Violence to children is that through community partnerships and group efforts can eliminate or drastically reduce family violence. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Project Renew (Fayetteville, NC)
The purpose of the request for funds is to help build the capacity of a non-profit agency that assists the underemployed and unemployed. The target population includes lower-income individuals in the Fayetteville , North Carolina area who may have difficulties obtaining a mortgage using traditional means. The organization is in need of funding for the capacity building in the domains of financial reporting, fund-raising, marketing and development of the board of directors. The objectives are to use the CCF funds to train the staff in computerized accounting systems. (CCF Funding: $11,000)

Project SIGMA, Inc. (Wilson, NC) is a program that currently provides services for at-risk youth in Wilson, NC.  The goal of Project SIGMA, Inc is to build the confidence, knowledge, skills, character, and achievement aspirations of students in the program.  This is done by giving students an opportunity to meet with each other to discuss their interest and problems, giving students a chance to meet college and professional men and women thereby exposing them to various viewpoints of educational advancement. Project SIGMA, Inc. would also like to expand into the arena of providing Case Management and CBS services for youth referred through Wilson-Greene Mental Health. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Prosperity Ministries, Inc. (Kannapolis, NC) is a faith-based organization whose mission is to provide services to the community in need. Our target population is low-wealth, low income individuals in Cabarrus County. Our other programs include Basic Adult Literacy, Shelter Training and Enrichment Program (S.T.E.P.), Food for Life, and Youth Enrichment Program. It is through our Youth Enrichment Program and our partnership with the Department of Social Services that we move to implement our newest initiative, the Prosperity Place Computer Lab.  We have a lab with 9 computers that will be used to provide computer literacy training for our youth and introductory computer classes to adults in the community. The lab will provide computer literacy for at risk youth in addition to families in crisis as a result of job loss or unemployment. (CCF Funding: $11,000)

Purpose and Promise, Inc. (Mooresville, NC) established an HIV/AIDS and other STD’s program to educate the African American community between the ages of 15-49 about the importance of prevention and testing for HIV/AIDS. The overall goals of this program are to stabilize and/or reduce this growing epidemic which is found mostly in the African American community.  CCF funding will be used for the following needs: computers and computer software, training, supplies, and travel expense. Pilot research will be carried out in three (3) phases: 1) an assessment of attitudes and intervention elicited from video and/or audio taped interviews of randomly selected respondents not tested for HIV/AIDS 2) preparation of programs through the analysis of attitude in preparing programs to encourage HIV/AIDS testing, and 3) implementation of programs. The project location is Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC.  The target population is African Americans. (CCF Funding: $11,000)

Read Seed, Inc. (Durham, NC)
By initiating two new programs beginning Fall, 2005, Read Seed seeks to address failures in literacy acquisition for two new populations, low-income parents with preschool children and school-aged children at risk for failure.

Parent and Child Reading Incentive Project promotes 100 hours of literacy activities and parent training to shape a habit of regularly reading to child.  Based upon education research, this is the second most important factor in later academic success.

Parents contact Read Seed seeking reading tutorials for children at risk for failure.  Need has been established by insufficient services elsewhere for all aged students.  Well-known pay programs are out of reach for our most at-risk families.  Read Seed is developing the Literacy Proficiency After-school Program beginning September 2005 until May 2006.  Through intensive interaction with students referred by school and home, our objective is achieving on-grade level proficiency.

Programs located at Read Seed, Inc., Durham , North Carolina .  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Safe Space, Inc. (Louisburg, NC) is requested $19,924 in CCNC funds to begin work on our RUBAL Project. This project will assist the agency in improving efforts of staff, board, volunteer, and associated community leaders in serving local diverse victims of domestic violence, and will insure that consistent and compliant Human Resource tools are available to agency leadership and management personnel. The project will be located in Louisburg but the area of focus is the entirety of Franklin County . Specifically, the RUBAL project will strengthen the ability of Safe Space, Inc. to increase services to currently underserved African American, Latino, and teen victims in our community, while strengthening our ability to insure high representation of communities of color among agency staff and board leadership. (CCF Funding: $19,924)

Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care (Southern Pines, NC)
The Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care , located in Southern Pines, North Carolina ,   serves individuals and families in crisis in Moore County . Our mission is to meet the emergency needs of our Moore County neighbors by providing food, clothing and financial assistance and refer those with ongoing needs to appropriate resources. As the numbers of people in poverty grows, so does the need for emergency assistance.

The objective of this project would be to strengthen the fund raising capabilities and donor management skills of the Board of Directors and staff of the Coalition. This objective would be met by appropriate training and support from new technology. (CCF Funding: $11,500)

Society For A Second Chance THI, Inc. (SSC) (Charlotte, NC) is an agency founded to provide transitional housing for individuals, families, and children with disabilities. The current project is to provide temporary housing for ex-offenders and their children/family and transition them into permanent housing within a two-year period of stay.  Our target population includes ex-offenders that are homeless, living below the median income level and have substance abuse and/or mental illness.  SSC is community-based and serves Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.  Our agency has served four ex-offenders since its inception in January 2004.  We received our 501(c) status in September 2003.  Our programs for ex-offenders include life skills training, medical care referrals and transportation assistance. We have succeeded in receiving widespread community support from agencies that refer ex-offenders to our program.  (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Solomon’s Fold, (Charlotte, NC) incorporated March 4, 2004 , is a community based, nonprofit organization created to enhance the quality of life for individuals by teaching the principles necessary for economic empowerment and entrepreneurial development.  Our vision is to increase financial literacy so others will be empowered with the ability to effect a positive change in their financial futures; with a spillover effect into their community.  Our target population is persons and families living below the medium income level and considered to be impoverished, in the State of North Carolina .  The purpose for applying for this grant is to increase our capacity to serve our target market by creating a website, marketing materials, and a digital video disk collection to use for promotion, training and sustainability.  We expect to positively impact the people we serve with increased financial literacy, homeownership, and startup business ventures that will spawn job creation.  (CCF Funding: $11,000)

The Hispanic /Latino Center, Inc. (Fayetteville, NC)
The mission of the Hispanic/Latino Center, Inc. centers around the promotion of social justice and equity by providing counseling, training, and outreach services designed to enhance the quality of life for members of the Hispanic/Latino Community in Cumberland County and the surrounding area in a linguistically appropriate and culturally competent manner. By receiving CCF funds, we will develop the capacity to help undereducated Hispanics improve their basic level of education, their ability to learn English, their self-esteem, and their chances to leave a life of poverty. (CCF Funding: $20,000)

Wilson District Community Development Corporation (Dudley, NC)
New Elders Chapel Outreach Program is a project designed to meet the high need population of Duplin County , N.C. and its surrounding areas. The program has been in effect for approximately one year and has served with diligence 5,400 families and individuals (225 every 2 weeks = 56,000 pounds of food and other necessities). Our goal is to maintain a level of respectful duty to the target population areas and to supply basic life aid with no red tape or strings attached. Many are unemployed, disabled, homeless, in a family crisis, or elderly. Our program is the only one of its kind in this area. The budget has been minimal but workable with the ambition of volunteers and partners. (CCF Funding: $11,000)