Our Board awards $33,000 in grants to non-profits

The Johnston County Community Foundation held its annual awards gathering on June 20 at the Johnston Medical Mall in Smithfield. The foundation presented over $33,000 in grants to local non-profits during the program.

JCCF president Butch Scott said the foundation has a rich history of impacting others in need in Johnston County. The JCCF, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in the spring of last year, now has over $400,000 in an endowment for charitable unrestricted gifts.

An affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation, the JCCF strives to provide long-term support for a broad range of charitable needs, endeavors and scholarships. Causes include human services, education, the arts, religious, historic and environmental protection, disaster relief and more.

The foundation strengthens the community by providing services to donors who wish to establish charitable endowment funds and grow these assets, and working as a catalyst for community improvement by convening agencies and coordinating resources.

This year’s grant recipients were: Boys and Girls Club of Johnston County, Clayton Cultural Arts Foundation, Community and Senior Services of Johnston County, Family Life Center, House of Hope of N.C., Johnston County Education Foundation, Johnston County Industries, Johnston County YMCA, Me Fine Foundation, Johnston United Soccer Association, Partnership for Children, National Society to Prevent Blindness, Project Access of Johnston County and PTA North Carolina Congress.

JCCF also presented Nikki Dyke of Clayton with the 2012 Frances Finch Hobart Award for Voluntary Service. This award was made possible by an endowment established by John Hobart in honor of his wife, Frances. It is presented annually to an individual from Johnston County who has demonstrated a commitment to volunteer service to the community resulting in a stronger community in which people can live, work and play.

For more information about the JCCF, call Northern Piedmont Regional Associate Jeanne Lawson at 919-256-6914.