Swain County United Gift Fund awards more than $35,000 in local grants

The Swain County United Gift Fund, a committee of the Swain County Community Foundation, announces more than $35,000 in local grant awards.

The fund raised more than $35,000 through UGF’s annual campaign and granted it to the following local nonprofit organizations:

• $2,500 to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC for a one-on-one mentoring program in the Swain County Branch Office;
• $4,000 to the Bryson City Food Pantry to stock the food pantry with food and purchase fresh milk and bread;
• $3,000 to Children’s Hope Alliance to support Hawthorne Heights, homeless teen shelter in Bryson City;
• $500 to Community Services of Swain County for behavioral therapist for elementary schools;
• $800 to Friends of the Bryson City Cemetery to repair to sunken gravestones;
• $3,000 to the Julia Hunt Scholarship; • $2,000 to Marianna Black Library for general operating support;
• $500 to Medicforce to train 20 HS students on Advanced CPR;
• $2,000 to Mountain Mediation Services to provide mediation services in Swain County, targeting 8th graders;
• $1,000 to PAWS for general operating support;
• $3,000 to Restoration House WNC for general operating support;
• $1,500 to Smoky Mountain Community Theatre for general operating support;
• $3,501 to Swain County Caring Corner to underwrite costs of medical supplies and medications and/or to buy needed medical equipment;
• $1,250 to the Swain County Community Foundation to be invested for future grantmaking;
• $1,000 to the Swain County Public Schools Foundation to support mini-grants to Swain County teachers;
• $4,800 to Swain Qualla/SAFE for general operating support;
• $1,500 to Sweet Thoughts Alzheimer’s Support for utilities and insurance.

Charles Killebrew and Julia Hunt served as this year’s honorary co-chairs. Toby Allman, UGF’s president, thanked the community for its support of the Swain County United Gift Fund. “These grants are important to our community and our quality of life,” he said. “It is such a privilege for us and the rest of the committee members to be able to award these grants each year.”

In addition to Allman, committee members include: Christine Colcord, Donna Ennis, Mark Hanna, Betty Hyatt, Debbie Mills, Kathy Proctor and Ann Marie Wright.