In 2023 the Jackson EMC Foundation will surpass $20 million in grants to agencies meeting the needs of 10 north Georgia counties since its founding in 2005. Jackson EMC members voluntarily participating in Operation RoundUP choose to round up their bill each month to the nearest dollar with an average annual contribution of $6. Members contribute an average of $102,000 each month, which provides health and human services and emergency assistance grants to local nonprofits and individual grants to citizens in need. Lori Worley, long-time coordinator of all things Jackson EMC Foundation related, joins Your Power Your Community podcast to share the grant application process and her passion for the Foundation’s work in the community.

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The Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award, sponsored by Jackson EMC and 31 other Georgia electric membership cooperatives, honors high schools that exhibit exemplary sportsmanship during competitive events. Only one school in each region within each classification is chosen to receive the annual award. Mill Creek High School in Gwinnett County won the award in 2022. They have a stellar record for championships, including 108 regional/area championships and 27 state championships, including the 2022 state 7A football championship. They are known on the playing field, in the classroom and in the community for adhering to the fundamental values the Award represents: respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility as exhibited by student-athletes, school staff, parents and fans, making the award a tribute to the entire Mill Creek community. Your Power Your Community host Karen Ewing talks with principal Dr. Jason Lane about Mill Creek’s culture of SOAR—"Strive to Overachieve through Accountability and Respect” in academics and athletics.

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Senior citizens are the fastest growing population in Gwinnett County and Georgia, and 90% of seniors live below the poverty line. Mending the Gap is a Gwinnett County nonprofit that provides services, programs and activities for low-income senior citizens. The Jackson EMC Foundation has given them several grants for their “Save Our Seniors” program, which distributes weekly food and personal care items to seniors who are struggling to manage independently. Fay Josephs, founder and director of Mending the Gap, saw first-hand the need for distribution services to local senior citizens. She joins Your Power Your Community podcast to share her passion for seniors and what a Jackson EMC Foundation grant means for local senior citizens.

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