Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation announces grant awards totaling $1,032,881 to 29 non-profit organizations located in Buncombe, Cabarrus, Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Stanly, Union, and Wake Counties in North Carolina and Spartanburg and York Counties, South Carolina.

The grant funds will be used for a wide variety of purposes by the organizations. Supported programs include children’s services, crisis assistance, education, food distribution, health care, immigration assistance, job training, and social services.

The following 29 organizations will benefit from the Foundation’s most recent grantmaking activities.

• AIDS Leadership Foothills Area Alliance, Hickory, NC educates the community on prevention and other issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. They were awarded $30,000 to provide salary support for a medical case manager.

• American Red Cross, Charlotte, NC provides disaster relief and helps prepare for and respond to emergencies. Their $50,000 grant will provide support for vehicle maintenance, fuel and communication costs related to the Transportation Program.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, Asheville, NC will receive $15,185 to help support the Mentors and Matches Program Coordinator. The organization helps children develop self-esteem and personal growth through volunteer mentoring programs.

• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC assists the parishes, communities and Diocese of Raleigh in accomplishing the social mission of the church. They were awarded $19,200 to assist with the salary of a case manager.

• Central Avenue Bilingual Preschool, Charlotte, NC prepares Spanish-speaking preschool children for successful entry and performance in the public school system. Their $35,000 grant will be used to provide operating support contributing to teacher salaries.

• Charlotte Emergency Housing, Charlotte, NC provides homeless families and women with secure transitional housing and social services designed to move them to permanent housing and stable employment. They were awarded $50,000 to provide operating support for social workers and house managers.

• Children’s Advocacy Center of Catawba County, Conover, NC provides support for child victims of abuse, as well as a location where intervention services can be held in a centralized and expedient manner. They were awarded $25,000 to help support a Victim Advocate.

• City of Charlotte, Neighborhood and Business Services Department, Charlotte, NC will receive $50,000 as additional funding for their existing grant. These funds will assist with Job Readiness and Employment Services provided by Jacob’s Ladder Job Center for the Vision: Charlotte Initiative. The Initiative augments the City of Charlotte’s neighborhood revitalization efforts in Wingate and the surrounding neighborhoods by providing supportive services for youth and adults focused on economic, educational and social advancement.

• Community Culinary School of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC will receive $40,000 for operating support. The School provides training and job placement in the food service industry for people who are chronically unemployed or under employed.

• Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Asheville, NC will receive $61,203 to help support the Project Continuum C.A.R.E. (Coordinating Care to At-Risk Elderly). The Council assists senior adults and their caregivers with programs, services and opportunities that promote and enhance quality of life.

• Emergency Winter Shelter, Charlotte, NC provides safe lodging to homeless, indigent and other needy persons in the community. They will receive $25,000 in support of a case manager.

• Family Promise of Cabarrus County, Concord, NC helps low-income families achieve independence and addresses the underlying causes of poverty and homelessness. They were awarded $15,000 to assist with the salary of the Network Director.

• Family Service, Gastonia, NC works with families and the community to overcome problems through family and consumer credit counseling, assault and victimization intervention, and custody/visitation mediation. They were awarded $15,000 to help support the Children’s Advocacy Center.

• First Fruit Ministries, Wilmington, NC will receive $37,000 for operating support of the Wilmington Dream Center transitional housing program. The organization feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, shelters the homeless and cares for those in need by offering street outreach, transitional living and soup kitchen programs.

• Florence Crittenton Services, Charlotte, NC provides shelter, health, educational and social services for single, pregnant young women and their families. Their $30,000 grant will be used to support direct care providers in the Maternity Care Program.

• Friendship Trays, Charlotte, NC provides home delivery of a hot meal on a daily basis to those who are unable to safely or adequately prepare a meal for themselves. Their $35,000 grant will be used to provide operating support to assist with food costs and kitchen expenses.

• Gaston Family Health Services, Gastonia, NC provides primary medical and dental care to underserved residents of Gaston County. Their grant for $60,000 will provide salary support for the Open Door Dental Clinic.

• HealthQuest of Union County, Monroe, NC provides pharmaceutical assistance to eligible individuals and families. They will receive $50,000 to provide operating support contributing to the salary and benefits of a pharmacist and patient assistance coordinator.

• HealthReach Community Clinic, Mooresville, NC provides free medical, dental, chiropractic and pharmacy care to low income uninsured people. They were awarded $32,600 for salary support of a Nurse Practitioner and Physician’s Assistant as well as related lab and pharmacy costs.

• International House of Metrolina, Charlotte, NC provides a variety of programs and services which help meet the needs of the international community. They will receive $25,000 to provide salary and other operating support for the Immigration Law Clinic.

• Lions Services, Inc., Charlotte, NC provides employment, rehabilitation and competitive job training opportunities to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. They were awarded $25,000 to provide salary support for Eye Clinic opticians.

• Middle Tyger Community Center, Lyman, SC creates healthy families by encouraging and assisting them to develop solutions to problems and fosters collaboration among agencies, people who want to help, and those who need help. They will receive $45,193 to help support the salary of a nurse/case manager for the adolescent pregnancy program.

• Mobile Meals Service of Spartanburg County, Spartanburg, SC delivers meals, service and fellowship to the homebound. They were awarded $30,000 to help provide salaries and benefits for three RN positions in the Nursing Ministry Program.

• N.C. Center for Nonprofits, Raleigh, NC serves as a statewide network for North Carolina’s nonprofit sector, an information center on effective organizational practices and an advocate for the nonprofit sector. Their $25,000 grant will be used for general operating support.

• Partners in Out-of-School Time, Charlotte, NC ensures that all school-age children have access to high quality programs, activities and opportunities in their out-of-school time. They will receive $50,000 to help support the Middle School Matters Program, specifically salary assistance for the program at Coulwood Middle School.

• Pilgrim’s Inn, Rock Hill, SC helps the homeless and financially vulnerable overcome the conditions that trap them in poverty. Their $38,500 grant will be used for salary support of two pre-school teachers in the Open Arms Day Care Center.

• Samaritan House, Charlotte, NC provides a recuperative care facility for people who are homeless and in need of short-term care following a hospital or emergency room stay. They were awarded $45,000 to provide operating assistance for the cost of utilities, kitchen supplies, and house maintenance.

• Stanly County Health Department, Albemarle, NC promotes, protects and preserves the health and environment of the communities of Stanly County. They will receive $30,000 for operating support of the Adult Health Program, to include the purchase of routine medical equipment and patient education supplies.

• Three Streams Family Health Center, Asheville, NC provides medical services to those without access to health care due to lack of finances or insurance. They will receive $35,000 to allow the Center to increase the hours of a contracted physician.

• Urban League of the Central Carolinas, Charlotte, NC promotes economic self-sufficiency among African American families and racial inclusion in their communities. Their $30,000 grant will assist with the salary of an Outreach Coordinator for the Professional Adult and the Urban Youth Empowerment Programs.

Since announcing in October, 1996 that it was ready to begin receiving grant applications, the Foundation has awarded 967 grants totaling more than $43,800,000 to organizations serving unserved or underserved populations. For information concerning the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation, please call 704/366-0087 or visit our web site at www.somncfdn.org.