The South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) awarded $97,500 in grants to 13 recipients at the 2023 Spring Grant Awards Ceremony June 3 in Sewanee, “Celebration of the Plateau.”

“We want to lift up the people all across the Plateau who are doing so much to cultivate hope and prosperity,” said Tom Sanders, SCCF executive director. “It’s about more than the grants. It’s about what we can accomplish together as a community.”

The 2023 recipients include the following:

BetterFi, a $2,500 grant to spread awareness of their financial assistance programs. BetterFi is an economic justice enterprise and certified community development financial institution that provides affordable installment loans and coaching as a pathway out of debt traps.

Community Action Committee (CAC), a $6,000 grant to develop an education series for clients teaching money management, energy and water conservation strategies, and other sustainable living practices. CAC is an outreach program of the Episcopal Parish of St. Mark and St. Paul, which is dedicated to combating hunger and poverty in rural Appalachia, including in and around Sewanee.

Dependable Laundry, an $8,160 grant to upgrade laundry equipment to increase its efficiency and extend its opportunities to special education students graduating from Grundy County High School. Dependable Laundry provides job and career training for adults with intellectual disabilities and is the only organization in Grundy County to provide post-secondary education for these young adults.

Folks at Home, a $3,000 grant to renovate their public restroom, bringing it into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 and providing more equitable access for the disabled in their building. Folks at Home coordinates services to empower individuals to live at home with dignity in the community they love.

Friends of South Cumberland State Park, a $10,000 grant to upscale the Cumberland Forest School, a project that provides nature-based education for children and families in Marion, Franklin, and Grundy Counties. Their goal is to make the program more accessible to community members by increasing scholarships for students in need, purchasing outdoor gear for children, and upgrading their existing space. The mission of the Friends of South Cumberland State Park is to aid and assist the managers and staff of South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks.

Grundy County Saddle Club, an $8,500 grant to install 10 RV camper hookups on their show grounds to provide out-of-town visitors and hikers a safe, tranquil place to stay. The revenue from the RV hookups will provide the club with stable income during non-event days and help the club sustain and grow their programming for local families. The Grundy County Saddle Club is an organization which promotes a fun, family-oriented environment for local residents to participate in horse-related events.

Housing Sewanee, Inc., a $10,000 grant to help cover the cost of an HVAC system and kitchen appliances for a new home in the Sherwood Spring neighborhood. Modeled after Habitat for Humanity, Housing Sewanee, Inc. has worked with community partners since 1993 to build 20 homes. Partners not only build their own homes, but also receive interest free loans and financial counseling to ensure success with home ownership.

MARC, a $3,340 grant to conduct three to four canine clinics in locations on the Plateau. Each clinic will provide free vaccines for canine distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus (DAPP) as well as microchipping and id tags. MARC is a volunteer organization created to assist people and animals to live more humanely in Marion County, Tennessee, and to ease the burden of too many stray cats and dogs. MARC has expanded its services to the South Cumberland Plateau committees.

Mosaic Recovery Center, a $10,000 grant to improve their kitchen, which will promote a better living experience for their residents as well as provide enhanced job skill training and teach husbands and fathers how to better care for their families. The Mosaic Recovery Center is a men’s Christ-centered residential addiction recovery center equipped to serve 27 residents. The center provides therapy, spiritual care, job skill training, parenting classes, pastoral counseling, and case management.

Sewanee Community Chest, an $8,500 grant to convert the parking lot and exterior of the Depot Building in downtown Sewanee into a trailhead for the Mountain Goat Trail and an information center for the area. The projects will include new paving and striping of the parking lot, benches, signage, and landscaping. The Sewanee Community Chest raises funds annually to meet basic needs such as food, books, elder care, children’s programs and initiatives.

St Mark’s Community Organization, a $10,000 grant to renovate St. Mark’s Community Center building to create a vibrant space that will be a center for community social events and help to preserve the heritage of this historically black community. St. Mark’s Community Organization documents the history of the community center and works to strengthen ties within historic black communities in Franklin County.

Town of Tracy City, a $10,000 grant to install new lights at the old Grundy County High School football field which will increase overall use of the field and allow the addition of sports programs such as soccer. Tracy City is home to the Grundy Youth Jackets, a volunteer-run youth sports league program that has operated for more than 20 years. Its football and cheerleading programs are open to all children ages 4-12 in Grundy County.

Tracy City Free Clinic, a $10,000 grant, to develop a focused health program that will test, provide care plans and medications, and publicize and educate the community on care and prevention of Hepatitis C. The Tracy Free Clinic, which opened a year ago, has already treated hundreds of patients by providing holistic primary and preventative medical care free of charge to uninsured people in Grundy, Marion, and Franklin Counties.

The vision of South Cumberland Community Fund is that the Plateau is a place of hope and prosperity for all its residents and communities, inspired by the Fund’s philanthropic and regional leadership. The Fund does this work by collaborating with the communities of the South Cumberland Plateau to seek common solutions for this place that we call home.