2024 Share Your Story
Video Challenge Grant Recipients
The Community Foundation of North Florida believes that when we invest in our nonprofit community, that investment can reap huge dividends. The Share Your Story Video Challenge will provide grant funding to organizations serving Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) members of our community.
The Community Foundation of North Florida partnered with Prime Meridian Bank to provide ten $1,000 unrestricted grants to nonprofit organizations who are serving LMI residents of Leon county.
Below you can read a summary about the 2024 grant recipients. To view the video submissions, highlight and copy the links below each nonprofit organizations summary and paste in your browser or visit our Facebook page.
Ability 1st – Center for Independent Living of North Florida is a community-based non-profit organization that provides services to persons with varying disabilities. Their mission is to empower people with disabilities to live independently and enhance their quality of life. In Leon County, Ability 1st provides home modifications, durable medical equipment, ramps, and other critical supplies to low-to-moderate income people in the community. They also partner with the Big Bend Continuum of Care, serving as an Access Point provider for people experiencing a housing crisis. Ability 1st conducts coordinated assessments to screen for eligibility, prioritizing the most vulnerable.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/auUuRSJLsoUPXqSD/?mibextid=WC7FNe
Big Bend After Reentry Coalition is a coalition of leaders from social services, government, law enforcement, corrections, education, legal, and faith-based organizations working tirelessly to support and improve efforts to reduce recidivism and increase public safety. Since 2012, Big Bend After Reentry Coalition has been advocating for currently and formerly incarcerated people, networking with providers, sharing resources and information, and educating the community about reentry issues. A few of the offerings provided include peer support groups for men and women, job search and interviewing skills, GED support and tutoring, and anger management.
https://fb.watch/reosFhjtgm/
Bond Community Health Center provides medical, dental, and supportive services to some of Leon County’s most vulnerable population. Their supportive services include a food pantry, nutritional cooking classes, and mobile healthcare. Bond Community Health Center’s mission is to provide access to healthcare by reducing barriers that prevent patients from obtaining health services.
https://fb.watch/rgw7yhguEL/
Humble House Ministries is a faith based residential recovery and discipleship program (12 month’s avg) that focuses on all aspects of recovery: physical, social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual. Their goal is to disciple their clients through the process of recovery and for them to be able to re-enter society as clean, sober, and successful members of our community and they do not turn anyone away for a lack of funds. There is no cost for this program. Each client will work through four phases, each lasting about 2 months. During phase 4 of the program, each client must find employment and work at least 32 hours a week, save money and work toward other goals such as obtaining a GED. An exit plan is developed for each client before they graduate. Outpatient services are provided post-graduation.
https://fb.watch/ret2TVhpX9/
Lutheran Social Services – Kid Safe Program provides new child safety seats for low-income families in Leon County and is a resource for vehicle safety information for all families of young children in the area. Working through partnerships with other local non-profit agencies that provide wrap around services for families, they can fill a gap in services that those agencies are not able to provide. Having access to a high- quality child safety seat can mean the difference between a safe ride and a tragedy– a tragedy that a properly installed safety seat might have avoided.
https://fb.watch/rfKanGf8Tr/
Making Miracles Group Home, Tallahassee, LCC (MMGHT), is a program of A Women’s Pregnancy Center, Inc., a non-profit organization. MMGHT has served the Tallahassee area since 2010, providing transitional housing with wrap-around services to homeless pregnant women and their children. MMGHT is a one-year, live-in program designed to support young mothers and teach them how to live independently and care for themselves and their children. They provide young mothers and their children with a safe home, support and understanding, mentoring, and a stable environment. A big part of the day-to-day program is about teaching young moms critical life disciplines for independent living, such as creating and keeping a budget, individual and shared chores, holding a job, managing childcare, and maintaining personal house standards. The goal for each mother is for her to be financially able to support her child(ren), pay for a deposit on a new living arrangement, and move out of the home to begin a new life. Current eligibility criteria for the residents require women to be pregnant and/or have a single child up to age 3. In their phase 1 Group Home, MMGHT can serve up to 8 women and their children at a time. The Phase 2 group home, which is currently being renovated, will have expanded eligibility criteria and will be able to house an additional four to five families at a time. MMGHT serves approximately 20 mothers annually.
https://fb.watch/rfQOY4oNB8/
STEMS4Girls’ vision is to provide safe spaces where early learners can learn about STEM careers, education, and explore their STEM identity. They want to provide children with the best sustainable STEM related resources derived from the businesses, communities, and local universities surrounding the Tallahassee area. Their vision aims to narrow the educational and resource disparity that exists among underserved and rural communities in Leon County by promoting after-school learning opportunities in communities where there is limited access, exposure, and engagement. Over sixty percent of their participants attend title one schools, and it is their objective to maintain or improve their grades. They construct activities using state standards that will nurture their STEM identity and maintain academic competency leading to higher education and career opportunities.
https://fb.watch/rgohGl1D6t/
Tallahassee Christian College: Tallahassee Christian College and Training Center (TCCTC) provides a college level Assistant Chaplaincy Certificate Program to incarcerated women in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility (LCDF). This program prepares the student for the work involved in the spiritual welfare and biblical guidance of inmates within a correctional facility. They begin with Writing 101: How to Write on the College Level and How to Study the Bible. Other additional courses include Relate Well, Trauma Treatment, How to Discern the Voice of God, Success Through Faith based Life Skills, etc. All classes are taught by knowledgeable TCCTC faculty. These courses contribute to the student’s spiritual, relational and mental growth.
https://fb.watch/rexS1CIU1J/
Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra: The TSO’s “Murdock’s Li’l Mozarts” after-school string program is housed at Sabal Palm Elementary School, located in one of the most impoverished zip codes in Florida. Sabal Palm is a Community Partnership School, which means that through its partnerships with the Children’s Home Society, Florida A&M University, and the Florida State University College of Medicine, they offer students and their families health care (including dental care), haircuts, counseling, support, mentoring, meals, and more—all where the students and their families are comfortable: in their own school. In 2023, the TSO joined this group of partners to offer these students another social service: free access to music lessons and their very own violin to play. As part of the after-school program, Murdock’s Li’l Mozarts receive help on homework and a healthy snack each day.
https://fb.watch/reBQNAKcxT/
Tree House Tallahassee: Since 1986, Tree House Tallahassee has helped thousands of abused and neglected children in Tallahassee and the surrounding nine counties find shelter, comfort, and a sense of normalcy. There are a wide range of reasons why a child may be placed in one of two homes operated by Tree House. Many are victims of domestic abuse as well as parents who have lost their jobs and are financially unable to support their families. In all cases, the individuals and families receive the counseling they need while the children live in a nurturing environment and continue with their day-to-day routines. When the child arrives at Tree House, they are paired with a staff member that serves as a “parent” during the child’s stay. Children may stay for a few days to several months depending on their circumstances. Tree House is also unique because they have the space to allow sibling groups to remain together. Basic items such as toiletries, clothing, shoes, and food, as well as toys, gifts for holidays, activities and school supplies are provided and the children are allowed to take these items with them when they leave.
https://fb.watch/rlgLoHQMWh/