2023 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 2023 grant recipients. To view the video submissions, visit our Facebook page. 

A Women’s Pregnancy Center: For 37 years, AWPC has served Leon county and beyond with free pregnancy services and material assistance. These services include pregnancy testing, counseling, ultrasounds, and most of the items a mom would need to add a baby to her family (I.e. diapers, baby and maternity clothes, strollers, etc.). We also offer maternity classes and support groups for those who have lost children through miscarriage or termination.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend supports low to moderate income families by offering youth mentoring programs for at-risk youth in the community by placing a caring adult, positive role model in their life for 4 hours a month.

Bond Community Health Center: Bond works to increase access and improve health for members in the community with a team of people who are dedicated to understanding who they are, what they need, and how to get quality health care to them. The Bond Mobile Unit is always on the road offering health screenings and primary care at community events and designated locations.

Connecting Everyone with Second Chances (CESC) – The Kearney Center: The Kearney Center is a 24-hour comprehensive emergency service center that serves as a point of entry into assistance by coordinating services and responding to immediate needs of individuals and families until appropriate permanent housing can be arranged. CESC opened in April 2015 as a one-stop-shop for individuals experiencing homelessness or economic hardship in the North Florida region. The Kearney Center provides overnight shelter and daytime services that connect clients with social service providers, case management, and housing-focused programs. The most basic needs (such as a warm shower, hot meal, and clean clothes) are provided alongside information and referrals to a variety of social service agencies in our community.

Domi Station: Domi Education Inc. is a non-profit startup incubator and coworking space with the mission of changing lives through the power of entrepreneurship. We offer programs, resources, and events that help entrepreneurs start and scale sustainable companies. Our regional network enables us to match our members to seasoned mentors, investors, and industry advisors. Domi is on a mission to educate and empower local entrepreneurs. We believe in inclusivity, and part of our mission is to build the most diverse startup community in the Southeast, one that breaks down barriers of industry, age, race, and gender.

Kids, Incorporated.: Kids Inc. of the Big bend offers Early Head Start services to families at five locations. The organization continues to demonstrate through its leadership and services that it is a provider of high-quality early childhood and family services. Kids Incorporated is the only community-based organization providing quality, comprehensive services and addressing the issues of at-risk families with children ages 0-3 and pregnant women in Leon County.

LeMoyne Arts Foundation: LeMoyne Arts provides art camp scholarships to young artists who may not otherwise be able to attend due to financial constraints. LeMoyne awards both full ride and partial scholarships based on need, demonstrated by either the completion of an application, or proof of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or the Free or Reduced-Price School Meals Program.

Leon High School Foundation: Leon High School Foundation supports the education and administration of Leon High School to educate their students, 37.4% of which are on free or reduced lunch in Leon County (2022-2023 statistic – of which is actually closer to 45-48%). Leon High School Foundation fulfills mini-grant applications submitted by the teachers and administration for a full array of needs not met by state funds touching all students at Leon High School. Academic supports includes remedial reading programs and books, remedial math tutoring, SAT tutoring for lower income students, field trips for students in the ESE (Exceptional Student Education) program, support of the Florida Special Olympics by the Lions United Program, theatre lighting and equipment support for the Fine Arts program, which touches all students, a band tower for the Marching Band and support of the Marching Band in events and parades, teaching aids for teachers, science equipment, and support of an interesting art and history presentation and performance are some of the highlights of the support of LHS by LHSF. Over the years, 30+, LHSF has touched 15-20,000 lives from the inception of the organization, of which a large portion of LHS is at the lower income level; including homeless and foster care students.

MADD: MADD’s mission is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. 2 out of 3 people will be impacted by drunk driving in their lifetime which means it crosses all races, ages, gender identity, and socioeconomic backgrounds which incudes Low-to-Moderate Income members of Leon County. MADD believes it starts with prevention messaging. MADD has a research-based prevention program that teaches on the dangers of underage drinking starting in middle school through high school called the Power of You(th) along with a parent program called Power of Parents that discusses the different parenting on how to have the ongoing conversation about alcohol use with their teen. MADD is in schools, community events, and safety fairs to bring awareness to this 100% preventable crime. MADD provides support to those who have been impacted by drunk driving. MADD serves those bereaved families and families who are caring for the injured with emotional support, court accompaniment, assistance with referrals and resources to social service agencies, assistance with filing crime victims compensation applications, among other things. All programs and services are free of charge to everyone.

The Able Trust: The Able Trust’s overarching mission is to strengthen disability-inclusive employment throughout Leon County and Florida at large. Statewide, persons with disabilities are more than twice as likely as the general population to live below the poverty line; in Leon County, about 30% of persons with disabilities live in poverty. Oftentimes this is tied to the underemployment of persons with disabilities, a problem
which The Able Trust and its programs work to address on a variety of levels. One such program with ties to Leon County is the High School High Tech (HSHT) program, which helps prepare high school students
with all types of disabilities to enter the workforce or postsecondary education. Leon County’s HSHT site, headquartered at Ability 1st in Tallahassee, is one of 43 total sites throughout the state, many of which
serve rural and/or low-to-moderate income counties. HSHT links students to a broad range of academic, career development and experiential resources and experiences that will enable them to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce. These resources and training programs, which allow HSHT students with disabilities to learn by doing, are proven to be successful; 99% of participating HSHT
seniors graduate, and the majority of HSHT graduates enter the workforce or pursue postsecondary education right after high school. In Leon County and all over Florida, High School High Tech–and The
Able Trust’s work overall–increases the prospects of economic independence and prosperity for low-to-moderate income persons with disabilities.