Community grants awarded to 11 Midlands nonprofits

Listen to this article

Eleven nonprofit organizations in six Midlands counties have received more than $315,000 in grants from Central Carolina Community Foundation.

The foundation awarded $315,148 in Connected Community grants to projects in Richland, Lexington, Sumter, Fairfield, Kershaw and Lee counties that aim to improve quality of life in the Midlands.

Project proposals focused areas identified by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, analytics company Gallup and the foundation’s On The Table community survey as the most important elements of an attractive community.

“Through the Connected Communities grant initiative, the Foundation strives to build a livable, equitable and just community to live, work, play and raise a family. Each selected project is designed to engage residents and build on the community’s existing assets.” JoAnn Turnquist, foundation president and CEO, said in a news release. “We’re proud to support these organizations’ efforts to connect our communities.”

Connected Communities grants are funded by the foundation’s Community Impact Endowment fund and several Field of Interest funds.

The 2021 recipients are:

• Acercamiento Hispano de Carolina del Sur / South Carolina Hispanic Outreach, “La Vida Sana / The Healthy Life” will promote understanding between the Latino populations of Lexington and Richland Counties and the wider community.
• Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity, “Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization Best Practice” will help build affordable housing and repair the homes of 10 low-income families in Richland and Lexington counties.
• City of Cayce, “The Cayce Connection,” will connecting the city’s riverwalk with a redeveloped downtown.
• ColaJazz Foundation will host enhanced livestream concerts through “ColaJazz Presents Livestream Jazz.” 
• Gills Creek Watershed Association will help develop an action and design plan for a “A Community Urban Oasis,” a recreational area connecting residents within a one-mile walking distance of Timberland Drive.
• Mental Illness Recovery Center Inc. will complete the predevelopment phase of “MIRCI’s Youth Home,” a home for youth identifying as female who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• Palmetto Conservation Foundation, “Enhancing Community through Safe Outdoor Recreation on the Palmetto Trail” will offer volunteer training, guided hikes and cycling outings on the Palmetto Trail in Newberry, Richland and Sumter counties.
• Serve & Connect’s “Pop-up Peace Series” seeks to foster safe spaces to live and work by providing a sense of belonging and self-empowerment to community members.
• Sumter County Cultural Center’s “Creative Canvas” is an outdoor mural project aimed at adding vitality to the city and making quality art accessible to all residents.
• The University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum will restore and enhance community access to the nationally acclaimed Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in Lee County.
• The University of South Carolina’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research, “A Community Engagement Strategy for Justice for All: South Carolina and the American Civil Rights Movement” will develop outreach tools for K-12 schools and solicit oral histories to help audiences engage with the “Justice for All” traveling exhibit.