Josephine Fuller called the grant “a true blessing.”
“The impact you have made has only just begun,” said Fuller, the founder and CEO of Cooper Ridge Farm, at the 17th annual meeting of Women in Philanthropy for the Central Savannah River Area on March 22 at the Augusta Country Club.
Fuller implemented the grant by building a handicapped-accessible interaction platform at her Appling farm, where children with disabilities participate in therapeutic programs. The platform allows the children, some of whom may be in wheelchairs, to more easily feed, groom and pet the cows, donkeys and goats at the farm.
The grant also provided scholarships, which led to additional partnerships between the farm and area organizations that serve disabled children, she said.
On Friday, Women in Philanthropy for the Central Savannah River Area announced it had surpassed the $2 million mark in lifetime funding and presented $170,588 to 12 area charities.
“Ladies, I am very, very pleased to announce that the ‘power of the purse’ is alive and well,” said Pamela Dorminey-Uros, grants chair.
This year’s grand recipients include Apparo Academy, $15,000 for tuition subsidies for 48 students; Augusta University Literacy Center $15,000 for supplementing operating costs and providing programming for 127 literacy participants; Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta, $20,000, SMART(Skills Mastery and Resilience Training ) to empower and support 96 girls between the ages of 8-18; Christ Community Health Services Augusta, $15,000 for between 800 and 1,000 cervical cancer screenings and other diagnostic testing; Downtown Cooperative Church Ministries $10,000 for two months or about15,000 meals; and GAP Ministries, $15,000 for its diaper ministry providing diapers, wipes and formula.
Read more: Therapy combines with learning at Apparo Academy
Also, Golden Harvest Food Bank, $14,868, for the children’s backpack food program, providing 118 elementary school children with a 18 weeks of a 25-pound pack of food on Fridays before they go home for the weekend; Hope House, $15,000 for two automated external defibrillators; Junior Achievement, $20,000 for the JA Discovery Center; Ronald McDonald House Charities, $2,500, housing and supportive services for about 600 patients and families while their child receives urgent medical care; Family YMCA, $23,420, Camp Ivey (Inspiring very exceptional youth) at Camp Lakeside in Lincolnton, an adaptive camp for children with developmental disabilities; and Salvation Army Area Command, $4,800 for its job skills training program.
Read more: GAP Ministries serves downtown
Nomi Stanton, executive director of GAP Ministries, said she’s seen the needs of her organization increase over the past year and only expects them to increase.
“We’re seeing a lot of new families. It’s not just us but others including the Salvation Army; we’re all seeing new faces,” she said.
Women in Philanthropy’s “power of the purse” represents the financial impact of women on the community. The organization increased the number of grants it awarded in 2024. In 2023, it distributed grants to seven non-profits. In its history, it has provided grants to 127 programs.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
