Bridging the Gap to receive Junior Service League grant
From Staff Reportsnews@newnan.com
Bridging the Gap (BTG) Community Outreach was recently selected as the 2012-13 grant recipient of the Newnan Junior Service League (NJSL). The grant will be presented to the local not-for-profit organization following the NJSL’s spring fundraising events, which fund the grant.
BTG Community Outreach was founded in 2009 by Alison Wallace as a way to connect potential community donors to those living below the poverty line in Coweta County. BTG also works to determine the reason people are in need and to search for solutions to help them end the cycle. The organization works closely with the Coweta County School System, where families in need can be identified through school counselors. It serves a free lunch every Tuesday and Saturday to approximately 500 people each month and distributes fresh fruits, vegetables, toiletries and clothing.
“It is our tradition to give financial support to seed projects or programs that will benefit the citizens of Coweta County,” said Andrea Newton, NJSL vice president. “We were thrilled to receive nine applications, all from very worthy organizations in our community which make a tremendous difference in the lives of Coweta citizens. Following much discussion and review, our members decided that Bridging the Gap best met our qualifications and would be able to best utilize the funds we raise from our spring fundraising events to help the hungry in Coweta County.”
Funds from the NJSL grant will assist BTG in purchasing a van, which will enable the organization to pull a refrigerated trailer, to safely transport the 600 to 13,000 pounds of foods it receives each day from its network of local suppliers. The FDA requires food to be refrigerated during transport, and this van will allow BTG to receive and distribute greater quantities of fresh produce and dairy products and abide by FDA regulations. Having the van will help BTG meet one of its important goals of not only simply feeding its recipients, but also providing them with fresh and nutritious foods.
