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or questions to:
Tom Pittman
Foundation President
at tompittman@cfnm.org

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Grants from C.F.N.M.’s Current Giving Funds in 2005

• DeSoto County's Boys and Girls Clubs, which the Community Foundation helped to start;

• Celebration of Art and the Hernando Women's Club in their restoration efforts of the county courthouse Square

• Palmer Home for Children

• America Reads, to place 8 volunteers from Americorps in Coahoma County schools

• DeSoto Family Theatre in its work to expand the Desoto Civic Center theatre

• Make A Wish Foundation

•  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

• Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, which is now providing care in DeSoto County at the Lewisburg Elementary School

• National Guard morale building efforts while the troops are in Iraq

•  Food and gifts at Thanksgiving and Christmas for needy families, administered by a variety of service projects.

• Goodman Oaks Church of Christ, for their part in facilitating the on-the-ground relief work following the Southaven flood in July

• The largest group of grants--almost $100,000--has been for hurricane relief and recovery efforts.

• $22,000 has been spent locally, primarily to help local churches that did so much so quickly to aid hurricane survivors that found their way to DeSoto County. Grants have also helped the DeSoto Health and Wellness Center assist with survivors' health care, the House of Grace work with distressed families and the schools to deal with special needs of students.

• $40,000 has been granted to Project Embrace Mississippi's Children. Through the Early Childhood Institute at Mississippi State University, the Community Foundation made a grant to provide materials, supplies and training to child care centers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that were not eligible for federal assistance. This partnership involved national charities that were involved in rebuilding these centers, while the Community Foundation’s grant helped with what goes on inside these centers.

•  $40,000 was granted to the Mental Health Association of Mississippi, located in Gulfport and Biloxi to provide the counseling desperately needed by Coast residents who are still trying to cope with their losses.

• And more than 100 other non-profits

Grants from CFNM’s Community Fund in 2005

• Christmas Cash for Charities program raised more than $560,000 as 10
  nonprofits sought donations to receive CF matching funds. Nonprofits
  that received matching grants were:

• Palmer Home for Children - offers a long-term residential
  Christian home for children

• Marshall County Community Development Corporation - provides
  emergency and transitional housing to the homeless and low-income
  population

• Heart's Desire Therapeutic Riding Center - provides physical and
  recreational therapy for the special needs population

• The Samaritans - offers tangible assistance in the form of food
  provisions, clothing shelter, household items and energy assistance to
  those in need

• Hernando DeSoto Habitat for Humanity - builds affordable housing
  for the working poor

• First Regional Library - Fills the needs of individuals to
  obtain books and other materials for self-directed learning, personal
  enrichment and entertainment

• First Book - Midsouth - Gives children from low-income families
  the opportunity to read and own their first new books

• DeSoto Health and Wellness Center - provides primary healthcare
  for the working uninsured in DeSoto County.