A dozen nonprofit organizations serving Limestone County received a combined $46,000 Wednesday through the TVA Cares program, with funding supporting projects ranging from STEM education and workforce development to food assistance, health care and services for seniors.
Officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority and Athens Electric distributed the grants during a ceremony at Athens City Hall.
The TVA Cares program, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides annual funding to communities through local power companies. TVA allocates funding for each utility’s service area, which is matched by the local power company. This year’s grants support initiatives aligned with TVA priorities, including education, workforce development, environmental stewardship, disaster response, and health, hunger and housing.
“We have many organizations that work in Athens and Limestone to help our community, and Athens Electric is honored to assist their efforts,” Athens Utilities Manager Blair Davis said.
The grants will fund a wide variety of community projects, including prescription assistance for uninsured and underinsured patients, homemade meals for senior citizens, robotics programs, scholarships, literacy initiatives, food assistance, grief support for children and environmental cleanup efforts.
Among the largest awards, the Calhoun Community College Foundation received $9,580 to provide two scholarships for students enrolled in the college’s utility lineman program. The Athens-Limestone Hospital Foundation received $3,500 to support its Patient Assistance Program, while the Foundation for Aging was awarded $3,750 to provide homemade meals for seniors attending the Athens Activity Center.
Several grants focused on expanding STEM education opportunities. The Athens Arts League received $1,841 for STEAM projects that integrate art with math and science instruction, while the Athens City Schools Foundation received $2,500 for classroom STEM grants. The Boys and Girls Club of Athens was awarded $3,179 to support its all-girls FIRST LEGO League Challenge robotics team.
Other recipients included:
- Athens Fire & Rescue Auxiliary — $3,200 for its Shop with a Firefighter Christmas program.
- Athens-Limestone Community Association — $2,700 to create an outdoor gathering space at Trinity-Fort Henderson.
- Athens-Limestone County Family Resource Center — $2,750 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
- Community Table of Athens — $2,000 to provide nutritious food bags for children.
- Full Tummy Project of Athens and Limestone County — $2,500 to provide 675 supplemental food bags for families.
- Hospice of Limestone County’s Camp Hope — $1,400 for a children’s grief camp.
- Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful — $1,000 to distribute trailer tarps to reduce roadside litter.
- Make A Way Foundation — $2,350 for STEM programming for individuals with disabilities.
- MTM Educational Enrichment — $1,750 to purchase laptops for scholarship recipients.
- United Way of Athens-Limestone County — $2,000 to provide scholarships for ACT preparation classes.
“This funding will assist our scholarship recipients who are heading to college this month by providing them with the technology they need, such as laptops,” MTM Educational Enrichment Director Jan Matthews said. “We’re going shopping for them today.”
Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks praised the nonprofit organizations for addressing critical community needs and thanked TVA and Athens Electric for continuing the program.
“These non-profits are providing not only services but also hope,” Marks said. “The City of Athens appreciates TVA for starting this program and continuing it, and it is a no brainer for Athens Electric and our City Council to support it.”
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