Central Alabama Community Foundation Awards Third 30th Anniversary Surprise Grant

This year the Central Alabama Community Foundation (CACF) is celebrating 30 years since its founding in 1987, by a group of civic leaders who had a vision to provide long-term financial support for nonprofit agencies in our community. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, CACF will award 30 surprise grants to local nonprofits. These grants will be awarded over the course of 2017.

The third of 30 surprise anniversary grants was awarded on Tuesday, February 7 to The City of St. Jude. CACF staff surprised The City of St. Jude’s Executive Director, Douglas Watson, Director of Social Services, Sister Barbara Ann Lengvarsky and Development Coordinator, Markevius Jackson with balloons and a $3,000 check during their daily social services food and clothing assistance program.

The City of St. Jude is a Catholic, nonprofit institution dedicated to the spiritual, health, social and educational needs of all people, providing assistance with the most basic human needs. The City of St. Jude is comprised of St. Jude Social Services, which provides direct care to those in need by way of a food pantry feeding that serves approximately 10,500 people with 132,000 pound of food annually, thrift shop for clothing and hygiene needs and limited utility assistance; Father Purcell Memorial Exceptional Children’s Center, a pediatric skilled nursing facility for 58 developmentally disabled children; and St. Jude Apartments, an affordable home to 96 senior residents.

CACF President, Burton Ward reiterated, “the best way we could honor the vision of our founders and ongoing generosity of our donors is by providing essential funding to nonprofits doing the work that meets our community’s most critical needs and a great example of that work is The City of St. Jude.”

The 30 surprise grants are awarded in addition to CACF’s community trust grants, which are awarded quarterly. CACF was founded in 1987 and has grown to hold over $58 million in charitable assets while distributing over $50 million to organizations that serve the community. CACF serves several counties including Autauga, Coffee, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Macon, and Montgomery.

Through its 200+ funds, CACF addresses a wide variety of concerns, supporting projects and programs in education, health, human services, cultural arts, recreation, historic preservation and other civic concerns.

Each year, the Foundation distributes over $3 million through hundreds of grants and scholarships. For more information about how you can be a part of the celebration by giving back, contact CACF Development Director Whitney Griswold Califf at (334) 264-6223 or whitney.griswold@cacfinfo.org