In August, the People Helping the People (PHP) Board of Directors announced awards totaling $20,000 in community grants to benefit charitable nonprofits in Randolph Electric’s five-county service area.

“For nine years, People Helping People has given back to communities in Randolph, Chatham, Moore, Montgomery and Alamance Counties through the Sharing Success grant program,” said REMC Communications and Public Affairs Director Nicole Arnold. “The board is excited to announce these awards, which represent a significant investment in the organizations that help our members.”

The board of directors for PHP, a nonprofit program of Randolph EMC, awards grants that contribute to one or more of three focus areas: the health and well-being of individuals, financial support for income-challenged families or educational advancement through enriching learning opportunities. The following nineteen recipient organizations demonstrate a mission aligning with these goals.

• Randolph Senior Adults Association: $750 for family caregiver support supplies
• Spirit Horse Ranch Education Center: $500 for summer reading and outdoor children’s programs
• Sandhills Coalition: $1,000 for food assistance to feed the hungry of Moore County
• Habitat for Humanity of Randolph County: $1,000 to assist with home building costs for a large family to attain the dream of homeownership
• Partners for Children and Families: $1,000 for summer reading station supplies and activities.
• Communities in Schools of Montgomery County: $2,000 to purchase school supplies for the Backpack Pals program.
• Jordan Memorial United Methodist Church: $500 for community meal food pantry purchases to feed the hungry of Ramseur and surrounding areas
• West Chatham Food Pantry: $2,000 for food pantry purchases to feed the hungry of Chatham County
• Arts Council of Moore County: $1,000 to provide arts education at Carthage Elementary, Elise Middle, North Moore High, Westmoore Elementary and Robbins Elementary Schools
• Randolph County Family Crisis Center: $1,000 for testing kits at Emmy’s House
• Sandhills Student Assistance: $2,000 to purchase food, clothing, and hygiene items for at-risk students in Moore County schools
• Montgomery Community College Foundation: $1,000 to pay the testing fees of those students attaining their high school diploma
• Friend to Friend: $500 for support services for survivors of domestic violence
• Union Taylors Community Action Association: $500 to remodel bathrooms at this community center
• Operation Red Sleigh: $250 for meals and Christmas gifts for needy children
• Chatham Literacy Council: $1,500 to provide instructional materials for Transforming Lives, an English for Speakers of Other Languages program that helps adult learners improve their job opportunities and become self-sufficient members of their communities.
• Robbins Area Christian Ministries: $1,000 to support meals for the hungry of north Moore County
• Our Daily Bread Kitchen: $1,000 to support feeding the hungry of the greater Asheboro area
• Mt. Gilead Food Pantry: $1,500 to support food pantry programs

Randolph EMC partners with CoBank, a cooperative lender, to fund the Community Grants initiative. Through its Sharing Success program, CoBank awarded $10,000 to People Helping People earlier this year. Randolph EMC then matched this donation to fund its Community Grants program.  The PHP Board of Directors oversees the grant-awarding process annually. Since 2015, Randolph EMC’s PHP program has invested $126,700 in Community Grants.