Organizations and the amount of money they received during the federally funded Safe Schools Initiative comes from a summary compiled by the city and released to The Telegraph through the Georgia Open Records Act in 2004, when The Telegraph first questioned the city's administration of the project.
Paragraphs explaining the various programsare based on The Telegraph's examination of more specific documents also released in 2004. Those documents were filed with the city by participating groups and include initial proposals to the city, as well as invoices and receipts turned in for reimbursement. Because the city often wrote checks to the church groups for lump-sum payments, often to fund a month's worth of services, it has been difficult to tell what reimbursements were approved and which ones were denied.
Seven collaboratives were formed, and each one had a lead organization. Many partner groups also received funding directly from the city, the records show.
The information listed is meant to provide details about the various programs and examples of reimbursement requests. It is not meant to suggest the requests were not valid. The Telegraph does not have the specific guidelines for spending and reimbursement under the Safe Schools grant, and the Department of Justice has not said publicly which expenses it is concerned about.
The Telegraph has tried to contact many, but not all, of the organizations listed. Few of the pastors and program directors who were called have returned telephone messages.
MANNA MINISTRIES INC.
Money spent: $170,009
Number of youths served: 206
How the money was split: Manna Ministries Inc. ($47,904), Partnering for Humanity ($42,709), New Pilgrim Baptist Church ($35,697), St. Peter Claver Catholic Church ($19,365), St. Mary's Baptist Church ($9,122), New Hope Baptist Church ($7,922), Westside AOH Church ($5,185), Community Church of God ($2,103).
What they are: Manna Ministries is a nonprofit outgrowth of Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church and its pastor is the group's registered agent. Partnering for Humanity is the nonprofit for New Pilgrim Baptist Church, and its minister is the CEO. The two nonprofits submitted very similar proposals to the city and appear to have worked together. The goal, according to the proposals, was to provide after-school programs at various churches targeted at high-risk youth, as well as sex education, drug and alcohol awareness and crisis intervention classes. Reimbursement requests include time sheets, mileage sheets, grocery store receipts and nearly $2,200 for a May 2003 closing ceremony dinner for a Manna Ministries tutorial program.
CENTRAL COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Money spent: $128,000
Number of youths served: 293
How the money was split: Corner Stone Missionary Baptist Church ($45,670), Central Church of Christ ($30,079), CUFFE ($24,020), Power Sources Unlimited ($18,721), Living Hope Church ($9,508).
What they are: The Central Community Development Center Inc. was a nonprofit entity associated with the Central Church of Christ and directed by the church's pastor. It was the lead agency in the collaborative group known as CUFFE (Churches United For Family Empowerment). The group of churches proposed to offer youth programs designed around several topics, including truancy prevention, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, sex ed, domestic violence, mentoring and computer and job training. For example, Corner Stone hosted a summer program called the Spirit House meant to divert youths from the criminal justice system. Receipts in city records show the churches asked to be reimbursed for groceries, office supplies and furniture, computer equipment, mileage and salaries for program coordinators.
JOYCLIFF COMMUNITY LIFE LONG RESOURCE CENTER/THE SIDEY PROGRAM
Money spent: $137,983
Number of youths served: 630
How the money was split: A-Zane' Diamonds and Pearls ($45,609), Power Sources Unlimited ($39,636) Joycliff CLRC ($30,343), Mount Sinai Church ($11,464), Powerful Truth Sanctuary ($10,929).
What they are: SIDEY stands for Shepherds Institute for the Development and Empowerment of Youth, a coalition of church groups. Joycliff, a nonprofit outgrowth of Joycliff United Methodist Church, initially took the lead in the partnership but pulled out because the city wasn't requiring partners to adequately document expenses, according to George Greer, the nonprofit's attorney. Though Joycliff withdrew, it received several disbursements from the city to cover the costs of substance abuse and sex education courses at the Youth Detention Center. Power Source Unlimited, an outgrowth of Tremont Temple Baptist Church, ran various camps and requested reimbursements for office space, utility costs, supplies, food and staff salaries. Azane' Diamonds and Pearls requested similar reimbursements and also submitted a receipt of $2,640 for what appears to be six refurbished computers. Mount Sinai Church ran an after-school program, and there are several city disbursements to the church. One of its receipts is for a $499 television/DVD/VCR combo, but most of the receipts appear to be for food for the program. Powerful Truth ran a program for at-risk youth.
PRODIGAL FRIENDSHIP MINISTRY INC./OPERATION CHILD
Money spent: $108,033
Number of youths served: 135
How the money was split: Partners are not listed in the summary.
What they are: Prodigal is an outgrowth of Unionville Baptist Church, which also is associated with Faith Evangelism. Operation CHILD (Churches Helping Individuals with Life's Dilemmas) is described in request documents as a health program focused on teen pregnancy, disease detection, AIDS awareness and improving access to health care. Reimbursement requests include various time sheets, mileage logs and numerous grocery store receipts.
BETHEL HOUSE OF CARE INC./
PROJECT TEEN
Money spent: $79,194
Number of youths served: 450
How the money was split: Staff/contract employees ($61,737), Fulton Baptist Church ($5,700), Greater New Bethel Baptist Church ($5,500), food, equipment and supplies ($5,325), BellSouth ($932).
What they are: Bethel House of Care is the nonprofit arm of Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, whose pastor served as director. The group ran after-school and job training programs and received several reimbursements from the city. But the group received far less than it had hoped, having asked for $157,000 in its initial request. That request included $20,000 to renovate a teen center.
BIBB COUNTY COMMUNITY COALITION
Money spent: $61,000
Number of youths served: 363
How the money was split: St. Luke Baptist Church ($50,860), Memorial Baptist Church ($5,665), Union Baptist Church ($3,203), Unity Missionary Baptist Church ($1,272).
What they are: A coalition of six churches, though not all received federal money, according to city records. St. Luke Baptist Church was the lead church in the coalition, which put on a summer program for 3- to 5-year-olds and other programs, according to its request. The group also took seven teens to a two-day convention in Atlanta for classes that included "Understanding Abstinence vs. Sexuality" for a total cost of $974.30, records show. There are numerous grocery store and fast food receipts among reimbursement requests, as well as mileage forms and lists of student participants in various classes. The group received less than its request of $126,842.
FAITH EVANGELISM
Money spent: $39,682
Number of youths served: 115
How the money was split: The city's summary doesn't list partner organizations, though various Faith Evangelism documents list several.
What they are: Faith Evangelism describes itself as a partnership of numerous churches and other organizations, but it's not clear which partner churches and groups, if any, individually received federal money. The group operated mentoring programs, particularly for McEvoy Middle School, which has since been torn down and replaced. Records submitted for reimbursement include time sheets for a project director, a student trip to Nashville, Tenn., that included dinner for 48 at the Hard Rock Cafe, $1,900 worth of fruit for a fundraiser, at least two $100 Staples gift cards and a $370 camera.
LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
Leadership Potential is not listed as a collaborator, but the city agreed in April 2003 to pay the company $25,000 to put on a three-day faith-based training institute. A September2003memo from Macon Police Chief Rodney Monroe states the cost would be split, with $5,000 in Safe Schools Initiative funding, $10,000 from Wachovia Bank and $10,000 from the city's Economic and Community Development Department. But Monroe has refused an interview, and it's not clear how payments were finally divided. The company is now defunct, according to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, and the telephone number on city records is not in service. This is the same company that received $35,000 to hold another training session from the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development in June 2003, despite the fact that the workforce board had not voted on the contract. Both training programs drew positive reviews from attendees, according to comment sheets released through the Open Records Act.
