The Community Foundation of Central Georgia announced Tuesday it has awarded $172,075 to be divided among 12 projects in the latest round of Knight Neighborhood Challenge Grants.
The grants are awarded to people with ideas to improve life in the College Hill Corridor area of Macon as part of the corridor’s master plan.
“I’m very excited,” said Kathryn Dennis, executive director of the Community Foundation. “This is our third round of grants, and it reflects the individuals and groups who want to get involved with College Hill. ... It’s a broad spectrum of people who applied -- a few people who want to make a difference.”
The College Hill Facade Loan Program, run by the Historic Macon Foundation, received the biggest grant of $75,000. The program helps residents in the College Hill neighborhood improve the appearance of their homes by offering them loans.
Josh Rogers, executive director of Historic Macon, said the program offers low-interest loans of $5,000 to $10,000 for residents to improve their homes in an effort to beautify the neighborhood. It’s the second time the group has been awarded the grant for that program.
“It’s really meeting a need, especially during this economy,” Rogers said. “The physical transformation is amazing. ... It’s really, really effective.”
The College Hill Corridor Commission also received a substantial grant of $27,100 for its Task Force for Environmental Branding. That group coordinates the branding of the College Hill area with permanent signs, bike racks, lamp post banners and residential flags.
Other awards include:
$6,200 to the Facade Squad, for fixing up the Milady Cleaners property with a new paint job, a mural on the side of the building and landscaping.
$16,000 to Volunteer Macon Inc., to expand its existing programing of community/public safety by adding 55 more trained volunteers in additional low-income neighborhoods.
Separate grants of $3,700 and $1,100 to Mercer University professor Heather Bowman Cutway. The first grant will allow for a composting workshop on Mercer University’s campus, while the other grant will help Cutway plant trees along College Street for homeowners who want them.
$10,000 to the Choral Society of Middle Georgia, for a masterworks performance on College Hill.
$10,000 to the College Hill Alliance, for the Cotton Avenue Revival Mural Contest. The alliance will host a mural competition that celebrates the history of Cotton Avenue merchants and community leaders.
$5,000 to the Kwanzaa Cultural Access Center, to add new elements to the 19th annual Juneteeth Freedom Festival.
$1,500 to the Macon Film Festival, to continue its outdoor screenings series, Big Screen Movie Nights, throughout the year.
$11,475 to Dan Zook and the Magnolia Street Neighborhood Association for the third annual Soap Box Derby race.
$5,000 to the Tubman African American Museum for the Pan African Festival of Georgia.
The grants, which are awarded twice a year, are part of a $3 million larger grant awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation made to the Community Foundation in 2009. The deadline to apply for the next round of grants is April 30.
To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.
