With gratitude and joy, we are pleased to share that the Board of Directors of the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Fall 2025 Grant Cycle.
This grant cycle, twelve remarkable organizations will receive grants totaling $990,000—funds will begin making a lasting difference the week of December 1, 2025. Each of these organizations reflects, in its own way, the compassion, service, and faith that guide our Foundation’s mission. Together, they embody what it means to be “stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
Below is a look at the inspiring work these organizations are carrying out both locally and internationally.
A $50,000 challenge grant to Adoption-Share to support the Georgia Agency Coordinator for the Family-Match program in Southeast Georgia and across the state. Established in 2010, Adoption-Share uses technology to improve outcomes in the child welfare and adoption systems. Their flagship platform, Family-Match, uses data-driven tools to connect children in foster care with families who are best suited to meet their emotional and developmental needs. By streamlining the matching process and enhancing collaboration among agencies, Adoption-Share aims to reduce the time children spend in foster care and increase the likelihood of successful, permanent placements.
A $50,000 challenge grant to the Boys & Girls club of Southeast Georgia to support the Early Literacy Academy (ELA) in Glynn County. The Boys & Girls Club provides a safe place for local youth to engage in various after-school, weekend, and summer programs. The Early Literacy Academy is a year-long program offered to children aged three to five years old that provides essential reading and learning skills to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. Through their commitment to fostering academic success, character development, and healthy lifestyles, the Boys & Girls Club of Glynn plays a transformative role in shaping the future of its community’s youth.
A $50,000 challenge grant to City of Refuge for program expansion. City of Refuge is a faith-based nonprofit organization located in Atlanta, Georgia and expanding into Brunswick, Georgia. Founded in 1997, the organization provides a holistic, one-stop campus offering transformative services in four key areas: Health & Wellness, Housing, Job Training, and Youth Development. With a mission to help individuals and families transition out of crisis and into stability, City of Refuge delivers essential resources such as temporary housing, medical care, mentorship, and education; all under one roof. They equip people to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.
A $50,000 grant to Coastal Coalition for Children to support the Grandparent Connection program in Glynn and Camden Counties. The Coastal Coalition for Children is dedicated to strengthening families and promoting healthy child development through programs like First Steps, Healthy Families, and Grandparent Connection. The Grandparent Connection supports grandparents who are raising their grandchildren by offering emotional support groups, educational workshops, help navigating legal and financial systems, and referrals to community resources. By walking alongside these “grandfamilies,” Coastal Coalition for Children helps bridge generations with love, stability, and hope for a brighter future.
A $50,000 challenge grant to The Gathering Place to support LAUNCH. LAUNCH is a program that provides Glynn County high school students professional, leadership, and workforce development opportunities while receiving high school credit for the coursework. The Gathering Place was established in 1981 to provide youth-oriented Christian activities to local youth and to develop and deploy Christian leaders. Today, the Gathering Place is reaching thousands of middle school, high school, and college aged students through a variety of programs including mentorships, paid summer internships, inspirational outreach events, community volunteer projects, college tours for high school students and large public worship gatherings held each Sunday night during the summer.
A $50,000 challenge grant to Grace House of Brunswick, Inc. for general operating expenses. Grace House is a faith-based, sober living home for women located in downtown Brunswick, Georgia. With room for 11 residents, Grace House provides a safe, nurturing environment for women on their journey to recovery from addiction. Rooted in faith and guided by the 12-step program, the organization helps women rebuild their lives through spiritual growth, personal healing, and community support.
A $40,000 challenge grant to Hand in Hand of Glynn, Inc. to provide support for the Resident Care Coordinator at The Grove at Correll Commons. Hand in Hand of Glynn, Inc. was organized in 2018 to help end chronic homelessness in Southeast Georgia by providing permanent, affordable, supportive homes to single adults. Their goal is to change the trajectory of 60 lives and to bring dignity and self-respect back to those who have lost their connection to their friends, family, and community. The Grove at Correll Commons offers residents access to medical and psychological care, life skills training, and a supportive community environment that fosters dignity and independence. Through partnerships and community support, Hand in Hand of Glynn works to create lasting solutions and restore hope for those most in need.
A $150,000 challenge grant to The Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship to expand the ACCELER8 Non-Profit program. This grant represents the second year of a three-year partnership between The Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship and The St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation. This partnership will support the expansion of the ACCELER8 NP program in Glynn County and into Camden County. ACCELER8 NP is a free, 8-week course for nonprofit executives and board chairs to build organizational effectiveness with lessons on goal setting, communication strategies, marketing, financial management and budgeting, strategic planning, board development, and fundraising. The Lucas Center believes that entrepreneurship is a vehicle for economic empowerment, transforming families and communities by breaking cycles of poverty, creating value, and solving community challenges.
A $75,000 challenge grant to Morningstar Children & Family Services for operational support of the Glynn County facility. Morningstar serves children across Georgia who are facing emotional and behavioral challenges and children with developmental disabilities. Through its core services, residential care, mental health care, and therapeutic foster care, Morningstar provides a safe, nurturing community where each child is valued, supported, and allowed to heal and grow. Guided by compassion and faith, Morningstar helps young people discover hope and the possibility of a brighter future.
A $100,000 challenge grant to Skylark Clinic to support the Build for Life capital campaign. Skylark Clinic is a faith-based sexual health and care organization serving Southeast Georgia, including Camden, Glynn, Brantley, and Charlton Counties. Dedicated to the sanctity of human life and the pursuit of spiritual growth, Skylark offers free and confidential services including pregnancy testing, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, STD screenings, and educational support for both women and men. Through its faith-driven programs and life-affirming message, Skylark builds a culture that values every life and encourages choices rooted in love, dignity, and purpose.
A $125,000 challenge grant to Wesley Glen Ministries to provide general operating support for the St. Marys Campus. Wesley Glen Ministries is dedicated to improving the quality of life for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a Christian environment. They serve the unique needs of these individuals and help them build skills and confidence that lead to greater independence. Wesley Glen provides comfortable, secure homes with round-the-clock care, nutritious meals, safe and reliable transportation, and support for daily living. They are creating awareness in their community as to the strengths and barriers related to people with disabilities.
A $200,000 grant was approved to support the Journey to Sustainability Project in Nicaragua. This grant represents the fourth year of a four-year partnership between Partners Worldwide and the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation. Partners Worldwide aspires to end poverty so that all may have life and have it abundantly. They achieve this by mobilizing long-term, hands-on global relationships, forming a powerful Christian network that uses business to create flourishing economic environments around the world. PW currently partners with over 70 Local Community Institutions (LCIs), in 35 countries, each rooted in communities facing poverty and high unemployment. The LCI partners work with Partners Worldwide to implement the shared vision to end poverty by focusing on four strategic activities: Business Training, Mentoring, Access to Capital, and Advocacy.
Asociación Pueblos en Accion Comunitaria (APAC) (https://apac.org.ni/ ) is a Nicaraguan organization established in 1996. Since 2014, APAC has become one of Partners Worldwide’s most impactful LCIs in Nicaragua. APAC’s mission is to transform the reality of unemployment and poverty that prevails in Nicaragua’s rural areas by implementing socioeconomic development models based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and business training.
Additional information about the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is available by calling 912-510-9350.
The Board of Directors of the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Spring 2025 Grant Cycle. Grants totaling $802,106.00 will be made to twelve organizations the week of June 2, 2025. The following is a brief description of each recipient and the purpose of the grant.
A $25,000 challenge grant to support a Program Coordinator position at Beloved Ministries located in Brunswick, Georgia. Beloved Ministries exists to support single mothers and their children by fostering transformative encounters with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. They facilitate emotional, spiritual, and physical restoration by connecting single moms with each other and with God. Through programs, Bible study, and personal guidance they empower women to overcome life’s struggles, find hope, and rebuild their lives with confidence in their worth and purpose. Beloved Ministries fosters a community where single mothers can grow, heal, and thrive.
A $49,138 partial challenge grant to Camden Community Family Center, Inc., (CCFC) to provide general operating support. CCFC provides a safe, child-friendly environment for supervised visitation for children in foster care and other court ordered child parent visitations. CCFC works as a resource to Camden County DFCS and families whose children are victims of domestic violence, neglect, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse. CCFC exists to reduce the childhood trauma for foster children by building strong family bonds, creating nurturing parents, and giving parents the valuable skills they need to help sustain their family and get them one step closer to reunification.
A $30,025 grant to CASA Glynn, Inc. to fund direct program expenses. CASA Glynn provides advocacy services for abused and neglected children in Glynn and Camden Counties who are at risk and placed in foster care. Advocacy services are provided through trained volunteers who are appointed by the Juvenile Court to represent the child until the child is placed in a permanent and safe home. The CASA advocate brings an objective voice and remains a consistent figure that networks with other service providers and caseworkers to focus on a better future for the families and children they serve.
A $60,000 grant to Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority (CGA CAA) to support the Rise Risley capital campaign. Located within the most distressed census tract of Glynn County, the Rise Risley project will transform the abandoned school campus into a comprehensive community resource center. The center will provide accessible services and connect residents to job training, higher education, arts programming, therapy, and opportunities for economic and personal growth. CGA CAA exists to create lasting change by empowering individuals and families to break the cycle of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. Their work is driven by the goal of reducing economic disparities, revitalizing low-income communities, and fostering resilient, thriving families across Coastal Georgia.
A $50,000 challenge grant to Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) to support general operating expenses. Established in 2005, the core mission of CCGF is to strengthen communities through engaged philanthropy. They connect people who care with causes that matter in Camden, Glynn, and McIntosh counties along Georgia’s coast. CCGF works with donors to invest in a variety of issues, promoting a full range of community interests. The work achieved in the community is done by the nonprofits they support through grant-making and collaboration.
A $50,000 challenge grant to provide general operating support to HOPE 1312 Collective. Hope 1312 Collective is based on Proverbs 13:12, which states that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. The story of children in foster care is a story of hope deferred time and time again. Providing services in Glynn and Camden counties, Hope 1312 Collective engages the church and community to enter the story of child welfare as a provision of tangible hope for children who have encountered the Department of Family and Children Services system.
A $150,000 challenge grant to provide support for residential hospice services. Hospice of the Golden Isles (HGI) is a community-based, non-profit agency that provides expert, compassionate, palliative care for patients with advanced illness and their loved ones, regardless of their ability to pay. These funds will support 577 days of residential services in their Hospice House for patients who cannot afford to pay for the cost of room and board. HGI is the only community-based, tax-exempt hospice and palliative care organization serving patients and families in their five-county licensed service area that includes Glynn, Camden, McIntosh, Brantley, and Charlton counties. They are also the only local hospice provider to offer a freestanding Hospice House for inpatient respite and residential hospice care.
A $100,000 challenge grant to provide operational support for the Domestic Medicine Program in Brantley, Camden, Charlton, and Glynn Counties. MAP International, located in Brunswick, Georgia, is a Christian organization that provides life-changing medicines and health supplies to people in need around the world so they might experience life to the fullest. Although MAP’s focus has historically been international, since 2017 they have been working to provide medicines and health supplies to uninsured and underinsured patients in Southeast Georgia through the Domestic Medicines Program. MAP International exists to see a world where all people have access to life-changing medicines and health supplies.
A $75,000 challenge grant to provide program support for the Circles in Columbus poverty reduction initiative in Columbus, Georgia. Open Door is a Methodist organization established to empower impoverished people in their community to realize their full potential as children of God. They exist to help families break the cycle of poverty by delivering comprehensive, Christ-centered ministries that improve education, employment, and housing outcomes. The Circles in Columbus program addresses the issues of poverty by establishing a community that empowers and equips families with the tools and resources they need to increase income, decrease debt, and maximize social connections that lead to a life free of poverty.
A $60,000 partial challenge grant to The Remedy Project for program support of the Glynn Learning Center’s Life Skills Group. The Remedy Project began in 2011 as a faith-based addiction counseling and recovery program organized to serve clients in the City of Brunswick and other limited areas of Southeast Georgia. Their mission is to facilitate the transformation of lives through free Christ-based counseling and support for addicts and their families. The Remedy Project launched the Life Skills group at Glynn Learning Center in 2024, multiplying the impact of their services in the community. They exist to create a more vibrant and healthy Golden Isles community, free from the clutches of addiction.
A $75,043 partial challenge grant to Social Opportunities & Active Recreation, Inc. (SOAR) for general operating expenses. SOAR was established in 2015 by local citizens of Glynn County, comprised of retired educators and family members, who were concerned that adults with developmental disabilities are kept on the fringes of the community due to a lack of engaging and inclusive opportunities. SOAR’s mission is to improve the physical and mental health of individuals with developmental disabilities in coastal Georgia. They provide engaging physical and social opportunities to increase health and wellness, develop friendships, and collaborate with peers with and without disabilities, enriching the lives of all.
A $77,900 partial challenge grant to True Charity Initiative to continue to expand the True Charity Network into Southeast Georgia. The True Charity Network is a coalition of like-minded churches and nonprofits working together to improve their impact. The network gives member organizations a way to learn about more effective ways to address poverty, to connect with the best practices of other organizations, and to influence the context in which poverty exists.
Additional information about the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is available by calling 912-510-9350.
The Board of Directors of the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Fall 2024 Grant Cycle. Grants totaling $795,476 will be made to 10 organizations the week of December 2, 2024. The following is a brief description of each recipient and the purpose of the grant.
Organizations Serving Southeast Georgia:
A $17,138 partial challenge grant to Action Pact, Inc. to support the Southeast Georgia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program. CASA offers the unique service of recruiting, training, and supporting community volunteers who have the time to give each foster child the individual attention that social workers and attorneys often do not have. Volunteer Advocates can help to promote services for the child’s physical, medical, emotional, and educational well-being and serve as a catalyst in the court system to ensure that the child is moved out of temporary care and into a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. This grant will be used to promote volunteer recruitment in the rural areas of Brantley and Charlton Counties and to provide advocacy services to the child victims of abuse and neglect who are in the foster care system.
A $50,000 challenge grant to The Gathering Place (The GP) to support the summer college internship program. The GP’s mission is “to reach students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, equip them to be effective Christian leaders, and send them to impact their local schools, churches, and communities.” The GP’s Summer College Internship is an experience that engages college students and recent college graduates in personal development programming and service activities throughout the summer months. The Internship is designed to strengthen their relationships with Christ while developing the intern’s individual leadership capacity as they serve Southeast Georgia through a variety of outreach and mentorship initiatives.
A $28,338 challenge grant representing the third year of a three-year commitment to Golden Isles Veterans Village, Inc. (GIVV) to support the salary and benefits of their executive director. Serving Southeast Georgia, the mission of GIVV is to provide a supportive community of tiny homes and a community center where 30 homeless veterans can reside while receiving the medical, physical, and emotional support needed to heal; and to provide veterans with education and job training opportunities so they may ultimately move forward to permanent housing and employment of their choice. This is a transitional housing community that gives a hand up, not a handout, to those who have served us.
A $50,000 challenge grant to Grace House of Brunswick, Inc. for general operating expenses. Grace House, located in Brunswick Georgia, is a long-term residential recovery home for women recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Grace House exists to provide women, regardless of their socio-economic situation, an opportunity to seek recovery from their addiction to drugs and alcohol through the teachings of Jesus Christ and his reconciling love for all.
A $150,000 three-year partial challenge grant to expand the ACCELER8 Non-Profit program. This grant represents the first year of a three-year partnership between The Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship and The St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation. This partnership will support the expansion of the ACCELER8 NP program in Glynn County and into Camden County. ACCELER8 NP is a free, 8-week course for nonprofit executives and board chairs to build organizational effectiveness with lessons on goal setting, communication strategies, marketing, financial management and budgeting, strategic planning, board development, and fundraising. The Lucas Center believes that entrepreneurship is a vehicle for economic empowerment, transforming families and communities by breaking cycles of poverty, creating value, and solving community challenges.
A $75,000 challenge grant to Morningstar Children and Family Services, Inc. for operational support of the Glynn County facility. Morningstar, located in Brunswick, serves children throughout Georgia with developmental disabilities and children who are unable to function in a foster home environment and who need the structure of an on-campus program. Morningstar provides three primary services: residential care, mental health care, and therapeutic foster care services.
A $75,000 challenge grant to Safe Harbor Center to support program expansion and general operating expenses for the Children’s Advocacy Center in Glynn and Camden Counties. Safe Harbor is guided by their mission statement to provide services that promote security and stability for at risk families, children, and individuals. Shelter and therapeutic services are provided to children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected; who are homeless or have run away from home; or who are otherwise at risk or feel threatened. They provide an array of life-changing services in Camden and Glynn Counties, including residential facilities, drop-in centers, outreach programs, children’s advocacy, family preservation, and parenting education.
A $50,000 challenge grant to the STAR Foundation of Coastal Georgia to support expansion into Camden County as well as program support for the Employment Readiness Programs, the Senior Computer Literacy Workshops, and the Financial Literacy Classes. STAR Foundation of Coastal Georgia, Inc strives to educate and empower individuals in Glynn and Camden County from low-income areas with the foundational skills needed to thrive personally and professionally. For over twenty-five years, STAR has worked to provide employment success through classroom and one-on-one instruction in the focus areas of computer instruction, financial literacy, employment and education readiness, and workplace skills. They provide their students with the skills, support, and self-confidence needed to begin their journey toward self-sufficiency.
Organizations Related to Methodism:
A $100,000 grant to The Methodist Home for Children and Youth for capital-related improvements to their various campuses (St. Marys, Macon, Columbus, Americus, and Valdosta). The Methodist Home is a faith-based organization working to better equip at-risk youth and families for the future. They provide care for children and families in need across South Georgia including continuum care (Children’s Homes), community foster homes, specialized treatment programs, and counseling services to better serve the communities.
Christian Organizations Working Internationally:
A $200,000 grant was approved to support the Journey to Sustainability Project in Nicaragua. This grant represents the third year of a four-year partnership between Partners Worldwide and the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation. Partners Worldwide aspires to end poverty so that all may have life and have it abundantly. They achieve this by mobilizing long-term, hands-on global relationships, forming a powerful Christian network that uses business to create flourishing economic environments around the world. PW currently partners with over 70 Local Community Institutions (LCIs), in 35 countries, each rooted in communities facing poverty and high unemployment. The LCI partners work with Partners Worldwide to implement the shared vision to end poverty by focusing on four strategic activities: Business Training, Mentoring, Access to Capital, and Advocacy.
Asociación Pueblos en Accion Comunitaria (APAC) (https://apac.org.ni/ ) is a Nicaraguan organization established in 1996. Since 2014, APAC has become one of Partners Worldwide’s most impactful LCIs in Nicaragua. APAC’s mission is to transform the reality of unemployment and poverty that prevails in Nicaragua’s rural areas by implementing socioeconomic development models based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and business training.
Additional information about the St. Marys Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is available by calling 912-510-9350.