$50,000 Impact grant awarded to Grahamtown Team

Kisha McDowell

The WNC Bridge Foundation awarded a three-year IMPACT capacity grant ($50,000) to the Grahamtown Team (GTeam) for its Healthy Homes Program. This program focuses on revitalizing abandoned and dilapidated properties in the Grahamtown community in Forest City. The grant will help GTeam acquire, repair, or rebuild homes, making them affordable for low-income families.

The WNC Bridge Foundation's IMPACT grants support capacity building for nonprofit organizations in Western North Carolina. The grants are designed to strengthen organizations in areas like leadership, fundraising, evaluation, communications, technology, and program support, according to the WNC Bridge Foundation.

"The impact grant was turned into a grant to help hurricane Helene victims," said Kisha McDowell, executive director of the Grahamtown Team. "We received $50k for one year to assist in expanding food opportunities for youth and a part time person to expand capacity to help with programs and resources to help youth, seniors and families that were impacted by Helene. The Grahamtown Team is appreciative of this opportunity to continue work on our community space facility on Hardin Road and the additional help to support our community programs," she said.

In the case of Grahamstown, the grant will specifically support the Healthy Homes Program, which aims to improve housing conditions and overall quality of life for residents of the Grahamtown neighborhood. This aligns with the WNC Bridge Foundation's mission to connect communities to a healthier future and create lasting change through local partnerships, according to the WNC Bridge Foundation. The GTeam is a BIPOC-led organization focused on serving an African American community where many residents are elderly and their homes need repair.

Grahamtown Team's (GTeam) mission is to plan, support, educate, and execute opportunities to enrich the quality of life for its neighbors. The GTeam serves the African American community in the heart of Forest City, in a neighborhood where most residents are elderly, and the homes are aging and need repair. It is the objective of this BIPOC-led organization to make dramatic changes to Grahamtown, providing residents with houses that are safer in a more scenic neighborhood.

Senior Program Officer, Meg White, sees the importance of The Healthy Homes Program, "the work of the GTeam requires patience, courage, and tenacity. Kisha McDowell, Executive Director, and her team utilize those three skills when building relationships in and outside the community. They are committed to Healthy Homes, which will transform the area."