International Paper Company Foundation and International Paper’s Columbus Pulp Mill and Columbus Modified Fiber facilities awarded $70,000 in grants to 23 area educational and nonprofit groups in 2020.
Since 2017, the Company’s Columbus locations have dispersed nearly $300,000 in grant funding to support education and literacy, hunger, health and wellness, disaster relief and other critical community needs.
“As part of the IP Family, we are honored to assist these schools and area nonprofits in their efforts to make an impact on the lives of those throughout our communities,” said Kellum Kim, Columbus communications manager. “Our heartfelt appreciation to each of these organizations and their volunteers – the missional work you do is critical to the success of our community.”
International Paper’s giving strategy focuses on critical community needs where employees live and work. The company also supports a number of organizations where employees actively volunteer and other critical community needs. Recipients of the 2020 International Paper Foundation grants are as follows:
■ Family and childhood health and wellness programs were awarded $10,450. Those programs include Franklin Academy’s Smart and Healthy Outdoor program, Pushmataha Area Council Boy Scouts of America’s 2020 Camp Seminole 5K Glow Run and 1 Mile Fun Run, University of Mississippi Foundation’s AirCare Advance Medical Operations Capabilities and Sally Kate Winters Family Service’s Program Awareness for Runaway and Homeless Youth Services.
■ Educational initiatives including literacy programs, skills training projection and classroom technology were awarded $21,550. Those programs include Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle’s BGCGT Youth Media project, Columbus Arts Council’s Art Reach 2 program, Columbus Christian Academy’s Library Improvement in Paper and E-Book project, Columbus Lowndes Public Library System’s children’s nonfiction books and History for Today’s World project, Girl Scouts Heart of the South’s Girl Scouting in The School Day, Heritage Academy’s Full STEAM Ahead program, MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach’s Educational Outreach Projects, Mississippi University for Women’s Go React program and My Book, a Special Project of Create Foundation’s 2020 Book Distribution program.
■ Programs to fight hunger were awarded $11,250. Those programs are Lowndes County Council on Aging’s COVID-19 Relief Food Fund and The United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee County VISTA-Healthy Initiative project to combat hunger.
■ Disaster relief and recovery programs were awarded $7,250. Those programs are Columbus Soccer Organization’s Soccer for All and the replacement of equipment damaged during the local flooding and Frank P. Phillips Memorial YMCA’s Disaster Response and Crisis Preparation program.
■ Critical Community needs in the Golden Triangle were awarded $19,500. Those programs include Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair ministry, Contact Helpline’s Crisis Line Specialist Recruitment and Training project, Last House on the Block’s Sober Living program, Safe Haven Inc.’s Teen Lounge and Study Room renovations, Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity’s 2020 Maroon Edition home in honor of Matt Savage and The Salvation Army of Columbus’s Social Services program.
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