Food Pantries, Arts Council, Others Receive Grants

Non-profits from all corners of Columbus County are the newest recipients of 22 grants from the Columbus Community Foundation (CCF).

CCF is an affiliate of the N.C. Community Foundation. NCCF maintains more than 1,300 endowments statewide, and partners with donors and a network of affiliates in 60 counties NCCF has awarded more than $300 million since 1988.

CCF announced today (July 9) that it has awarded $110,150 in grants to 22 organizations in Columbus. The grants and amounts included:

$5,000 to Annie Catherine Pridgen Community Development Foundation for Expanding Our Impact on Food Insecurity: A Foundation for Growth
$5,000 to Border Belt Reporting Center, Inc. for Data Point
$4,000 to Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. for Carolyn’s Kaleidoscope Child Advocacy Center to benefit Columbus County residents
$7,500 to Building Bridges After School Program for Sow and Grow Together
$2,200 to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas for Columbus County Childhood Cancer Safety Net
$2,500 to Columbus Baptist Association for Columbus Baptist Association toy store
$2,000 to Columbus County Arts Council for Story Makers Camp
$5,000 to Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc. for DREAM Builders: Investing in the Next Generation
$7,500 to Facts of Life Outreach for Nourish Hope
$9,250 to Families First, Inc. for general operating support
$2,000 to Friends of the Rube McCray Memorial Library for general operating support
$9,250 to Grace Episcopal Church including the Lutherans of Christ the King for Grace Church little food pantry, protein pantry and produce garden
$9,250 to HEARTS for Community Fun Day and Back to School Drive
$2,000 to Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum for Be Our Guest: Furnishing history for enhanced community learning and engagement
$9,250 to Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry for general operating support
$5,000 to Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services for car seats and pack ‘n plays for children
$9,250 for North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Disaster Ministries for Columbus County Disaster Recovery Center
$1,000 to Prevent Blindness North Carolina for Columbus County vision screening program
$2,500 to Reuben Brown House Preservation Society, Inc. for visiting poet workshop and 2026 A.R. Ammons Poetry Contest for students and adults
$7,500 to Safe Harbor Baptist Church for Say Grace Food Pantry
$2,000 to Special Olympics North Carolina for Special Olympics Columbus County
$1,200 to Town of Tabor City for Tabor City Community Library literacy books

“The foundation of strong communities is support for local nonprofits,” said Randolph Keaton, advisory board president of the Columbus County Community Foundation. “Our permanent philanthropy and impactful grants create powerful, lasting impacts.”

Funds for 2025 grants came from CCCF’s community grantmaking fund and the Columbus Anonymous Fund. Each year, CCCF’s advisory board uses dollars from its endowment funds to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches.

In addition to Keaton, board members include Rosemary Dorsey (vice president), Lisa Richey (secretary/treasurer), Sylvia Cox, Larry Everette, Lashoney Frink, Tara Gore, Lamont Grate, Becky High, Jess Hill, Christopher Russell, Vickie Sasser, Terray F. Suggs and Pamela Young-Jacobs.