Meadows New Foundation Invests $500,000 In the Community

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The Meadows New Foundation held its annual grant celebration on Tuesday, December 2, during which the organization distributed a total of $500,000 in grants to several local organizations.

“As many of you know, the Meadows New Foundation was formed as a charitable 501(c) 4 organization after the sale of Meadows Regional Hospital to HCA Corporation in 2021,” Meadows New Foundation Executive Director Susan McLendon explained. “Meadows New Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all people across Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler counties in Georgia. We invest in local solutions that make a lasting impact — creating healthier, stronger communities for generations to come.”

McLendon continued to inform participants about the organization, stating that it was founded on several core values: commitment to the people and communities of Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler Counties; investment in opportunities that have significant impacts; transparency and sound judgment in stewardship of resources to support and strengthen the community; and investment in worthy programs and organizations that foster the group’s guiding principles.

“Tonight, we honor organizations that are making a profound impact on health and wellness in our area of Toombs, Montgomery and Wheeler Counties. The Meadows New Foundation is proud to assist these programs and recognize them tonight for their unwavering commitment to improving access to quality health care and education in our communities,” McLendon added.

To be eligible for the grant, organizations had to must be classified as a public charity or non-profit under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code; be based in or provide services to Montgomery, Wheeler, and Toombs Counties; be a project specific to improving medical and dental care access, health and wellness promotion with education, chronic disease prevention, telehealth patient services, Behavioral/Mental Health Prevention, Intervention and Treatment Services, or non-emergency healthcare transportation.

“The application process is competitive and final selection of those receiving awards is made by our Meadows New Foundation Board Members,” McLendon clarified.

Recipients of the grant included: • Brewton-Parker Christian University and the Brewton-Parker Nursing Scholarship Project, which is designed to provide tuition support for qualified nursing students, reducing financial barriers and promoting success in the BSN program. The initiative aims to award scholarships to students while strengthening recruitment, retention, and academic assistance through dedicated RN faculty support.

• Emanuel County Child Abuse Prevention Center (also known as the Sunshine House) and the Child Abuse Prevention, Healing, and Justice Project, which is focused on providing behavioral health, medical, and support services to children and families impacted by abuse. The project’s goals include securing funding for personnel to deliver direct victim services in Toombs County, hiring a contract tutor to assist academically challenged victims, offering evidencebased, trauma-centered programs, providing victim assistance for children and families, and raising community awareness about child abuse and available services.

• Gardens of Hope Recovery Community Organization (RCO) and the Recovery Ready Initiative, which provides support services for individuals battling substance use disorders, ensuring access to treatment and ongoing recovery support. The program’s goals are ambitious yet vital: to connect at least fifty individuals to the next step in recovery, provide financial assistance and essential services for two hundred individuals, and build sustainable funding and partnerships for longterm success.

• Mercy Medical Clinic and their expansion of auxiliary services, which will strengthen its commitment to providing direct services and support for the community by addressing the high incidence of diabetes in the local community by improving access to education and resources. The program aims to enroll 100 patients in diabetes education, offering vital knowledge and tools to manage the disease effectively.

• Parent to Parent and the Pathways to Adult Healthcare Initiative, which provides direct services to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to support a successful transition to adult health care. The program focuses on individualized planning through one-on-one connections, peer-to-peer mentoring, and family-tofamily networks. It offers educational opportunities, including online and inperson training sessions, to build skills in transition planning, self-advocacy, and navigating complex systems.

• Paul Anderson Youth Home and Mental Health Counseling for Young Men in Crisis, which provides comprehensive behavioral health services and addiction recovery support within a residential setting. The program emphasizes education and personal development through a curriculum that integrates spiritual guidance, strong work ethic, physical fitness, academic excellence, and emotional and social growth. Its primary goal is to help young men understand the root causes of unhealthy choices and apply learned skills to make better decisions.

• Rachel's House and the technology upgrade and fatherhood program launch, which will purchase new computers to enhance operational efficiency, and begin a new Fatherhood Initiative aimed at enrolling 20–30 participants in its first year. Additionally, Rachel’s House strives to maintain its core services for over 400 women and families annually.

• Southeast Georgia Rural Community Network and the Breast & Colon Cancer Prevention Program, which focuses on education, screening, and care coordination to reduce cancer mortality rates. By streamlining referrals and partnering with local clinics and hospitals, the Network ensures timely access to screenings and treatment for those most at risk. The program emphasizes outreach to marginalized populations, promoting early detection through direct education and nurse-led care coordination. To date, this lifesaving effort has reached more than 500 individuals, providing improved access to care and strengthening community health.

• Voice of Grace Dream Center, which is dedicated to supporting women through behavioral health and medical services. The center offers a 12-month in-house residency program designed to help participants improve their physical, mental, and social well-being while learning essential coping skills for recovery. With a documented 58% success rate, the program’s strengths include maintaining a small participant group for personalized attention, addressing women- specific needs, and leveraging multidisciplinary community partnerships.

Meadows New Foundation Board Chairman Reid McArthur commented on these grants. “All of us recognize needs in a community. You see them all the time when you're walking the streets or riding and or people you know and it gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction to know that there are organizations like yours with dedicated people,” he remarked. “Many of you are volunteers, but the ones that are getting paid I'm sure are not getting paid for all the time [that you spend with these organizations, so you do it] because you love what you're doing and you care about people. And that gives me great confidence in the future of this community because I feel like y'all are the foundation of the community. When you help people that are in need, that's what makes a community thrive and grow. I hope that this foundation continues to support organizations like yours well into the future.”

The Foundation is overseen by a Board chaired by McArthur, where Dennis Ingley serves as Vice Chairman and Tim Truxel serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Board. Other board members include Michael Calhoun, Pollyann Martin, Angie McDaniel, and Ronnie Smith.

For more information on the Meadows New Foundation, call (912) 937-4440.