ROCKY MOUNT, N.C., (October 5, 2023) – Today, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $1,949,100 to support five projects through the Open Grants Program. The Golden LEAF Board approved $3,105,284 in funding for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority to administer the Golden LEAF Colleges and University Scholarship. The Golden LEAF Board also awarded $632,447.50 in funding for four projects through the Flood Mitigation Program.
At the meeting, the Board received a report on the activities of Golden LEAF over the past fiscal year.
“The Board was pleased to hear how the job creation and economic investment awards made last year are expected to create at least 2,379 jobs and a capital investment of more than $4.9 billion over the next several years,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “These projects will provide thousands of skilled workers with jobs and create lasting economic impact.”
The Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors awarded $1.9 million in funding for five projects through the Open Grants Program. These projects will support job creation and economic investment, workforce preparedness, and agriculture in Bertie, Bladen, Caswell, Columbus, Cumberland, Person, Robeson and Rowan counties.
- $500,000 to Fayetteville Technical Community College in Cumberland County for construction-related costs for a driving pad that will support truck driving, heavy equipment, and diesel mechanic training at a Regional Supply Chain Transport Complex that will be used by Fayetteville Tech and Bladen and Robeson community colleges and would train 280 students annually.
- $500,000 to North Carolina State University for construction, equipment, and related items to develop a new aviary facility at the Piedmont Research Station located in Rowan County that will enable training in cage-free facilities for layer and egg operations in response to growing consumer demand.
- $250,000 to Piedmont Community College for equipment and salaries to support implementation of a new Practical Nursing (PN) program that will grow from its initial target enrollment of 24 to 36 students annually. The program developed in response to more than 300 PN job openings within the college’s service area of Person and Caswell counties.
- $500,000 to Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, Inc. (RCCHC) for the construction and site work to build a 10,000-square-foot, integrated medicine, satellite clinic with eight dental operatories and four medical exam rooms, in Aulander located in Bertie County. At full operational capacity, the clinic will employ 11 oral health staff, five medical staff, and one behavioral health professional, earning an average annual wage of $66,650.
- $199,100 to Southeastern Community College in Columbus County for staff and student transportation and stipends, credentialing fees, and other costs associated with development and implementation of accelerated career pathways and pre-apprenticeships that lead to attainment of workforce credentials and apprenticeships in high-demand, local jobs.
Additionally, the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority was awarded $3,105,284 by the Golden LEAF Board to administer the Golden LEAF Colleges and University Scholarship. This award will support 215 new scholarships and 600 renewal scholarships. Golden LEAF scholarship recipients are eligible for up to $3,500 per year.
“The Golden LEAF Scholarship improves access to education and workforce training to support the long-term economic advancement of our state,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “These scholarships provide opportunities for students from rural North Carolina to attend our state’s four-year colleges and universities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to return to a rural community to support its growth and prosperity.”
The State of North Carolina appropriated the Golden LEAF Foundation $25 million for the Flood Mitigation Program. The Flood Mitigation Program awards funding up to $250,000 per project. Funds may only be awarded to units of local government.
The Golden LEAF Board awarded $632,447.50 in funding to support four projects through the Flood Mitigation Program in Cleveland, Durham, Iredell, and Warren counties.
- $41,000 to the Town of Boiling Springs in Cleveland County to develop an inventory and assessment of culverts located within town limits, resulting in a prioritized listing for their repair/replacement. Ultimate repair and maintenance activities will address flooding that Boiling Springs experiences when heavy rainfall coming down from the mountains causes rivers and streams to rise quickly.
- $250,000 to the City of Durham in Durham County for construction costs to upsize piping in the existing storm drainage system to mitigate frequent flooding along Belt, Worth, and Franklin streets in Durham, and within the Golden Belt Campus, that results in damage to property, including businesses, homes, and vehicles.
- $145,000 to the City of Statesville in Iredell County to complete engineering and design to replace an undersized cross pipe with a reinforced concrete box culvert to mitigate flooding and washouts along Sunningdale Lane during rain events, and to relocate affected water, sewer, and gas lines. The city anticipates using funds from its capital budget for the balance of the costs, including construction.
- $196,447.50 to the Town of Warrenton in Warren County for engineering and construction costs to replace sections of undersized pipe, clogged and damaged stormwater pipe, and curb inlets, along Brehon Street, with a new, larger-diameter corrugated plastic pipe to mitigate blockage and stormwater runoff during large storms that flood the street and some residential lots in the area.
Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,161 projects totaling $1.2 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.
About Golden LEAF
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For nearly 25 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.
The Foundation has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and rural areas of the state by helping create 68,000 jobs, more than $780 million in new payrolls, and more than 98,000 workers trained or retrained for higher wages.
For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit our website at www.goldenleaf.org.
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