January 22, 2018
Herald Chronicle
Several charitable organizations in multiple states as well as Puerto Rico are benefiting from grants provided by the Country Rising Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Several charitable organizations in multiple states as well as Puerto Rico are benefiting from grants provided by the Country Rising Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The Country Rising Fund was established to support charitable initiatives helping victims of the September hurricanes: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria in Puerto Rico and the states of Louisiana, Florida and Texas. The Fund also has assisted victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. In the course of rebuilding lives disrupted by these devastating events, there have been immediate needs as well as long-term needs. The Fund strategically supports both as they have emerged.
Some of music’s biggest stars united for Country Rising, a sold-out benefit concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 12, 2017 that raised more than $4 million. Hosted by DJ Bobby Bones, Country Rising presented by Hilton and Dollar General featured performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Keith Urban and Jon Pardi. Also, Garth Brooks appeared live from Spokane, Washington, where he donated proceeds from two of his previously scheduled shows to the Fund.
“Time and time again, the music community has joined with the broader entertainment community and caring people across the globe to respond to disaster, “ said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Country Rising was another extraordinary event aimed at easing the burden of people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without food, clothing or shelter.
“Thanks to all who attended and all who performed and organized this event, lives are being restored and homes rebuilt in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria in addition to the mass shooting in Las Vegas,” Lehman continued. “We, at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, are honored to have had a small role in connecting Country Rising’s generosity with need, in addition to the gifts we have received and already have strategically deployed across these devastated communities well in advance of Country Rising.”
Grants have been awarded to the following charitable organizations:
— Team Rubicon USA. Funds will restore hundreds of homes and rebuild lives in Puerto Rico, which was devastated by both Hurricanes Jose and Maria, with the help of Team Rubicon. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit provides impactful service across the world to communities affected by disaster, uniting the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.
— Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. Funds went to the Las Vegas-based nonprofit to help survivors of the Route 91 Festival massacre on Oct. 1, 2017 on the Las Vegas Strip, no matter where they live, through pro bono legal and financial services.
— Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. The Lake Charles, La.-based nonprofit has been helping rebuild about 1,100 homes in Calcasieu Parish that were flooded in Hurricane Harvey.
— Community Foundation of Collier County (FL). The Naples, Fla.-based nonprofit is helping with the recovery of the Immokalee and Everglade City communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Funds also have been delegated to the Collier County Schools Homeless Program, which is helping homeless schoolchildren and their families restore their lives after Irma.
— Coastal Bend Community Foundation: Funding to the Corpus Christi, Texas-based nonprofit was designated to its Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group Fund to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath in six affected counties in the Coastal Bend area of Texas: Aransas, Bee, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties.
— Habitat for Humanity. The Atlanta-based nonprofit has been part of the rebuilding effort of homes destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Southeast Texas, with an emphasis on Rockport, Texas, and the Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange counties area known as the Golden Triangle.
About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit cfmt.org.
