Imagine a child coming home from school and finding nothing to eat at home or no bed to call his own. What if you had cancer and, despite getting treatment, were left weak and experiencing despair. These are real conditions faced by many people, young and old, who call northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama home. And it’s the driving force behind Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation’s mission to improve the health and well-being of residents in the region. The foundation recently announced the awarding of $1.3 million in community impact grants to support agencies that, together, benefit residents of all ages.

Working with Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center, the Hospital Authority of Floyd County and the Cedartown-Polk County Hospital Authority, the foundation works to address important community needs, such as food, housing, mental health, cardiovascular disease, transportation, and access to care.

Since it was created in 2021, the foundation has awarded nearly $14 million.

“This work is about more than funding programs. It’s about fundamentally changing the conditions that shape health in our community,” said Dan Bevels, president of the foundation. “By investing almost $14 million in efforts that address social drivers of health, we are signaling a long-term commitment to transformation, not just support. Our aspiration is to help create a healthier future for every person in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.

“Some of the most meaningful work in our region is being done quietly by our partners, people and organizations who rarely seek attention but consistently deliver impact,” Bevels continued. “We are grateful for their commitment and proud that our Foundation can play even a small role in strengthening what they are already building.”

Much of the money earmarked this year will help address nutrition, homelessness and other issues families face.

Rome-Floyd YMCA will receive $25,000 to expand its anti-hunger efforts while also strengthening youth mental, behavioral and cardiovascular health.

“The YMCA has learned how to reach the entire family,” said Stephanie McElhone, community development director. “Through scholarships we can help get more kids involved in summer camps. Through our food programs we can help make sure the entire family gets what it needs and we obviously provide exercise programs that can reach people of all ages. These are programs that would have to be scaled back, if not eliminated, were it not for the support we receive from Atrium Health Floyd and the Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation.”

Cedartown United Fund Inc. will receive $43,000 to provide basic supplies of food, clothing and other items to support individuals experiencing poverty in Polk County.

Helping Hands Ending Hunger will receive $25,000 to fund healthy food outreach for children and families struggling with food insecurity.

Family Care Center Inc., based in Cherokee County, Alabama, will receive $25,000 to fund the purchase of essential cooking staples to support families in need.

Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries will receive $60,000 to help fund the purchase of food to go into the backpack buddy bags for kids throughout the region.

The backpack program helps ensure kids affected by food insecurity have enough to eat through the weekend by sending staples home with them near the end of the week, said Lindsey Kilby, president of Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries, which operates a food pantry in Rome.

“We provide about 2,300 bags of food every week to kids in Rome, Floyd County, Polk County, Bartow County, Chattooga County Schools and Gordon County. I don’t know how we could afford to do that without the funding we receive from Atrium Health Floyd and Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation.”

Rome Floyd County Community Soup Kitchen, which already works to address hunger and homelessness issues in the region, will receive $41,500 to expand their program that provides shower and laundry services  for economically challenged individuals.

Hospitality House for Women Inc. will receive $40,000 to enhance shelter and support services for domestic violence victims, focusing on mental health, hunger relief, accessibility and mobility, housing, and community education.

“I’m grateful that my role gives me the opportunity to engage directly with the community and witness the work of our nonprofit partners,” said Donna Martin, grants and program manager for the Foundation. “So many organizations are doing exceptional work, which makes the selection process difficult. However, it gives us confidence that the projects we fund are making a real difference in our community.”

The following is a glimpse of how the grant money is being used across the region:

  • 100 Black Men of Rome-Northwest Georgia, $10,000 to raise health awareness
  • A Teen’s Choice, $11,000 for a substance abuse and mental health prevention program
  • Battlefield Ministries Inc., $20,000 to help fund counselors and assist families with financial needs for counseling services
  • Boys & Girls Club of North Georgia, Inc., $40,750 for Project Learn programs in Chattooga County
  • Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Georgia, Inc., $15,750 for Project Learn programs in Polk County
  • Brother’s Place, $25,000 to provide educational programs, housing, and recovery meetings for residents and families
  • Cherokee Baptist Helping Hands Ministry Inc., $10,000.00  to provide help with housing, food and utilities
  • Children and Seniors Assistance Foundation, Inc., $13,000 to provide support to individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability
  • Children’s Advocacy Center Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, $15,000 to help fund therapy services
  • Communities in Schools of Rome-Floyd County Inc., $10,000 for Project Success, which helps create a collaborative, comprehensive approach to academic success
  • Community Share Ministry, $10,000 for purchase of a forklift
  • Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, $85,000 to expand child-abuse prevention services
  • Extended Family, $10,000, to help improve mental health outcomes for at-risk K–12 students in Cherokee County, Ala.
  • Family Crisis Center of Walker Dade Catoosa & Chattooga Counties Inc., $20,000, for affordable housing and support services in Chattooga County.
  • Ferst Readers of Polk, $5,000 to fund books for 120 new children
  • Free Clinic of Rome Inc., $60,000 to fund remote access clinics in Polk and Chattooga County
  • Georgia Healthy Family Alliance, $14,000 for vaping and nicotine prevention in Polk, Chattoga and Floyd counties
  • Global Impact International Inc., $75,000, for programming aimed at Promoting Safe and Stable Families and advancement of Trust Based Relational Intervention training
  • Goodwill of North Georgia Inc., $10,000 toward the Thrive to Work program that promotes long-term self-sufficiency and well-being through life-skills education, job readiness support, and family stability initiatives
  • Harbor House-Northwest Georgia Child Advocacy Center Inc., $60,000 to fund client sessions with TF-CBT practitioners in Polk and Floyd counties
  • Hospitality House, $40,000 to enhance shelter and support services focusing on mental health, hunger relief and housing
  • Intercultural Fest Foundation Inc., $15,000 to promote Hispanic youth wellness
  • Life Matters Outreach Inc., $3,600 for education and items needed for newborn care
  • Lookout Mountain Cares Community Resources Enriching Our Society, Inc., $10,000 for food, emergency housing assistance and transportation vouchers for medical services
  • Lovejoy Community Services Inc., $25,000, for the church’s Summer Explosion program
  •  McCord’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department, $50,000 for EMT training, equipment and supplies
  • Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers Inc., $25,000 for substance abuse counseling and the development of enhanced counseling initiatives
  • NAMI Rome Inc., $20,000, for health and wellness education, including youth suicide prevention, mental health literacy and family training across Floyd, Polk, and Chattooga counties
  • North Georgia Crisis Pregnancy, $1,500 to purchase car seats to be given to new parents after completion of infant safety awareness education
  • Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition Inc., $16,500, to support ongoing efforts to provide mobile pantry access to cancer patients in the region as well as expand screening services for breast, colorectal, and lung cancers for uninsured residents in Cherokee County, Ala.
  • NWGA Center for Independent Living, $25,000, for adaptive farm-to-table activities, including hydroponics, animal interactions and inclusive health education for 100 youth with disabilities in Polk County
  • One Community United, $10,000, for mental wellness and health equity education, and programming that helps connect Rome families with behavioral health resources.
  • Open Door Home, Inc., $15,900, to provide comprehensive, holistic wellness services to youth in foster care, addressing their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through integrated support systems
  • Polk County Women’s Shelter Inc., $50,000 for a new vehicle and victim assistance funds to ensure domestic violence victims and their children can access resources and services
  • Rising Sun Recovery  Polk County Youth Recovery Initiative, $50,000, to fund integrated behavioral health and recovery support for transition-age youth and young adults in Polk County
  • Rome-Floyd County Commission on Children & Youth, $5,000 for programming that introduces business and workforce leaders to brain based, trauma informed principles for effective scaffolding of employees
  • Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia, $20,000 to sustain and strengthen trauma informed outreach and education, along with other survivor services
  • Sharing Inc., $25,000 to fund a cooperative food assistance program that improves food security, builds community connection and trains local partners
  • Sleep in Heavenly Peace Inc., $2,500 to enable the Etowah Valley Chapter to purchase the necessary supplies and materials to provide 20 fully furnished twin beds for children
  • South Rome Community Association Inc., $15,000, for a garden that improves nutrition access as well as space for tutoring and stress relief
  • Summit Quest Adventures Inc., $12,000 for  the expansion and implementation of individual and family style cancer support programs
  • The Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County, $19,150, to advance trauma-informed care, child protection and family support
  • The Society of St. Andrew Inc. Atrium Harvest for Health Initiative, $15,000 to ensure equitable, high-volume food distribution in Polk county United Way of Rome and Floyd County Inc. $25,000, for Workforce Advocacy employee stabilization program to help overcome short-term crises, retain employment and stabilize housing, childcare and transportation
  • Vital Grace Inc., $20,000 to provide individual and group counseling along with additional services to individuals who have suffered from cancer
  • William S Davies Homeless Shelter Inc., $60,000, to provide housing, comprehensive case management, and supportive services

The 2027 Community Impact Grant cycle dates will be announced in late 2026.
For more information about working with Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center and/or Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center through the Foundation, call 706-509-3287 or email [email protected].