Stone Mountain, GA – The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia  (CFNEG) this week announced the award of $160,217 in grants to 33 Georgia non-profit organizations, including a $5,000 grant to Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), a non-profit organization providing over $10 million annually in home medical equipment (HME) and supplies to the disabled community. The funds will support FODAC’s pediatric home medical equipment  (HME) program.

“Meeting the needs of a mobility-impaired child can seem overwhelming to the parent or caregiver of that child,” stated Chris Brand, president and CEO of FODAC. “The quantity and cost is compounded by having to constantly upgrade that equipment as the child grows and needs change. We are grateful to the Community Foundation for this grant that will support our pediatric HME program and help these children engage more fully in home, school and community life.”

Children with mobility impairments need suitably sized wheelchairs, powerchairs and walkers, but also specialized equipment such as rollers and gait trainers to aid in the development of motor function and balance. Standers and adaptive tricycles provide much-needed freedom of mobility; patient lifts and bath supports assist caregivers in daily tasks. These pediatric mobility units come in a variety of sizes, and need to be upgraded as the child grows.

CFNEG awarded the 33 grants as part of the Foundation’s 30th Anniversary celebration. The Foundation’s annual discretionary grant disbursements are gifted to help non-profit organizations further key projects, programs or community initiatives. Additionally, FODAC’s grant was one of six awards issued as challenge grants, which allows those agencies the opportunity to leverage their grants with other giving to double their fundraising efforts via a dollar-for-dollar match.

“As part of the grant application each agency was asked if their project lent itself to a challenge opportunity,” explained Randy Redner, CFNEG executive director. “Those projects we felt best fit were given this opportunity. Challenge grants are very impactful as they motivate organizations to seek out new support and enable them to show their donors a greater return on investment.”

FODAC has always maintained a low overhead, leveraging tactics like recycling, a thrift store and a large volunteer staff to lower overhead costs. Every dollar that goes into FODAC can be turned into $10 worth of HME. In 2014, FODAC was named to Charities Under 5% Overhead, an organization of charities that have operating overhead of five percent or less.