Gateway Domestic Violence Center was awarded a $5,000 grant through a nomination by Jackson EMC to the CoBank Sharing Success Program. The grant will assist the Gainesville-based nonprofit with purchasing residential-grade kitchen appliances, which will double its capacity to serve Hall County families in need. 

“The need for domestic violence services has never been greater,” said Jessica Butler, Gateway’s executive director. “Our organization is focused on expanding our capacity, and funding from CoBank will enable us to house more survivors of domestic violence.”  

In 2019, Jackson EMC provided the Gateway Domestic Violence Center with a $25,000 donation, which was made possible using margin refunds that have been unclaimed by the electric cooperative’s members for five years. Legislation passed in 2005 permits Georgia electric cooperatives to make charitable, education and economic development contributions of unclaimed margin refunds. 

CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving industries and utilities in rural areas of all 50 states. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers. 

Gateway Domestic Violence Center is a domestic violence shelter offering emergency shelter and transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence and their children. 

Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the largest electric cooperative in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Jefferson, Ga. The cooperative serves more than 235,000 meters on 14,132 miles of energized wire. For more information, visit jacksonemc.com.