POWERGRAMS

resources; those improvements also help families save money over the long term on their utility bills. "Without the funds provided by the Home Forward grant, many of our low-income clients would not be able to receive the additional energy saving measures we are able to provide," said Luke Laney, Housing Services director for the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama, headquartered in Rainsville. "These additional funds help these vulnerable populations lower their energy costs, so that their money can be used for food or other necessities." A similar concept applies to the trust's Efficiency Forward program. Created in 2007, it provides grants to human services nonprofits – such as homeless shelters, children's advocacy organizations and food pantries – for energy efficiency upgrades to their facilities. Like the Home Forward program, Efficiency Forward helps lower energy costs, but in this case for nonprofits helping people in need. Those nonprofits, in turn, can redirect the savings to providing additional services to clients. Another more recent offering is the ABC Trust Community Grant program. It provides modest grants to nonprofits to support health and human services programs, and for energy assistance programs for Alabama households with incomes that are at or below 200% of the federal poverty line ($26,500 for a family of four). During the past three years, Community Grants have been available to support Alabama nonprofits addressing human needs related to the pandemic. "The pandemic posed significant economic challenges for low-income families, and for many nonprofits that work to address human needs in our state," Grayson said. "We were able to use the Community Grant program to provide them with some relief." Rowe, with the Community Action Association of Alabama, has had a decades-long relationship with the ABC Trust. It started in the late 1990s, when he was weatherization manager for the Community Action Agency of Baldwin, Escambia, Clarke, Monroe and Conecuh counties, now known as the Community Action Agency of South Alabama. At that time, Rowe said, the ABC Trust was already offering innovative programs to help low-income families in ways that helped fill gaps left by other philanthropic and government agency programs. Rowe continued to work closely with the ABC Trust after becoming CEO of the south Alabama agency. And the relationship continues today in his capacity as leader of the statewide community action association. He said the foresight and innovative thinking that marked the ABC Trust in its early days carries on to today. "The trust is always looking forward on how it can help improve on what it does, to help change lives. The trust has always exhibited that," Rowe said. Grayson said the ABC Trust board of directors continues to assess the effectiveness of trust programs, in close coordination with the community action agencies and other human services nonprofits. The goal: to ensure the trust remains an efficient and effective resource for families who are truly in need. "We are proud of the ABC Trust's legacy of service over the past 30 years," Grayson said. "But it's also clear that the needs of many Alabamians are still great. "The trust is committed to being a positive force in supporting families in our state," Grayson said. "Working with our partners, we want to continue to make a difference in the lives of Alabamians." For more information about the trust and its programs, visit powerofgood.com and click on ABC Trust. By Michael Sznajderman 7 Photos by Nik Layman

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