Upcountry Fiber Foundation gives $15,000 to local Upstate non-profits

Upcountry Fiber Foundation, the philanthropic arm and permanent endowment of internet service provider Upcountry Fiber, announced that it has donated $15,000 to three Upstate non-profit organizations to help them deliver on their missions to help those in need and to support cultural enrichment opportunities for our community. Created in September 2022, the Upcountry Fiber Foundation supports non-profit organizations in Anderson, Northern Greenville, Oconee and Pickens that serve the community with education, youth, culture, arts, and health and human services.

The three non-profits that received grants are:

• Our Daily Rest – Serving Anderson, Pickens and Oconee Counties, as well as Northern Greenville and Northern Spartanburg Counties, Our Daily Rest provides a safe and supportive environment for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The non-profit walks alongside each guest as they take steps toward financial independence and permanent housing. By partnership with local churches, agencies, and businesses, Our Daily Rest can offer case management, counseling, employment support and essential resources that empower people to rebuild their lives with dignity, stability and hope. Our Daily Rest was granted $5,000 for their programs.
• Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music, Inc. – Serving Pickens County, Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music creates meaningful opportunities for people of all ages to participate and perpetuate the Old Time and Bluegrass Music and dance traditions of the Southern Appalachians. The Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program began as a single afterschool program that quickly grew in scope and impact as families, educators, and community members recognized the value of providing accessible traditional music instruction to youth. The organization was granted $5,000 to help remove financial barriers for students to participate.
• Youth Leadership Academy – Serving Pickens County, Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) was created to combat the “middle school slump,” which is prevalent across the nation. Each year, YLA students, staff, and families take part in a service project to benefit the local communities. A need was recognized for full wheelchair accessible swings. To raise money for this, YLA implemented the Hot Pursuit 5K and Catch a Cop race. YLA was granted $5,000 for the event.

“These grant recipients represent the very best of what community-driven service looks like,” said Jim Lovinggood, president and CEO of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “It is an honor to stand behind organizations that show up every day for the people who need them most, and we are confident these funds will go toward creating real, lasting change.”

“Supporting these remarkable non-profits is at the heart of everything we do at Upcountry Fiber Foundation,” said Chris Townson, CEO of West Carolina and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “When we invest in organizations that are already doing meaningful work, we multiply their impact and help build stronger, more connected communities for generations to come.”

For more information about Upcountry Fiber Foundation, visit: https://www.upcountryfiber.com/foundation

About Upcountry Fiber Foundation

The Upcountry Fiber Foundation (UFF) is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the philanthropic arm of Upcountry Fiber. Founded in Spring 2022 by Upcountry Fiber’s two governing organizations: Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and West Carolina, UFF established a permanent endowment that will enrich the lives of residents in the Upcountry Fiber and Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative service territories. UFF will proudly offer financial support to philanthropic organizations that serve the community in the interests of education, youth, culture, arts, health, and human services.

About Upcountry Fiber

Upcountry Fiber is a high-speed fiber internet provider to Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. Established in Fall 2020, Upcountry Fiber is the product of a partnership between Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and West Carolina. Founded by organizations created to electrify and connect rural areas of South Carolina; decades later, Upcountry Fiber’s mission is to bridge the digital divide. Offering symmetrical internet speeds up to 1 Gbps over a fiber network, Upcountry Fiber has the fastest and most reliable high-speed internet in the area. To learn more about Upcountry Fiber, visit us at www.UpcountryFiber.com.