Upcountry Fiber Foundation gives $18,000 to local Upstate nonprofit

Upcountry Fiber Foundation, the philanthropic arm and permanent endowment of internet service provider Upcountry Fiber, announced that it has awarded six local nonprofit organizations $18,000 from its fourth quarter 2024 grant cycle. Created in September 2022, the Upcountry Fiber Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Anderson, Northern Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties that serve the community with education, youth, culture, arts, and health and human services.

The six nonprofits that each received a $3,000 grant from the 2024 fourth quarter grant cycle are:

• Cancer Association of Anderson’s Patient Assistance Program – Provides financial aid for cancer patients in active treatment to help alleviate the financial burden of travel to treatment, and to offset costs of prescriptions, nutrition, and other needs.
• Grace’s Closet – Provides Oconee County students in need basic resources such as clothing, school supplies, hygiene items and weekend food to help build self-confidence to succeed both in and out of school.
• Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County’s Affordable Home Ownership Program – Assist with civil engineering costs to develop Habitat Anderson’s first ever subdivision, Magnolia Ridge, to increase affordable housing opportunities.
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc. – SC Easley Chapter’s No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in our Town program – Provides twin beds and bedding to children ages 3-17 who are currently sleeping on the floor or in uncomfortable situations.
• The Tribble Center’s Day Program and After Hours Programs – Serves individuals with intellectual disabilities in Oconee and Pickens Counties, offering engaging leisure activities to create meaningful relationships and to have fun. The grant helped to cover the costs of different activities and covered costs for individuals who lacked the financial resources needed to participate.
• Wild Hearts Equine Therapeutic Center, Inc.’s Catalyst for Change program – Provides low access to equine therapy services.

In 2024, Upcountry Fiber Foundation donated a total of $68,000 to 15 local nonprofits, and since it began awarding grants in 2023, has invested nearly $130,000 in small nonprofits that are the lifeblood of the Upstate community.

“We are very proud to support these six charitable organizations as our latest grant recipients,” said Jim Lovinggood, president and CEO, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “They each embody the helping spirit of our community and will make an immediate and direct impact on the people they serve.”

“Upcountry Fiber Foundation’s mission to advance philanthropic initiatives through responsible giving allows us to support multiple worthy organizations that make a hyperlocal impact,” said Chris Townson, CEO of West Carolina and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “We are proud to assist them through our grant program so they can continue to deliver on their missions to enrich the lives of people who live here in our communities.”

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 the five counties of Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg. 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 10 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.