With construction well under way at our Timbermill Wind project, Apex Clean Energy is excited to announce multiple Chowan County community organizations as the latest recipients of funding from the Timbermill Wind Community Grant Program. This program supports meaningful efforts to fulfill community needs in public health and safety, economic development, environmental sustainability, and education.
Congratulations to these nine amazing organizations:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Albemarle
- Chowan County Cooperative Extension
- Chowan Arts Council
- The Chowan-Perquimans Smart Start Partnership
- Edenton Farmers Market
- Edenton Steamers
- Edenton Chowan Food Pantry
- Rocky Hock Ruritans
- Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library
A $5,000 grant award to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Albemarle from Apex Clean Energy and the project's primary contractor, MasTec, will support Project Learn. Through Project Learn, youth development professionals create opportunities for high-yield learning activities such as homework help and one-on-one tutoring, writing activities, math bingo, STEM projects, and enriching games that develop young people's cognitive skills.
"Research shows that the way children use their time outside of school is an important predictor of their academic performance," said Elizabeth Mitchell, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Albemarle. "The funding we received from Apex Clean Energy supports Project Learn activities at the Boys & Girls Club. We are most grateful for the ongoing kind and generous support we receive from Apex and for the investments they continue to make in Chowan County!"
A $5,000 grant award to the Chowan County Cooperative Extension will support construction of an accessible outdoor learning space at the Chowan County Arboretum to be used by Chowan County Cooperative Extension and other community organizations. Specifically, funding from Timbermill Wind will be used for the purchase and installation of the shade cover over the already existing concrete pad, which serves as a base for the outdoor classroom.
A $2,500 grant award to the Chowan Arts Council will support improvements to the organization's 100-year old building to ensure it can safely and securely serve the community for years to come.
"Chowan Arts Council is grateful and honored to partner with and be supported by Apex Clean Energy and Timbermill Wind," said Executive Director Meredith Timberlake. "We, as a non profit organization, appreciate the understanding of how crucial it is to build and maintain awareness of arts in our community. This generosity will allow Chowan Arts Council to further our mission, and continue to make the arts accessible to all. We greatly look forward to working with Apex and Timbermill in the future."
A $1,000 grant award to the Chowan/Perquimans Smart Start Partnership will support their Birth and Beginning Years (B.A.B.Y.) Program, which provides health education to expectant and new mothers in partnership with the Albemarle Pregnancy Resource Center, Albemarle Regional Health Services, ENC Pediatrics, and Chowan County Safe Kids.
A $2,500 grant to the Edenton Farmers Market will help continue the "Timbermill Wind Fresh Match", which helps individuals and families double their buying power when purchasing fruits and vegetables from local farms through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Using this funding, the market is able to match every dollar SNAP customers spend on fresh-farm eggs, local honey, and newly-harvested fruits and vegetables.
“The Edenton Farmers Market Board of Directors are very grateful and honored for this grant from Timbermill Wind Community Grant Program," said Board President Mary Wolfe. "We are excited to continue the Timbermill Wind Fresh Match program to support lower income families with their grocery purchases. Thank you for continuing to promote and strengthen healthy living in Edenton and our surrounding neighbors near and far."
A $2,000 grant award to the Edenton Steamers will help with upgrades to WiFi service at historic Hicks Field in Edenton, providing an improved experience for workers, vendors, and fans.
"The Steamers organization is beyond thankful for the continued support from Timbermill Wind," said General Manager Jared Taylor. "Their contributions will help us achieve a vital renovation of seamless WiFi across the ballpark. This will help us continue to upgrade our Point-of-Sale offerings and quality of services around the park as we look to always better the fan experience. This will be a huge step forward in enabling us to do more in the future as well, and we are appreciative of the work Timbermill Wind is doing for us and others in the community!"
expand the reach and impact of their Weekend Meals for Kids Program, which ensures that children who rely on school meals during the week continue to have access to nutritious food over the weekend.
“Addressing food insecurity is crucial to fostering healthier, more resilient communities. We are incredibly grateful for Apex Clean Energy’s support for our mission here in Chowan County," said Amanda Howell, Vice President of the Edenton Chowan Food Pantry. "This grant will allow us to ensure that more children and their families have access to nutritious meals, which is essential for their growth and development as well as the viability here in Chowan County. Apex Clean Energy’s support is key to ensuring a thriving community where everyone can succeed."
Apex Clean Energy CEO Ken Young, Development Manager Jimmy Merrick, and Director of Public Engagement Brian O'Shea present grant awards to Amanda Howell of the Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry and Jack Perry of the Rocky Hock Ruritans at the Timbermill Wind Blade Signing Ceremony on July 24, 2024.
The
Rocky Hock Ruritan Club was awarded $7,365 in funding to help improve storage and access to wheelchair ramps and components that the club uses to enhance accessibility throughout Chowan County, installing up to 20 ramps per year.
“The Rocky Hock Ruritans are grateful to Apex Clean Energy for the grant to help store wheelchair ramps and accessibility materials," said social concerns committee chair Jack Perry. "These ramps are assembled and loaned for short and long term assistance to those in our community with accessibility needs. This is one of our more heart warming and rewarding projects we provide to the community. Thanks to Apex, we can help make life easier for many people in our community."
A $2,000 grant award to the
Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library will support the creation of free disaster preparedness kits for Chowan County households to better endure hurricanes, extreme heat, or other severe weather situations.
"Thanks to Apex Clean Energy and the Timbermill Wind Community Grant, the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library will soon be able to provide free disaster preparedness kits and informational seminars on how to prepare your family for a natural disaster. This is a game changer as it directly provides free resources to those most impacted by natural disaster situations as extreme weather becomes more common," said Chowan County Librarian Jared Jacavone.
Apex Clean Energy has awarded over $4 million in community grant funds to nonprofit organizations across the country, including more than $100,000 in Chowan County as part of Timbermill Wind's development.
The project's construction continues to provide an economic boost to Chowan County. The 45-turbine project has created more than 200 construction jobs, spent more than $25 million with North Carolina businesses and contractors, and represents a capital investment of more than $200 million. Once completed, Timbermill Wind will be the county's single largest taxpayer—providing about $33 million in new local tax revenue over its lifetime.
The Timbermill Wind Community Grant Program will continue during project operations. To learn more, or to apply for a future grant, visit www.timbermillwind.com/grant.
Members of the Apex Clean Energy team celebrated the construction of Timbermill Wind by signing a blade alongside landowners and community members on July 24, 2024.
