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, Pickens and Northern Spartanburg counties that serve the community with education, youth, culture, arts, and health and human services.

The three non-profits that received $5,000 grants are:

• Channel Missions (The Hiding Place Chapter) – Serving all counties in the Upcountry Fiber footprint, Channel Missions (The Hiding Place Chapter) offers safe and discreet places for people to recover from domestic violence with dignity, hope, and healing while also providing them specific resources. The grant will help funds for transportation, hotel stays, emergency needs, food, counseling and support groups as well as clothing and primary needs for clients and their children.
• Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music – Serving Pickens and Oconee Counties, Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music creates opportunities for people of all ages to experience and carry on the old time and bluegrass music, and dance traditions of the Southern Appalachians. The grant will go towards both the Annual Traditional Arts and Music YAM Summer Camp and the Annual Spring and High School YAM Saturday Music Camp.
• Ripple of One – Serving Pickens, Oconee, Anderson and Northern Greenville Counties, Ripple of One empowers families and young adults to move beyond public assistance into their full God-given potential by providing education, mentoring and emotional support. The grant will go towards job internships to help participants obtain financial stability while gaining work skills.

“We are very proud to support these three amazing non-profit organizations to be our grant recipients for the second quarter grant process,” said Chris Townson, CEO of West Carolina and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “Our focus is to support local organizations who are directly building up youth and families in our community by providing resources, as well as teaching them about culture and the arts.”

“Upcountry Fiber Foundation’s goal has always been to pursue philanthropic initiatives through responsible giving and to lead the way in changing lives in our Upstate communities,” said Jim Lovinggood, president and CEO of Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and co-chair of Upcountry Fiber Foundation. “We are so appreciative for the work these nonprofits do every single day to make the communities we serve stronger.”

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.