TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – They are unsung heroes in our community – small, local nonprofits working hard every day to help those in need.

Give TLH is a community effort, underwritten by philanthropist and businessman Rick Kearney.

In its 8th year, the effort spotlights exceptional nonprofits, awarding them a micro-grant to boost the good they’re already doing and enable them to do more.

Started in 2018, Give TLH awards $1,000 to six nonprofits nominated for their grassroots philanthropy efforts. They also get an annual membership to United Partners for Human Services.

Then, the public votes for the top three nonprofits, and those organizations receive a $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 grant from Kearney and the Beatitude Foundation to support their missions in our community.

Last year’s winner, the Chapel’s Outreach Foundation, won the top prize. The nonprofit is a labor of love created for the community by the members of the Jacob Chapel Baptist Church.

The foundation offers a helping hand to anyone in need, providing assistance and support to the most vulnerable members of the community, including youth, seniors and people experiencing homelessness.

Carla McBride, president of the Chapel’s Outreach Foundation, said winning GiveTLH’s $10,000 grant and $5,000 in marketing services from Bow Stern Marketing last year has been a game-changer for the nonprofit.

“Overall, a tremendous opportunity. We are extremely grateful and have been able to do so much in the community thus far,” she said. “It hasn’t yet been a full year – but there’s been a lot going on this year, and there’s still more to come, and we are continuing to close out the year with some of our other initiatives that are on the horizon.”

Supporting their food pantry as well as giving school supplies and book bags to the over 400 students at Pineview Elementary are just a few of the initiatives the foundation is doing to better the community.

This year, the GiveTLH campaign is highlighting six more grassroots nonprofits in the capital city.

Voting for your favorite nonprofit starts November 18.

Watch a feature on all six organizations every Monday on Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m., or catch up on WCTV’s GiveTLH page.

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