Coca-Cola Gives $25K to Roswell Non-Profit

Santa isn’t the only busy one this time of year. Organizations across North America have been helping their communities lead healthy, balanced lifestyles – and to support them, Coca-Cola is sending a little holiday cheer their way.

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, will award more than $2 million in grants this quarter, with more than $1 million directed to support community health and fitness programs. They included Roswell's Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia with a grant for $25,000. The grant will provide information about diabetes and how to prevent or manage it to Hispanic families in Georgia, which have a higher prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes than Caucasians and African-Americans in the state.

Including these fourth quarter grants, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a total of $9.9 million to support healthy living programs across North America in 2012.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will receive a $100,000 grant to support Project HELP – a program promoting healthy eating, physical activity and healthy lifestyles in African-American communities.

“Choosing to live healthy, balanced lifestyles is one of the most important decisions we can make,” said Lori George Billingsley, vice president of Community Relations, Coca-Cola Refreshments. “By teaching people how to make good nutrition and fitness choices as part of their daily routine, these organizations are tangibly impacting the health of their communities now and for the future.”

Other organizations receiving active, healthy living funding include:

• Bexar County Community Health Collaborative, San Antonio, TX, $25,000
• Canadian Diabetes Association, Toronto, Ontario, $50,000
• Diabète Québec, Montreal, Quebec, $50,000
• Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco, CA, $25,000
• National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Washington, D.C., $150,000
• National Park Foundation, Washington, D.C., $250,000
• National Urban League, New York, NY, $100,000
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Washington, D.C., $150,000
• San Antonio Sports Foundation, San Antonio, TX, $25,000
• Universidad Popular, Chicago, IL, $25,000 

Other fourth quarter grants made by the Foundation address additional community needs. They include $200,000 toward community, arts and culture initiatives; $200,000 to support education programs; $125,000 for water stewardship; $150,000 benefitting economic development; and $100,000 to support diversity and inclusion initiatives.