POSTED: June 22, 2009 Access News & Events page

Congressman hosts Grant Writing Workshop

Thirty-five people woke early Saturday morning to attend the Grant Writing Workshop hosted by U.S. Congressman John Barrow (Ga. 12) at Georgia College & State University. The participants clustered around packets of information identifying ways to write and secure federal and private grants to improve their communities from developing community gardens to funding fire protection.

Were all in the representative business, Rep. Barrow

told the group. You are representing people who need to get things done in the community. Barrow held similar workshops for university and community leaders at Savannah State University and Augusta State University on Friday. Susie Turnbull, Grants Specialist for the Office of Congressman John Barrow, presented a detailed power point, complete with screen shots of important websites. The power point will be available on http://www.barrow.house.gov in the near future.

We want to divert you from the scams and alert you to the steps, said Turnbull.
Turnbull warned the participants to avoid organizations that suggest they can find grants for a fee. All federally funded grants are listed on www.grants.gov/ and the application is free. Barrows office provides support for its constituents applying for grants through letters of support submitted with the original grant application. Other speakers included representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Small Business Administration. USDA Area Specialist Michael Curry provided contact information for area offices and described the way the Community Facilities Loans and Grants operates.

We fund the fire trucks and police cars, among other things, Curry explained. There are many essential
services we can help rural communities fund. Georgia College assistant chemistry and physics professor Julia Metzker took notes during the workshop in hopes of receiving a federal grant for an upcoming community project.

Were interested in getting grant funding for a community garden, Metzker said.

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