Trident United Way Changemaker Grants mobilize resources and empower nonprofits dedicated to making a positive impact in the Tri-County community. Grants are awarded in quarterly cycles, each with a cycle-specific focus on investing in the areas of greatest impact while aligning with TUW priorities.
Q1 of the 2023-2024 Changemaker Grants focused on Capacity-building Funding, an investment in the effectiveness, efficacy and future sustainability of a nonprofit by providing resources to improve and/or expand an organization's mission. Capacity-building grants focus not on the outward-facing work but the inner workings, means and systems of an organization.
AMOR Healing Kitchen, Q1 Changemaker Grant Recipient
Maria Kelly, a former high school teacher in Charleston County, founded AMOR Healing Kitchen after supporting her mother through a cancer diagnosis.
“I saw how much it supported her when I brought food,” Maria said. “She taught me a love of cooking and a love of being in the kitchen, and I felt that it was a little bit of comfort and strength that I could offer her during that time.”
AMOR Healing Kitchen provides nourishing meals to people in our community who are facing health challenges. Like Maria’s mother, roughly 60% of clients have received a cancer diagnosis, but they serve those living with several conditions, including diabetes, heart complications and postnatal recovery. Each week, clients receive four healthy meals, a nutritious snack, a healthy desert and a fresh bouquet of flowers. All meals are prepared by AMOR’s adult kitchen mentors and a team of teenage chef volunteers. Every Friday, AMOR’s volunteer “Delivery Angels” take packages of plant-based meals to a client or clients they have been matched with for the duration of their deliveries.
“I love working with teens,” Maria said. “As a teacher, I saw that if we provide them a nurturing space where they can develop their own skills, talents and a sense of community through service, they flourish.”
Maria has seen rapid growth since founding AMOR Healing Kitchen, tripling the number of community members they serve in a very short amount of time.
“Trident United Way’s Changemaker Grant allowed us to purchase the equipment needed to expand our capacity in the kitchen so that we don't have to put anyone on a waitlist. If they apply, we can serve them.”