SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College has received a grant for $2,500 from the Lee County Community Foundation to support the James French Dreamkeeper Program. Grant support is from the Lee County Unrestricted Endowment and Warren and Imogene Kinder Owens Memorial Endowment, component funds of the North Carolina Community Foundation.

This marks the fourth year the N.C. Community Foundation has supported CCCC. Previous awards have supported the Dreamkeeper Program as well as CCCC's on-campus food pantry, the Ruby McSwain Cougar Market.

The Dreamkeeper Fund provides just-in-time support for students facing emergency expenses that may derail them from completing their education or training program.

The Dreamkeeper program began accepting applications in the fall of 2016. As of fall 2021, the program has:

• Received over 700 applications.
• Provided $127,181.99 in support to 368 CCCC students (average of $345 per student).
• Helped 78 percent of those students persist to the next semester, with 68 percent still persisting a year later.

The Fund is named in honor of CCCC Trustee James French, a regular donor and dedicated supporter of the program.

The CCCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with, but independent of, the college. It receives donations of money and equipment on behalf of CCCC and uses them to promote the educational mission of the college and assist students through scholarships and grants.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Dreamkeeper Fund can contact Dr. Emily C. Hare, Executive Director of the CCCC Foundation, 919-718-7230 or ehare@cccc.edu. Donations can also be made via the CCCC Foundation webpage at www.cccc.edu/foundation. Just indicate in the "Notes" section that you'd like your donation to go to the Dreamkeeper Fund.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College - which is dedicated to providing pathways to achievable dreams, visit www.cccc.edu.