In this episode, we sit down with Alton Ford of Taylor County, Georgia, to talk about grassroots literacy efforts making a real impact—and how those efforts connect to the Georgia Strawberry Festival.

We also spotlight Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and how the Flint Foundation proudly sponsors free book access for children ages newborn to five in Macon, Marion, Talbot, and Taylor Counties—helping build strong readers from the very start.

🎧 Topics include rural literacy, early childhood education, community partnerships, volunteering, and the power of books in small-town Georgia.

Get Involved

• Sign up your child (ages 0–5) for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library online:

  https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/

• Interested in literacy work in Taylor County or volunteering for the Georgia Strawberry Festival 5K?

📧 Contact Alton Ford: altonford42@gmail.com
📞 Cell: 478-837-5973
🏫 Taylor County Schools: 478-862-9524

Keywords: rural literacy, Taylor County Georgia, Flint Foundation, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, early childhood education, Georgia literacy programs, community volunteering, Strawberry Festival Georgia

Creative learning meets real-world impact in this episode featuring the Full STEAM Ahead Grant from Flint Energies and the Flint Energies Foundation.

Guest Holly Owen, a teacher at Tucker Elementary School in Perry, Georgia, shares how STEAM projects spark curiosity and engagement in and beyond the classroom.

The Full STEAM Ahead program supports PreK–12 public and private schools in Flint Energies’ 17-county service area. Two schools will receive $3,000 grants funded through unclaimed capital credits designated for education.

🗓 Deadline: March 9, 2026
📝 Apply: https://flintenergies.com/steam

In this episode, we head to Thomaston, Georgia, to spotlight one of Flint Energies’ Rural Murals projects—and a unique partnership that helped bring it to life. This mural was created in collaboration with the University of Georgia’s Color the World program, blending local pride with student-led creativity to transform a downtown wall into a powerful reflection of community identity.

More than public art, Thomaston’s mural celebrates place, people, and possibility. We talk about how partnerships like this one strengthen rural communities, engage the next generation, and help downtowns become more vibrant, welcoming spaces for residents and visitors alike.

🎧 In this episode, we discuss:
• How Thomaston’s Rural Mural came together through community and campus collaboration
• The impact of partnering with UGA’s Color the World program
• Why murals are powerful tools for downtown revitalization
• How public art helps small towns tell their story and build pride

✨ Could your hometown be next?
Applications are now available for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant. Flint Energies partners with rural communities across Middle and Southwest Georgia to create custom murals that celebrate local history and culture, spark economic development, and strengthen sense of place.

👉 Apply for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant: ⁠https://flintenergies.com/rural-murals⁠

📍 To keep up with events, shopping, dining, and downtown happenings in Thomaston, follow the City of Thomaston Main Street page on Facebook:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/mainstreetthomaston

🎧 Listen in to hear how Thomaston used art, partnership, and creativity to color its community—and how your town could tell its story through the Rural Murals Program.

In this episode, we travel to Buena Vista, Georgia, to highlight one of Flint Energies’ Rural Murals projects and the powerful story it tells about place, pride, and community identity.

Buena Vista’s mural is more than public art—it’s a visual celebration of local history that has become a focal point downtown. We discuss how murals like this one help rural communities strengthen their sense of place, attract visitors off the beaten path, and spark renewed interest in downtown shopping, dining, and gathering spaces.

Applications are now available for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant—and Flint Energies wants to create a mural for your hometown.

The Flint Energies Rural Murals Program is a collaborative effort between Flint Energies and local rural communities to create custom murals that:

• Celebrate the unique history, culture, and diversity of Middle and Southwest Georgia towns

• Spark economic development and community conversation

• Strengthen a community’s sense of place and identity

• Support talented artists across Middle and Southwest Georgia

• Increase public murals throughout Flint’s service territory

👉 Apply for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant:
https://flintenergies.com/rural-murals

🎧 Listen in to hear how Buena Vista’s mural became a symbol of pride—and how your community could tell its story through the Rural Murals Program.

In this episode, we spotlight one of Flint Energies’ Rural Murals in Butler, Georgia, located in Taylor County, and explore how public art can spark real, lasting change in rural communities.

What began as a mural quickly became a catalyst for downtown revitalization—bringing residents and visitors back to shop, dine, and gather in Butler’s historic downtown. We discuss how art creates a sense of place, strengthens community pride, and helps small towns reimagine their future.

• How Butler’s mural helped reignite activity and energy downtown

• The role of public art in rural economic development

• Why murals encourage travelers to leave the interstate and explore Georgia’s backroads

• The power of storytelling through art in celebrating local history and culture

Applications are now available for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant, and Flint Energies wants to help create a mural for your hometown.

The Rural Murals Program is a collaboration between Flint Energies and rural communities across Middle and Southwest Georgia to create large-scale murals that:

• Celebrate each community’s unique history, culture, and identity

• Spark economic development and downtown activation

• Strengthen sense of place for residents

• Support talented local and regional artists

• Serve as focal points for community pride and conversation

Each mural is custom-designed by selected artist(s) and reflects the community it represents—whether highlighting a prominent industry, local folklore, festival, or historic moment. No two murals are the same.

Flint Energies partially funds selected projects that highlight positive images of Middle Georgia’s history and culture, with the goal of improving aesthetics, increasing marketability, enhancing perception, and encouraging continued private investment. Money spent by mural visitors directly benefits host communities, helping small towns thrive.

👉 Apply for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant:
https://flintenergies.com/rural-murals

To keep up with events, shopping, dining, and community happenings in Butler and Reynolds, follow the Taylor County Chamber of Commerce on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/taylorcountycofc

🎧 Listen in to learn how one mural helped bring a downtown back to life—and how your community could be next.

Once a year, Flint Energies selects four outstanding high school students to represent the co-op as delegates on the Washington Youth Tour—an all-expenses-paid, week-long leadership experience in Washington, D.C. 🌟

Delegates travel alongside hundreds of students from across Georgia and 44 states, getting a fast-paced, behind-the-scenes look at our nation’s capital while building leadership skills, confidence, and lifelong connections. The program is sponsored nationally by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and statewide by Georgia Electric Membership Corporation.

What’s included

• ✈️ Flights, hotel, transportation & meals — 100% covered

• 🏛️ A jam-packed leadership tour of Washington, D.C.

• 🎓 A $2,500 college scholarship from the Flint Energies Foundation (awarded at graduation*)

• Current high school juniors (must be 16 by June 12, 2026)

• Live in or attend school in Flint Energies’ service area (including homeschool students)

• Have parent/guardian permission

• Commit to attending the full tour if selected

2026 Washington Youth Tour Dates: June 12–19, 2026

1. Apply online (short answers + commitment)

2. Quiz & study packet (February 10, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. — Warner Robins or Reynolds)

3. Top 10 applicants advance to interviews

4. Four delegates + one alternate are selected

• Application Deadline: January 23, 2026 (11:59 p.m. EST)

👉 Washington Youth Tour Application: https://flintenergies.com/WYT

If you know a student leader who’s ready to step out of their comfort zone, grow their leadership skills, and experience our nation’s capital in a once-in-a-lifetime way—encourage them to apply!

Once a year, Flint Energies selects four outstanding high school students to represent the co-op as delegates on the Washington Youth Tour—an all-expenses-paid, week-long leadership experience in Washington, D.C. 🌟

Delegates travel alongside hundreds of students from across Georgia and 44 states, getting a fast-paced, behind-the-scenes look at our nation’s capital while building leadership skills, confidence, and lifelong connections. The program is sponsored nationally by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and statewide by Georgia Electric Membership Corporation.

What’s included

• ✈️ Flights, hotel, transportation & meals — 100% covered

• 🏛️ A jam-packed leadership tour of Washington, D.C.

• 🎓 A $2,500 college scholarship from the Flint Energies Foundation (awarded at graduation*)

• Current high school juniors (must be 16 by June 12, 2026)

• Live in or attend school in Flint Energies’ service area (including homeschool students)

• Have parent/guardian permission

• Commit to attending the full tour if selected

2026 Washington Youth Tour Dates: June 12–19, 2026

1. Apply online (short answers + commitment)

2. Quiz & study packet (February 10, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. — Warner Robins or Reynolds)

3. Top 10 applicants advance to interviews

4. Four delegates + one alternate are selected

• Application Deadline: January 23, 2026 (11:59 p.m. EST)

👉 Washington Youth Tour Application: https://flintenergies.com/WYT

If you know a student leader who’s ready to step out of their comfort zone, grow their leadership skills, and experience our nation’s capital in a once-in-a-lifetime way—encourage them to apply!

In this episode of Front Porch Chats, we look back on the Flint Energies Foundation’s 2025 Year in Review. This past year, more than $1.3 million in Operation Round Up® funds supported 147 organizations across 17 counties in Flint Energies' service territory, impacting education, public safety, nonprofits, and workforce development throughout Central and Southwest Georgia.

Sign up for Operation Round Up® or ORU Plus online in just a few minutes.

If you are an organization in need of a Foundation Grant, please go to our application page.

Credits:

Intro and outro song "Runnin' On Sunshine"

Performed by: Reveille

Written by: Brendan St. Gelais (BMI 100%)

Published by: Boss Soundstripe Productions (BMI 100%)