The University of Georgia is enhancing its dedication to collaborating with Athens-Clarke County organizations via an endowment initiated by Athens native and UGA alumna Bobbi Meeler Sahm and her family.

Four joint local initiatives between UGA and Athens-Clarke County organizations have been chosen to receive a combined total of $35,000 as part of the Bobbi Meeler Sahm Service and Outreach Awards for 2025.

The endowment, created in 2021 by Sahm and her family, bolsters the collaborative actions of organizations partnering with UGA to positively influence community residents’ quality of life. The fund, managed by the UGA Foundation, is allocated annually to the selected projects. Inspired by the donation and its local effects, UGA President Jere W. Morehead allocated additional discretionary funds in the program’s first year.

With the inclusion of the 2025 awards, the fund will have contributed over $145,000 to UGA and Athens-Clarke County collaborations that benefit the community at large.

The 2025 recipients of the Bobbi Meeler Sahm Service and Outreach Award include:

• Clarke County School District / J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership, and Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant: “Georgia Possible Explores the Coast” — A three-day coastal field research opportunity for students participating in Georgia Possible (grades 10-12), many of whom aim to become first-generation college attendees.
• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Athens / College of Family and Consumer Sciences: “Dollars and Dreams: Workforce and Wealth Development Program” — Workshops, seminars, and activities designed to enhance career and financial readiness for students in grades four through 12 and young adults aged 18-22.
• Athenspets / College of Veterinary Medicine: “UGA Shelter Medicine Community Outreach Clinic” — A cooperative initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for Athens’ most at-risk residents by assisting them in caring for their pets while providing practical experience for UGA students and staff.
• Bigger Vision and Clarke County School District / AU/UGA Medical Partnership: “Athens Free Clinic Hearing Project” — The procurement of audiometers to address gaps in access to hearing services, facilitating screening, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss in the Athens Free Clinic and Clarke County School District communities.

The award recipients were chosen by a committee composed of representatives from UGA and the Athens-Clarke County community. Applications for the subsequent funding round will be welcomed in fall 2025.

“Thanks to the kindness of Bobbi Sahm and the backing of President Morehead, the University of Georgia’s strong traditions of public service will continue to thrive in the Athens-Clarke County community,” remarked Matt Bishop, interim vice president for public service and outreach. “The impact is magnified through the strength of partnership.”

Previous award beneficiaries include collaborations with organizations such as the Athens Community Council on Aging, Athens FARM RX, Athens YMCA, Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, Clarke County School District, and Sandy Creek Nature Center.

To discover more about the Sahm Award, visit https://outreach.uga.edu/awards/bobbi-meeler-sahm-service-and-outreach-award/.

The post Sahm Awards support local partnerships with UGA was first featured on UGA Today.