While poverty is a complex social issue, you can听.听Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team about bring employee giving to your workplace.听Each of the nonprofits listed below, vetted by 精东影业’s Charities, are dedicated to helping the impoverished through programs and services concentrated on addressing the root sources of poverty听and听working to create sound policy frameworks locally and nationally that will help lift our fellow neighbors, family members, and friends out of poverty so they can听live independent, sustainable lives and contribute to the community.

In recognition of National Poverty in 精东影业 Awareness Month, which takes place in January each year, join us by听supporting and raising awareness about these听nonprofits听who are making a difference in the fight to stamp out poverty for good.

Provide听food and听support听through community coordination:听

• Connecticut Food Bank
• Feeding 精东影业
• Food for Others, Inc.听
• Meals on Wheels 精东影业
• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry)

Provide听food, shelter, counseling and support:听

• Feed the Children
• Miriam’s Kitchen
• Salvation Army National Capital Area

Support for individuals and families struggling with poverty:听

• A Wider Circle
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc.
• Christian Appalachian Project听
• Lorton Community Action Center
• The Shepherd’s Table

Provide affordable housing and support:听听

• Good Shepherd Housing听
• Rebuilding Together Alexandria
• Rebuilding Together Montgomery County

Fight for Economic Justice and Equality:

• ACLU
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• NAACP
• NAACP LDF

Provide Access to Education and Support Disadvantaged Youth:

• Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)听听
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Scholarship Fund – Point Foundation听
• Generation Hope听
• 100 Black Men of 精东影业听
• The Child & Family Network Centers (CFNC)

听

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In recognition of National Homeless Youth Awareness Month November 1-30, 2024, 精东影业’s Charities is celebrating the following member who is making a difference in the fight to end youth homelessness.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits听is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team.) Click on the听charity name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

STANDUP FOR KIDS
STANDUP FOR KIDS aims to end the cycle of youth homelessness through outreach efforts and programs to find, stabilize and assist homeless and street kids in their efforts to improve their lives. Resources include basic hygiene/food/clothing, healthcare, counseling/mentoring, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Their networking听outreach program helps at-risk youth by providing them with a variety of organizations and people in their community who can help them with everything from legal services to identification services to employment services. Current programs include street outreach, outreach centers, apartment outreach, and a high school mentoring program.

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In recognition of #ChildHealthDay on October 7, 2024, 精东影业’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members. Supporting children facing life-threatening diseases, providing preventative healthcare to underserved youth, ensuring children have access to nutritious food, and more, these nonprofits are dedicated to providing a range of programs that address children’s health.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits听is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

Grant Wishes and Fun Experiences to Children with Critical Illnesses:

• Make-A-Wish Foundation of 精东影业
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic听
• The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Give Children Medical Care, Access to Specialized Medical Services and Resources, and Fund Research for New Treatments and Cures:

• Caring for Children Foundation of Texas, Inc.
• Multiple Sclerosis Association of 精东影业
• National Down Syndrome Society
• The Marfan Foundation
• Montgomery Hospice
• CureSearch

Provide Hospital and Housing Services for Families While Their Children Seek听Medical Treatment:

• The Children’s Inn at NIH听
• Ronald McDonald House Charities庐

Ensure Children Receive Nutritious Meals and Warm Coats:

• Feeding 精东影业
• Feed the Children
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength)

Foster the Spiritual, Mental and Physical Development of Children and Their Families:

• YMCA of Metropolitan Washington听
• Youth For Tomorrow – New Life Center, Inc.听

Support Advocacy and Research Efforts Designed to Keep Kids Safe and Healthy:

• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• First Candle, Inc.

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If we work together, we have the power to set things right.听

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment听and food insecurity soared. In 2021, 53 million people turned to food banks听and community programs for help putting food on the table. The increase of inflation, along with rising food and gas prices听this past year have only exacerbated this problem, putting a pinch on families all across the country.听听

This September, we can all do our part to end hunger – one helping at a time.听With every action, we get one step closer to making hunger in 精东影业 a thing of the past. It all starts with you!

Volunteer:听Feeding 精东影业’s听network runs on volunteers! Sign up to volunteer at one of our 200 member food banks across the country. to find a food bank near you and volunteer.听

Get Social:听Post about what you’re doing to help end hunger this month. Don’t forget to tag Feeding 精东影业听and use #HungerActionMonth on , , and .

Advocate:听Help Feeding 精东影业 protect hunger relief programs for millions of 精东影业ns by joining the Campaign to End Hunger. to sign the pledge.

Donate:听Every dollar you give helps provide at least 10 meals to families in need through the Feeding 精东影业 network of food banks.听One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support Feeding 精东影业听is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program or through the Combined Federal Campaign if you are a federal employee (pledge CFC#11627).听Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team.听You can also .听

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Older adults deserve our honor, our sincere gratitude, and our respect for all that they have done to build and sustain our great Nation. Unfortunately, nearly 5听million seniors struggle with hunger in the U.S. So while there are many ways you can honor our country’s growing elderly population, perhaps one of the best ways to show your gratitude is to make sure they are taken care of and nourished.听

This May, join us in celebrating Older 精东影业ns Month by fighting senior hunger.

To do this, we can’t think of two better organizations to support than 精东影业’s Charities’ nonprofit members,听Feeding 精东影业听and听Meals on Wheels 精东影业.听One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits听is to donate to them through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and for more ways to support them!鈥�

• Feeding 精东影业:听The rate of hunger among seniors aged 60 and older has increased by 45% since 2001, a lingering effect of the 2008-09 recession. At the current rate, the number of food-insecure seniors may grow to more than 8 million by 2050.听After a lifetime of hard work, 63% of the households with older adults (50+) that Feeding 精东影业 serves find themselves facing an impossible choice 鈥� to buy groceries or medical care. And as the baby-boom generation ages, the number of seniors facing hunger is only expected to increase. Feeding 精东影业 is working hard to prevent this.听 to learn why听hunger pains can be increasingly painful as we age and for ways you can help Feeding 精东影业 address this issue. A $1 donation helps Feeding 精东影业 provide $20 worth of groceries (wholesale value) for 46 million individuals served who struggle with hunger in the U.S.
• Meals on Wheel 精东影业:听Meals on Wheels 精东影业 is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. This network, along with more than two million volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable 精东影业鈥檚 seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, research, education and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels 精东影业 empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.听$10 can help ensure that vulnerable, homebound seniors nationwide receive a warm meal and friendly visit from a caring volunteer. to learn more about Meals on Wheels and ways to support their work.

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In recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week November 13-21, 2023, 精东影业’s Charities is celebrating the following members who are making a difference in the fight to end hunger and homelessness.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits听is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program?听听to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

Provide听food and听support听through community coordination:听

• Connecticut Food Bank
• Feeding 精东影业
• Food for Others, Inc.听
• Meals on Wheels 精东影业
• Share Our Strength (No Kid Hungry)

Provide听food, shelter, counseling and support:听

• Feed the Children
• Miriam’s Kitchen
• Salvation Army National Capital Area

Support for individuals and families struggling with poverty:听

• A Wider Circle
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc.
• Christian Appalachian Project听
• Lorton Community Action Center
• The Shepherd’s Table

Provide affordable housing and support:听听

• Good Shepherd Housing听
• Habitat for Humanity of DC, Inc.听
• Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, Inc.听
• Rebuilding Together Alexandria
• Rebuilding Together Montgomery County

听

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We need only to look at the increasing number of a wide range of natural disasters to see the impact of climate change. In 2022, the United States experienced 18 separate weather and climate disasters . Among the disasters that caused this destruction were a winter storm / cold wave; a wildfire event, which included multiple fires; a drought and heat wave; a flood; two tornado outbreaks; three tropical cyclones; and nine severe weather / hail events.

Unfortunately, 2022 was not an anomaly. Both 2021 and 2020 featured 20 or more weather and climate disasters, signaling that this becoming the new normal.

But before you lace up your boots to help those who are impacted by a natural disaster, consider these actions instead:

Prepare if you鈥檙e in an area that could be impacted. The first job for anyone in a disaster is to not become someone in need. The fewer people that need help allows emergency crews to focus on the truly desperate. One thing to do is pack a 鈥済o bag鈥� ahead of time. You鈥檒l need first aid supplies, food, and water for several days as well as identification, prescriptions, and more. The 听can help you create kits for your home and car, too.

Send money. Volunteers who rush to the scene of disasters can often become hurt or stranded themselves. Supplies 鈥� even donations like food and water 鈥� can get delayed in transit and cause storage and distribution issues in troubled areas. , which can get to individuals quickly, and can be used to purchase what鈥檚 needed when it鈥檚 needed. Monetary donations can also assist both in the immediate aftermath as well as through the rebuilding process. The 精东影业鈥檚 Charities team can help you get started with these types of fundraising campaigns.

Give blood now.听Blood is always needed, especially in the years after the height of the pandemic. The pandemic because they were afraid of contracting the coronavirus. The number of blood donors has not returned to pre-COVID levels. Without an adequate blood supply, life-saving surgeries may be cancelled and individuals who would normally be able to survive the car accidents that often occur alongside natural disasters may not make it.

House displaced friends and family members.听In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, housing can be nearly impossible to find. One way to assist is to open your home to friends or family members while they wait to assess the damage to their homes or find suitable alternative housing.听

Foster a furry friend.听Animal shelters in disaster areas must often be emptied quickly. Consider fostering one of the shelter鈥檚 dogs or cats to ensure that they remain safe during the worst of the crisis. You can also assist a friend or family member by housing his or her pet, which may not be welcomed at a temporary shelter or hotel where your friend or family member may be living.

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鈥淲e know that mental health is equally as important as physical and dental health,鈥� said Chris Griffith, manager of FLCS. 鈥淢any people suffer mental health concerns in silence. Awareness brings these issues to the surface and creates a place to have a dialogue about mental health. It also serves to reduce existing stigma and can provide clarity to resolve any misperceptions on the subject.鈥�

In the communities CAP serves, FLCS is a primary provider for many local referring agencies, including medical clinics, social service agencies, churches, and courts. The program works collaboratively with these community partners to ensure that individuals, families, and groups receive professional, compassionate counseling services. The staff is committed to the value of the individual, the importance of families, and the wisdom of spiritual beliefs and principles. Services are conducted both in person and through telehealth online visits.

The need for mental health providers in CAP鈥檚 service area is more than four times the national average, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition to the lack of mental health care providers offering services, the poverty many people in Appalachia face creates a negative impact on their mental health.

A study by the National Institute of Health found poverty in childhood and among adults can cause poor mental health through social stresses, stigma, and trauma. The study also noted mental health problems can lead to impoverishment through loss of employment or underemployment, or fragmentation of social relationships. It can be a vicious and complex cycle, as many people with mental health problems move in and out of poverty, but FLCS continues to offer compassionate services to make a difference in the lives of Appalachians.

鈥淢any of our participants face crippling poverty and struggle for basic necessities,鈥� Griffith said. 鈥淪ubsequently, mental health is neglected when things such as food, shelter, and basic safety needs are not present or not stable. CAP seeks to address the whole person by supplying supports for food, shelter, and safety so that our participants can seek counseling care from a place of increased stability.鈥�

FLCS encourages people who are interested in seeking counseling services to reach out to the program. No one will be denied counseling services due to a lack of ability to pay.

鈥淢y advice is do it, take the step,鈥� Griffith said. 鈥淐ounseling is about forming a professional relationship with a caring, well-trained provider in order to address the concerns you choose. There is no harm in getting help, only in staying stuck. You may find out through reaching out you are tapping into a resource that can change your life and create healing.鈥�

For more information about FLCS, visit christianapp.org/family-life-counseling.

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鈥淚t has been documented through several studies that poverty is one of the leading risk factors for infants and toddlers,鈥� said Lisa Meldrum, a CAP Infant/Toddler caseworker. 鈥淭ypically, it doesn鈥檛 allow access to a lot of tools that children need to develop and explore the world. We can really make a difference by bringing those things directly to the home. So many things happen to a child鈥檚 brain and development in those years, birth through 3, that you can really affect a child鈥檚 life and can affect a family鈥檚 life.鈥�

Through CAP鈥檚 Infant/Toddler services at Eagle Community Center in Parkers Lake, Meldrum offers screenings and personalized sessions to children to help them reach developmental milestones using tools like toys, manipulatives, and activities, which she models for parents to practice with their children. The mobile classroom now helps eliminate challenges families have faced when seeking Infant/Toddler services, such as a lack of transportation to Eagle Community Center or scheduling conflicts.

Marissa Slavey sometimes faced the challenge of transportation to the center for her 13-month-old son Sawyer鈥檚 sessions because her husband needs the family car to travel for work. With the mobile classroom, both Slavey and Sawyer can receive their sessions uninterrupted in the convenience of their driveway.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about him learning because it is so important,鈥� said Slavey who moved to the area. 鈥淭his is a very poor community, and from what I鈥檝e seen there are not a lot of resources available for young children. The mobile classroom is a huge one. I want Sawyer to be as far ahead as he can be and the best person he can be, whether he鈥檚 the president or a laborer like his dad.鈥�

While the progress of a child is important, Meldrum believes healthy children start with healthy families. In addition to her Infant/Toddler services, she offers maternal health screenings and resources through other CAP programs for families in need of other services.

鈥淚n order to make sure a child is developing on time and getting everything they need, we need to take away any stressors their family may be facing,鈥� Meldrum said 鈥淲e can set them up with CAP鈥檚 food pantry, home repair, counseling, provide resources for grandparents raising grandchildren, and offer essential items like diapers and wipes directly from the mobile classroom.鈥�

McCreary County native Sarah Spradlin is excited to see a resource like the mobile classroom on the road to serve families and children like her 8-month-old daughter, Winnie. Before the mobile classroom was active, Spradlin and Winnie traveled to the Eagle Community Center campus every other week for their sessions.

鈥淚 think it will be very beneficial for the families that are interested in it, and I hope more become interested in it as they see that it鈥檚 a big help,鈥� Spradlin said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good they are coming to your home and letting your kids play and interact while also helping you out as the parent. If I need something, I am pointed in the right direction for that service. Lisa is very knowledgeable in what she鈥檚 doing, and I think she鈥檚 a good fit to do one on one with children and families.鈥�

For more information about the mobile classroom and Infant/Toddler services, call 606.376.3272.

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鈥淓ach community has its own challenges based on where the tornadoes touched down. There are some areas where there is just nothing left but rubble, total destruction,鈥� said Derick Easter, pastor of New St. Hurricane Baptist Church and president of the Board of Directors for the Hurricane Outreach Distribution Center. 鈥淧eople can鈥檛 get back to collect belongings and in many cases vehicles are damaged or destroyed. The items we have received from these two Operation Sharing deliveries will help us meet immediate needs today as well as other identified needs in the weeks to come.鈥�

Operation Sharing partners with churches, schools, and other nonprofits to meet needs in all 13 Appalachian states, plus Arkansas and Missouri. Donated items from corporate partners are made available to local communities at no additional costs. The church began a partnership last year with CAP to receive these donations and built a distribution center in the community to expand their outreach to families in need.

鈥淲e are excited to partner with CAP鈥檚 Operation Sharing,鈥� Easter said. 鈥淲e know that these families are going to need so much help for a long time to come. CAP鈥檚 Operation Sharing has already offered to deliver building supplies to help families get back on their feet, but right now, we are meeting immediate needs and assessing next steps.鈥�

CAP is used to responding to natural disasters and knows that it takes strategic partners to get essential items in the hands of people who need it the most. The two semis contained nearly 80 pallets for Wynne, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff.

鈥淐AP is there for the long haul. We will work through Operation Sharing to continue to meet emerging needs as families determine how to get back to some sense of normalcy,鈥� said Ben Ridner, manager of CAP鈥檚 Operation Sharing program in Corbin, Kentucky. 鈥淲e are still helping families in Kentucky that were impacted by natural disasters in 2022. We will continue to work with Pastor Easter and the distribution center to get people what they need as we make plans for additional deliveries.鈥�

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鈥淚 saw our employees, volunteers, and supporters go above and beyond to adapt to the changing needs as we went from the first phases of disaster relief to the longer phase of recovery,鈥� said Guy Adams, CAP president/CEO. 鈥淚 am overwhelmed at the generous support we have received in order to continue building hope, transforming lives, and sharing Christ鈥檚 love through service in Appalachia.鈥�

Since the flood waters receded, CAP employees and volunteers have served on the front lines of relief and recovery efforts in Eastern Kentucky. In the early days of the disaster response, CAP mucked out flooded homes, distributed truckloads of essential items to impacted communities, and operated a donation distribution center. Today, CAP鈥檚 Operation Sharing program continues to distribute essential items to community partners and the Home Repair program continues to make homes safe, warm, and dry through repairs.

鈥淭here has been much work done in response to the flood, but there is still much more to do,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淐AP is there for the long haul. Because of the efforts of our donors, partners, employees, and volunteers, CAP is here to help children, their families, and individuals put their lives back together after this historic disaster.鈥�

Of those honored during the gala was U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, who has represented Kentucky鈥檚 5th Congressional District, made up of Southern and Eastern Kentucky, since 1981. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his longtime devotion and service in advancing the region. As he accepted the award, Rogers encouraged those in attendance to continue their efforts in Eastern Kentucky.

鈥淲e all love this area. It鈥檚 home, it鈥檚 beautiful, but it has this wonderful spirit that won鈥檛 let you go,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淚 thank you for being a part of SOAR. This is our chance to soar. This is our chance to solve our problems ourselves with our talent, with our capabilities, with our love. You are making a difference. Good things are happening.鈥�

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Parsie Tackett is one of those people. He was born in a log cabin on his family鈥檚 farm in 1936 and has lived on the property ever since. The more than 100-acre farm is his passion, and over the years he has raised animals, plowed gardens, worked in the fields, and cared for family members.

Martha Collins, his niece, and her mother came to live with Tackett when she was 9 months old. Growing up on the farm with her family around her was the highlight of her childhood. Whether it was helping in the garden, playing in the nearby caves, or going to the stockyards with her uncle, growing up in Appalachia was like living in paradise.

Collins has always been close to her uncle and appreciates the caseworkers at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) who have helped her get his needs met as he has grown older. CAP鈥檚 Elderly Services program offers seniors who live alone transportation services to run errands or to go to appointments, commodity box deliveries, and regular visits and social gatherings.

“Seniors need this socialization, they need transportation, they need someone to call, and they need that call to ask if there is anything that could be done for them that day,鈥� said Teresa Gullett, Elderly Services manager in Johnson, Martin, and Floyd Counties. 鈥淭his program is so rewarding. The participants become your family.”

Elderly Services caseworker Kasey Mills has grown close to Tackett during her regular visits with him through the program. The two most often have lunch together on his front porch when the weather is nice.

鈥淲e have always had good times during our visits. Every time I come by, he has new stories,鈥� Mills said. 鈥淲e sit on his porch and have good conversations. He tells me about growing up here, his farm, what he did for work, his family. Sometimes we would walk to the barn, and he would show me his animals. He talks and I listen.鈥�

Of the services CAP offers him, Tackett enjoys the socialization he has with the CAP employees and other seniors during social events. Even when the pandemic brought challenges to in-person visits, the Elderly Services program created opportunities to check-in on their participants through weekly phone calls and socially distanced porch visits. Through the pandemic and even now, Collins is grateful for the program鈥檚 help in taking care of her uncle.

鈥淚t is a special time for Parsie when Kasey visits him,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淚 really appreciate everything CAP has done for him. I know someone else is checking on him and can help meet any needs that I may be missing.鈥�

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