Life- WE ARE. Changers Changing the Story by Breaking the Cycle

Transcription

1 Life- WE ARE Changers Changing the Story by Breaking the Cycle

2 We re making a difference in the world. John R. Moeller, Jr. President & CEO There s a moment in a story when everything changes... Our story begins with the people we serve. Dear friend, There s a moment in a story when everything changes... At Action Ministries, it s our mission to help change the stories of Georgians living in poverty by focusing on hunger relief, housing and education. We ve been leading people out of poverty since In Georgia, our poverty statistics can be overwhelming. Our state has the ninth highest overall poverty rate in the nation. We rank 15th in the nation for food insecurity, with 1 million children food-insecure, and we have the eighth highest homeless rate for children. We rank second in the U.S. for numbers of homeless veterans. But there is great hope because in partnership with our Life-Changers and Action Heroes, we are changing the stories of thousands of Georgians every year. The results are stronger, more self-sufficient communities, bound together by compassion and caring. YOU are the heart of the story! Join us as we Turn the Page for people in need in Georgia. Serving Regionally Not every community is alike. Action Ministries mobilizes communities to address the challenges of poverty by focusing on hunger relief, housing and education. The tools we offer meet specific needs in the local community. Our strategic plan leads us to a more regional approach, which will expand our service network over the next several years. Our programs are designed to be portable and customized to the communities we serve. John R. Moeller, Jr. President & CEO

3 Our job is to walk with people for as long as it takes to lead them out of poverty. In Georgia, the Need is Great Georgia ranks in the top 10 for poverty rates in the U.S. Our neighbors in need look like anyone else, but they struggle daily with homelessness, hunger, mental or physical disabilities, addiction or lack of education. Action Ministries takes a three-pronged approach to Leading People Out of Poverty. We focus on hunger relief, housing and education as the Life-Changing elements that families need to regain their self-sufficiency and Turn the Page in their own stories. HUNGER RELIEF HOUSING EDUCATION NORTHWEST METRO (ATLANTA) MIDDLE SOUTHWEST We Serve Georgia We currently provide services in more than 60 counties. Check out our interactive map at MOUNTAIN PIEDMONT NORTHEAST AUGUSTA CSRA COASTAL What Happens When You Give $1 SOUTH 2016 REGIONAL SITES 2017 EXPLORATORY SITES HOUSING HUNGER EDUCATION At least 80 cents supports community programs throughout Georgia. Clear Opportunities & Resources Up to 20 cents is invested in systems that stretch the power of your dollar. The Action Ministries Story FUNDRAISING & ADMINISTRATION For five decades, Action Ministries has provided compassionate outreach to the working poor and to homeless individuals and families. We assist people struggling with poverty throughout Georgia, and we partner with congregations of all faiths, as well as corporations and civic organizations. Today, the combined family of programs helps lead thousands of hurting people in Georgia out of poverty, through nearly 21,000 volunteers and more than 500 partners in service. No matter how they come to us, we partner with people to provide the resources to break the generational cycle of poverty. It s about knowing their story and helping them figure out how to turn the next page. EDUCATION Removing barriers to employment can translate into Turning the Page in the story of a family. HOUSING We end homelessness one household at a time by providing the tools and skills to maintain stable housing for a lifetime. HUNGER RELIEF People may come to us for a meal, but they get more than food. We work with them to create a plan that will lift them out of their current circumstances.

4 Action Ministries Serves Turning the page Families Veterans Children People with HIV/AIDS "When I'm hungry, it's hard to think straight. All I can think about is food." "Knowing my kids are getting fed in the summer is a huge load off my mind." People with Mental or Physical Disabilities Values We believe every person has sacred value and is worthy of respect and compassion. We believe in the potential of people and the resilience of the human spirit. We believe that conducting ourselves with integrity in all that we do provides a firm foundation upon which we build and innovate for the future. Leading People Out of Hunger We Serve: Adults, Families, Children Hunger is not a problem most of us closely associate with our neighbors in the United States, judged around the world as the land of plenty. Relatively few of us know what it s like to put children to bed hungry or undernourished, and few know the feelings of defeat and hopelessness that come with being unable to provide all of our children s basic needs. Hunger comes back on a daily basis The impact of hunger, especially on children, is serious and often long-lasting. The immature immune systems of young children make them especially vulnerable to nutritional deprivation, resulting in deficits in the ability to learn, grow and fight infections. The effect of hunger on academic development is well recognized by public schools, which offer government-funded free and reduced-price meals at school, programs for which approximately 1 million children in our state are eligible. What happens when school s out? Action Ministries, through Smart Lunch, Smart Kid, delivers lunches and enrichment activities to children in their neighborhoods, ensuring that transportation is not a barrier. Our donors and volunteers have delivered nearly a million lunches to Georgia s kids since the program began. During the school year, SuperPacks ensure that children eat well on the weekends and school holidays. Children at risk of hunger receive a bag of child-friendly, nutritionally balanced, nonperishable food that can discreetly fit into a backpack on a Friday afternoon. Food boxes feed families in need Action Ministries also provides hunger relief to food-insecure families by offering Feed the Hungry food boxes to civic organizations and local North Georgia partners. These food boxes, which can feed a family of four for several days, are distributed by our partners locally to address community needs. We fight hunger in Georgia In Athens and Atlanta, Action Ministries operates community kitchens, Our Daily Bread and the Women s Community Kitchen, to provide a daily meal with hospitality to those in need. In Athens, Rome and Gainesville, Action Ministries operates a food pantry network, as well as community gardens when possible. Hunger Relief Programs Action Ministries hunger relief programs relieve people of the burden of searching for their next meal, enabling them to shift their focus from daily survival to finding a lasting means of supporting themselves and their families. Smart Lunch, Smart Kid Feed the Hungry Food Box program SuperPacks Community Kitchens Food pantries

5 Stable Lives Begin with Housing Action Ministries is creating a new normal for children in families where chronic homelessness is all they ve ever known. The effect we re able to have on parents is important, but the effect we have on children is impactful. We Serve: Veterans, Families, Children, People with HIV/AIDS, Mental or Physical Disabilities Education Many circumstances can lead to homelessness: job loss, trauma, mental illness, addiction or physical disabilities. These are issues that we could all experience, and ones that many of us have. So, when do these crises spiral out of control and result in homelessness? Often, the answer is that the individual or family doesn t have a support system to turn to for help. That s where Action Ministries steps in. We end homelessness, one household at a time, by providing housing and putting supports back into place. We help people rebuild their lives, regain their dignity and finally come home. Housing Programs Action Cares meets the housing and supportive services needs of low-income people who are living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Action Serves works to prevent veteran homelessness and ensure successful reconnection to the broader community. Action Thrives partners with private providers of Permanent Supportive Housing to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to live independently and improve the quality of their lives. Action Empowers uses a Rapid Rehousing model to transition individuals and families immediately to stable housing. Our case managers then help clients to establish the building blocks of long-term stability, including finding employment, improving their credit, increasing their financial literacy and acquiring the life skills they need to transition out of homelessness for good. Changing the story "My addiction led to homelessness and losing my kids." "Now I have a job, my children back, and we're rebuilding our lives." Leads to Self-sufficiency We Serve: Children, Adults Removing the barriers to employment can be a Life-Changer for many people, allowing them to write a new chapter in the lives of their families. Through the generous support of our donors, partners and volunteers, Action Ministries provides access to the life skills training that helps eliminate the barriers and lead people out of poverty. General Equivalency Diploma (GED) courses, technology and financial literacy training at our locations, plus math and reading tutoring and mentoring programs at our Children s Program in Atlanta, empower children and adults to make significant life changes. Education Programs GED The Children s Program in Atlanta Financial Literacy Smart Lunch, Smart Kid Enrichment Job Skills Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) I feel like Action Ministries gave me my life back. Sonnie, Transitional Housing program client

6 The heart of the story is YOU Your support of Action Ministries and our mission to Lead People Out of Poverty opens the doors of possibility to people in need. Please support us today by volunteering your time, getting your company or congregation involved in volunteering, making an online gift or joining the Action Partner Society, where ordinary people do extraordinary things to serve others. Starting a new chapter "I still have more to do, but I am learning how to... A New Chapter She changed her story from personal tragedy to serving others. Pamela Burrell and Ralpheal Claxton, U.S. Army veterans, serve lunch at the Action Ministries Atlanta Women s Community Kitchen. Pocket folder - blue flap

7 DONATE ActionMinistries.net/Donate VOLUNTEER ActionMinistries.net/Volunteer