Pam Hester has been involved with Americans Helping Americans® partner Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (AMOS) in Jefferson City, Tennessee, for more than two decades. She first volunteered with First Baptist Church (FBC) in Jefferson City when the church hosted...
Why New Shoes Matter for Kids in Appalachia Throughout Appalachia, countless children arrive at school in worn-out, ill-fitting, hand-me-down shoes, often with more holes than soles. “Without a good pair of shoes, the kids feel embarrassed, discouraged, or left out –...
Across Appalachia, students are returning to school this month, many to classrooms where the day’s lessons will end without the extra academic help and encouragement they need at home. Thanks to the generosity of Americans Helping Americans® supporters, we are able to...
In 2023, Americans Helping Americans® launched the Americans Helping Teachers program to provide up to $20,000 annually in grants to educators, including teachers, librarians, counselors, and administrators, working in five PK-12 schools in Appalachia. These grants...
Hunger in Appalachia During Summer Throughout Appalachia, there are countless children going hungry as they are not guaranteed nutritious and filling breakfasts and lunches. While they normally receive meals each day at school, during the summer months, they are at...
Back-to-School Help for Appalachia Back-to-school time is coming up and many parents in Appalachia are worrying about how they will be able to afford paying for school supplies for their children. Last year, Americans Helping Americans® shipped 4,500 elementary and...
For many parents and guardians of young children in distressed Appalachian communities, proper dental care is an afterthought, if thought of at all. The result is not surprising, as children in Appalachia experience high rates of dental cavities compared to children...
In 2023, the official poverty rate in the U.S. was 11.1%, meaning more than 36 million Americans were living in poverty, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s nearly one in every nine people facing daily challenges to meet basic needs like food,...
In 2002, René Steele, her husband Robert, their four children, and a few friends founded the Labor of Love Mission (LOLM) from their home in Tiptop, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Virginia. Their first initiative, “Christmas Families” (later renamed...
Empowering Futures: How Americans Helping Americans® Grant Funds Made a Lasting Impact for Recent High School Graduates In July 2023, Americans Helping Americans® announced its new Want2Work (W2W) initiative, providing vocational and technical schools within...
The term Appalachian people refers to the residents of the Appalachian region, a landscape defined by its rolling mountains, winding hollows, and rich coal seams but also celebrated for its vibrant traditions, strong community ties, and resilient spirit. This area has...
Memorial Day is when the nation remembers and honors those men and women of the United States Armed Forces who died in service to their country and here at Americans Helping Americans®, we wish to commemorate those fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate price to keep...