News & Blogs

Student welding during hands-on training through the Want2Work program while wearing a protective welding helmet

Finding a Way Forward: How Want2Work Helped Emma Keep Going

Emma’s life has been shaped by instability from an early age. She comes from a generationally impoverished background and is currently classified as McKinney-Vento, a federal designation used for homeless students. Right now, she lives in a hotel room, a reality that...

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Americans Helping Americans volunteers delivering food boxes to families in Appalachia during 2025

Year in Review: Your Impact in 2025

Looking back on 2025, Americans Helping Americans® executive director Cameron Krizek says, “When I look back at what was able to be accomplished this year, I see tens of thousands of Americans who have responded to Americans Helping Americans® letters and emails with...

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Operation Warmth: Keeping Appalachia Warm This Winter

Operation Warmth: Keeping Appalachia Warm This Winter

Winter is here in the hills and hollers of Appalachia, where in West Virginia, winter lows are often below freezing and sometimes drop below 10 degrees, according to West Virginia University. And this year, the Old Farmer’s Almanac released its 2025/2026 winter...

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Volunteer group standing in front of a newly built wheelchair-accessible ramp outside a rural West Virginia home.

Poverty in West Virginia: Causes, Impact, and Solutions

Life in rural West Virginia is defined by close-knit communities, rugged mountains, and deep cultural traditions. Yet behind the beauty and resilience of the state lies a difficult truth: poverty in West Virginia remains one of the most persistent challenges in the...

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McDowell County families sharing a holiday meal hosted by Big Creek People in Action and Americans Helping Americans

A Season of Sharing in McDowell County

Last year, Big Creek People in Action (BCPIA), with the generous support of Americans Helping Americans®, helped ensure that the spirit of togetherness filled McDowell County from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Across several weeks, families gathered for community...

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A volunteer team from Americans Helping Americans assists a homeowner with essential home rehabilitation repairs in an Appalachian community, completing bathroom renovations and porch rebuilding to make the home safe and livable.

Repairing Roofs and Restoring Hope

Home rehabilitation is a Basic Need supported by Americans Helping Americans® in four Appalachian communities. This year, Americans Helping Americans® gifted four organizations $65,000 to complete 141 projects servicing 154 individuals. Among them was Appalachian...

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A man in a wheelchair refilling a kerosene heater inside his Appalachian home, supported through the Americans Helping Americans® utility assistance program.

Empowering Appalachia through Utility Assistance

This year, Americans Helping Americans® provided critical support to Appalachian families struggling to keep the lights on, heat their homes, and pay their rent. Through our utility assistance program, Americans Helping Americans® provided $8,600 in cash grants to...

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Appalachian nursing students in blue scrubs at a high school health sciences program supported by W2W.

Breaking Down Barriers for Students in Appalachia

The Want2Work (W2W) program from Americans Helping Americans® provides critical financial assistance for GED programs, vocational training, and certification exams. By removing financial barriers, W2W helps young adults acquire the skills necessary to secure stable,...

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