Our Partners
Appalachian Outreach, Jefferson City, Tennessee
Serving Grainger, Cocke, Jefferson and Hamblen counties, Tennessee – Appalachian Outreach strives to provide a holistic community approach to service. Whether it is firewood for families who cannot afford to pay their heating bills, new roofs for dilapidated homes to protect them from the harsh weather conditions of the Appalachian region, or for emergency assistance for the area’s homeless population, Appalachian Outreach is there to help.
Americans Helping Americans® provides support for children’s after-school tutoring program for children living at the Samaritan House Family Shelter as well as their “Kid’s Club.” The Kid’s Club is an an-8-week program in June and July for children ages 5-12 which offers Bible study sessions, a daily snack time, and outdoor activities.
In addition, Americans Helping Americans® assists Appalachian Outreach in the operation of the family shelter for homeless single women and families, as well as supplies many with grants to pay their rent and utility deposits when they are ready to move out and live a life of self-sufficiency in their own home. The shelter also offers programs in household budgeting, including how to set aside a portion of their paycheck into a savings account. And at the start of every school year, children living at the shelter receive a backpack filled with school supplies – a big financial relief for their parents that saves students from the embarrassment of showing up for their first day of class empty-handed.
Big Creek People in Action, War, West Virginia
Serving McDowell County, West Virginia –Big Creek People in Action assists the people of War and surrounding communities at every stage of their lives, whether as children through tutoring and educational assistance, adults through computer literacy and vocational training, or the elderly and disabled through home repairs and utility assistance. Americans Helping Americans® provides support to Big Creek People in Action’s educational Super WHY literacy summer camps where elementary school children enhance their reading and writing skills, and preschoolers proudly learn to sing their ABC’s and travel in virtual expeditions to far-off lands. Among our newest partnerships with Big Creek People in Action is our “Mighty Molars” program in which dental hygienists instruct children on how to properly brush their teeth and floss, and then receive “tools for teeth” dental kits that are provided by Americans Helping Americans.® These contain toothbrushes, a large tube of toothpaste and dental floss picks. And among our most established programs is for our nation’s heroes and their families who have served our country with honor and distinction, oftentimes in combat leaving them disabled. In McDowell County, Big Creek People in Action is doing its part to ensure elderly and disabled veterans have access to sufficient nutrition. Through their program of distributing boxes filled with nonperishable food items each month, these individuals can enjoy the peace-of-mind that comes from not having to choose between groceries and bills when money is tight.
Cumberland Mountain Outreach, Beattyville, Kentucky
Serving Lee, Owsley, Wolfe, Estill, and Breathitt counties, Kentucky – Based in the heart of Appalachia, Cumberland Mountain Outreach operates a summer home repair program and also distributes donated resources such as furniture and appliances to those in need. Its goal is to bring those serving the home repair program and those being served closer together. Americans Helping Americans® also supports Cumberland Mountain Outreach’s summer camp program where elementary school children have fun-filled days with friends while making plenty of new ones. In addition, when children surpass the age limit to attend the camps, the can return as teenagers through Cumberland Mountain Outreach’s teen leadership program, where they mentor younger children and develop leadership skills themselves.
L.A.M.P. Ministries, Gainesville, Georgia
Serving Hall, Gwinnett, Lumpkin, and Jackson counties, Georgia – L.A.M.P. Ministries provides the abused, the homeless, the angry and at-risk youth of northern Georgia with a source of new hope for the future. L.A.M.P. offers counseling and case management services, emergency shelters with food, clothing, and other items, as well as referral services to connect young people with the help they need. Americans Helping Americans® is particularly proud to support L.A.M.P. in its effort to help children and youth understand the value of an education at a young age and to develop a life-long love of learning. In addition, for those who have been charged with minor crimes , L.A.M.P. provides a program that helps juvenile offenders get back on the right track before they commit more serious crimes and end up wasting years of their life serving lengthy prison terms. In addition, landlords and public housing projects will evict residents whose utilities are disconnected for nonpayment. L.A.M.P. also strives to prevent homelessness through its utility assistance program. This keeps the lights and heat on for families who often have no family or friends to turn to for assistance.
Lee County Family Resource Center, Beattyville, Kentucky
Serving the children who attend Beattyville Elementary School, and located in the school building itself, the Lee County Family Resource Center is our newest partner. In addition to providing the LCFRC with school supplies, dental kits, shoes and winter coats to students who often show up to school in flip-flops and without a coat even in the coldest days of winter, we initiated a pilot program providing more than two dozen of the most-needy students with desktop computers. This allows them to do their homework and research assignments at home, as well as to stay in touch with their teachers via email when school is closed due to inclement weather.
Of One Accord, Rogersville, Tennessee
Serving Hancock and Hawkins counties, Tennessee – Of One Accord serves a large area with a wide variety of needs in a way that provides dignity and respect for the most vulnerable. Its central distribution centers provide food, clothing, and furniture to those who need it, while its Lunch Box bus mobile summer food program for children ensures they don’t go hungry while school is closed for the season. Our school supplies distribution partnership prepares hundreds of children with everything they need on the first day of school. And our year-round home repair teams allow them to reach out to the community. Throughout the years, Americans Helping Americans® has partnered with Of One Accord in its mission to enable those adults and elderly whose eyesight is beginning to deteriorate and need prescription eyeglasses. While Medicare and Medicaid coverage includes visits to an optometrist who may write a prescription for glasses, it doesn’t cover the cost of the glasses themselves. However, through our partnership, dozens of low-income residents of East Tennessee have received the gift of clear vision with a brand-new pair of glasses designed just for them. In addition, many residents of the rural, impoverished region have suffered severe tooth loss and required dentures to eat the foods they love, and now beam proudly with a broad, happy smile thanks to the support they have received.