On the first day of school when many teachers ask their students “What did you do this summer?”, thanks to the supporters of Americans Helping Americans® nearly 200 low-income children in West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee will have quite a tale to tell.

Instead of spending their summer “vacation” whiling away the hours alone and isolated far from their friends in their rural homes, these boys and girls enjoyed fun and games, field trips, developed new friendships and even learned a bit, most likely without even realizing it.

For example, in War, West Virginia dozens of children attended Big Creek People in Action’s Super WHY literacy camps where some preschoolers who didn’t know the alphabet could sing their ABCs at the top of their lungs by the end of the week.

At ABLE Families camps, dozens of more children in Kermit, West Virginia took part in a variety of enriching activities including water safety, cooking, ecology, books, music, drama and more all designed to keep them “thinking, exercising and eating well.”

“There are no other summer camps provided in our area,” reported ABLE Families Executive Director Marlene Spaulding. “The camps we provide give the children an opportunity to broaden their vision to a brighter future.”

That’s what our mission is all about and we are grateful to our supporters and our partners to giving these children hope and a path towards that brighter future.