Video Highlights: 2016 smiles and so much more…

January 6, 2017

2016 has been a year to remember! Because of friends like you, so many smiled with joy.

  • In West Virginia, 412 veterans received food support; 85 children attended a summer enrichment camp; 34 children attended an afterschool program where they received one-on-one tutoring; and more.
  • In Georgia, 217 were warmed with our utility assistance program; 414 benefited from a food bank support program; 47 youth learned at a summer enrichment camp; and more.
  • In Tennessee, 14,459 meals were delivered to hungry children living in rural areas while school was out for the summer; 2,240 individuals benefited from food bank support and the “Neighborly Meals” program for the elderly and disabled, and more.
  • In Kentucky, 456 children received new pairs of shoes through our Barefeet Program; 23 youth participated in a Youth Leadership Training Program, and more.
  • Throughout Appalachia, 15,714 children and adults benefited from in-kind donations including backpacks filled with school supplies, winter coats and accessories, blankets, and holiday and summer food distributions.

Watch the video to see all this, and more, that you have helped make possible.

Related Blogs

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…

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…

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…

Boys sit outside a shoe store proudly holding new shoes from the Barefeet program in Appalachia.

Stepping Forward: Providing New Shoes for Kids in Appalachia

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 –…