Donate

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Helping to feed families this Thanksgiving

Posted on: November 13, 2017

Category Basic Needs

Imagine Thanksgiving with no food. With nothing special to give your kids or grandkids on a day when millions celebrate with beautiful meals. That is the reality for so many children and families in Appalachia. But it doesn’t have to be this way.Thanks to our supporters, in 2016, we were able to distribute 31,534 pounds of frozen turkey to our partners in Appalachia. That means that thousands of children and adults, who would have otherwise gone without, were able to enjoy a festive meal.

How you can help

A Turkey from you means so much more than a meal. A turkey on Thanksgiving means family, community, shared good times, and one evening of knowing that the family can gather and enjoy a full, wholesome, traditional meal without any worries – even if for just one day. Your generous support will ensure that families won’t have to make a choice – buy groceries for a week, or bust their budget for a once-a-year Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and these families need you!

Stay up to date with the latest news.

Join

Since 1776, Americans have relied on their relatives, neighbors, and friends, charitable organizations (such as Americans Helping Americans®), and their communities at large to help them through the challenges our nation has faced throughout its history. From the hardships of the Revolutionary War and the early years of building a new nation to economic crises, […]

Georgia is one of the most economically diverse states in the nation, with booming metropolitan areas alongside deeply struggling rural communities. So many people wonder, is Georgia a poor state? The answer lies in the sharp contrasts between prosperity in its cities and the hardship faced in its rural regions. Yet behind the progress of […]

Appalachia is a widely used name for a multi-state region in the eastern United States, shaped by shared geography, history, and economic conditions. For official federal regional planning and data collection, the Appalachian Region is defined using a county-based system established by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Under the ARC definition, 52 counties in Tennessee […]

Families across Tennessee continue to face the difficult realities of poverty. Rising costs of housing, food, and healthcare, combined with job losses and long-standing systemic issues, leave thousands struggling to cover even their most basic needs. These challenges are especially pronounced in rural communities, where limited access to services and economic opportunities deepens hardship. This […]

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “The best investment is in the tools of one’s own trade.” For Big Creek People in Action (BCPIA) in McDowell County, West Virginia, having reliable tools is essential to carrying out its home rehabilitation program for low-income elderly and disabled homeowners in need of repairs. Supported by Americans Helping […]

This summer, thanks to the supporters of Americans Helping Americans®, we are once again able to support summer day camp programs in rural Kentucky and West Virginia, benefiting a projected 225 children ranging in age from 5-13. Last year, executive director Cameron Krizek reported that Americans Helping Americans® “made a significant impact on the youth […]

In February 2025, McDowell County, West Virginia, was hit once again with historic flooding following “the worst floods” of 1977, 2001, and again in 2002, reports The Appalachian Voice. “But now,” it reported in July 2025, “the new benchmark for horrible flooding will be Feb. 15, 2025, explains resident Rev. Brad Davis. “This flood was […]

Americans Helping Americans® is preparing now for the summer months, when thousands of children in Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia will lose access to the school meals they rely on during the academic year. Last year, Americans Helping Americans® partnered with Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (AMOS) in Jefferson City, Tennessee, the Labor of Love Mission […]

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, housing, and healthcare. Poverty alleviation refers to the range of […]