We would like to acknowledge Brent and Candice Duncil as recipients of the Americans Helping Americans – Helper of the Month award! Congrats Brent and Candice!

Brent and Candice are both teachers in Kentucky who go above and beyond the call of duty every day to make sure their students are excelling in and out of school. Recently, Ms. Duncil noticed a student who would cry every day when it was time to go home. After talking to the boy, she discovered he was sad because he had little food at home, no bed, and no T.V. She contacted our partner, the Lee County Family Resource Center and together, they were able to take the family grocery shopping as well as buy them household items, clothing, and educational toys.

Mr. Duncil is also a volunteer school bus driver. Because he helps out on field trips and weekend routes, he saves the school money so that they can afford to take students on more educational trips and have the funds to provide food.

Together, they are a community-helping force! They started a campaign to help a family raise money to send a loved one to Cancer Centers of America to get treatment. They were able to raise the funds necessary for the family to visit the facility several times. Although the treatment was unsuccessful, Mr. and Mrs. Duncil helped the family through the funeral and organized food to be taken to the home and a dinner after the funeral.

The Duncils are a family who work together, pray together, and help others together. Their oldest son is serving in the Marines and has just returned from Iraq. They are all very giving within their classrooms and within their community. They are raising their children to be respectful, helpful, and kind to others. They give their time, money, and abilities and ask nothing in return. We need more families like the Duncils in our communities. Thank you for dedication!

The Helper of the Month award is designed to show the amazing, wonderful, hard-working, and dedicated people in the Appalachian communities we serve every day. Each month, we’ll be sharing these stories with you in the hopes that you’ll walk away as inspired as we are to do good things in your community!