You Still Have Time!

Posted on: November 21, 2014

On Veterans Day, we thanked those for their service and sacrifice to our country.

Donate NowBut just because November 11 has come and gone, doesn’t mean that we forget about the former members of the military who struggle day in and day out to put food on their table, or our partners in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia who make that their mission.

This month alone, with the help of generous supporters like you, we were able to ship 216 dry food boxes containing canned fruit and vegetables, beef stew, chili and soup, tomato sauce, pasta and dried beans packaged specifically for veterans to Caring Hands Ministries in Georgia and another 100 more boxes to Arms Outstretched Ministries in Virginia.

“The food boxes make a big difference for those veterans living on fixed incomes,” says Americans Helping Americans® interim executive director Beth Tessema.

And with your continued help, Americans Helping Americans® will be distributing more veterans’ food boxes to our partner organizations as needed – and the need is always there.

Also, with the holidays coming up, a nice big turkey dinner is a luxury many Appalachian families in need cannot afford.

This year, again thanks to the compassion and generosity of our supporters, Americans Helping Americans® has already been able to distribute a total of 2,200 frozen turkeys to our partners Big Creek People in Action in West Virginia, Of One Accord and Appalachian Outreach in Tennessee, Come-Unity Cooperative Care and Cumberland Mountain Outreach in Kentucky, and Arms Outstretched in Virginia, as well as an addition 116 turkeys, with all the fixings, to veterans living in our multi-family affordable housing projects in Tucson, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.

With the holiday season nigh upon us, we thank those who have enabled us to help thousands of families enjoy a delicious turkey dinner on Thanksgiving and Christmas day, and hope that you can make a contribution today so many more will be able to “put a turkey on the table” this year as well.

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