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Greetings!
We hope this finds you and your family well!
We are excited to share the news of Against the Grain with you and look forward to a blessed fall.
As always, we thank you for your continued support of Against the Grain, and invite you to share this message with your friends.
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AtG Kids Give BACK 
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 The mission of Against the Grain is to empower single parents to Love, Lead and Serve. The kids of Against the Grain are also learning the important responsibility of serving our community and sharing our blessings. At the August group 180 Program meeting, Against the Grain made hygiene packs for the homeless residents of Tent City. Partnering with People Loving People, a local non-profit working with the homeless, the AtG kids assembled the packs containing toiletries and People Loving People (PLP) personally delivered them to Tent City in Nashville. The children truly experienced the joy of serving as they wrote personal messages to each resident served by PLP and put together over 100 personal hygiene packs. We would like to extend a special thank you to the PowerHouse group of Franklin Christian Church for providing a personalized pencil box for each AtG child. The kids were so excited to be able to use their new pencils, crayons and markers to bless others- thank you for helping us demonstrate how God wants us to use our gifts wisely!
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All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's
in Spring Hill!
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Applebee's
4937 Columbia Pike
Spring Hill, TN 37174 Phone: (615) 302-2468 ALL YOU CAN EAT - Pancakes, OJ, & Milk $6/per person ( $5 goes to AtG!) October 2, 2010 7am-9am*VOLUNTEERS, please! We need 6-7 to show up at 6:30am (Perfect opportunity for a youth group who have a heart to serve!)
**We MUST SELL 150 tickets. You don't have to show up to a buy a ticket
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Franklin Tomorrow's
Eighth Annual
*Chili Cook-Off *
at Pumpkinfest October 30th
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We need YOUR creativity !
VOLUNTEERS needed for:
*Booth Design AND Decorating -
Design judges will rate each booth on CREATIVITY, ORIGINALITY, OVERALL CONCEPT, and TEAM ENTHUSIASM!
*Serving Chili in our STYLIN'booth
*Set-up and Tear-Down - Set-up begins at 9am and tear-down is when we run out of chili OR 3pmAwards will be given for Best Chili, Best Booth Design, Team Spirit, and The People's Choice (AtG won The People's Choice last year!) New this year is the "Team Spirit" award. This award is presented to the team that pre-sells the most tickets, which are $5. If you buy your tickets early, you get a free bottle of water at the cook-off....you may need it to cool-off after eating all the chili!For more information, please click on the link to Carmen and send her an email:
carmen@atghope.org Bring out your friends and family for a day of fun and casting your votes for
Against the Grain!!!!!!!!
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Christmas Shoppe 
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Guess what is exciting to my children at Christmas time...getting to pick out Christmas presents for Mom! WHO makes this possible? YOU, with your *donations* and volunteering efforts to help the kids shop and wrap their precious, thoughtfully-chosen gifts.
WHEN: Thursday, December 9th, 4pm-9pmWHERE: 4th Ave Church of Christ in Franklin
Please be a part of enabling our children to experience the joys of having a giving heart this Christmas.
*Donation needs: tape, gift wrap, gift tags, presents for men and women
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FREE Toolbar Produces Donations for Against the Grain
| We have something new and exciting to share with you!
It's the new Against the Grain toolbar. Once added to Internet Explorer or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to Against the Grain at no cost to you. As an added bonus, you may even SAVE money because the toolbar provides coupons and deals. Every time you use the search box on the toolbar to search the Internet for something, a penny will be donated to Against the Grain. PLEASE pass this information along to your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference!
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Message From a Mom....
| PSALM 71:14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
As a single mom, sometimes I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders...like there isn't any hope. Have you ever felt that way, like you want to cry or scream at the top of your lungs or BOTH?!
God's word reminds me that I can accomplish all things through Him. In the darkest of days, I seek His light. Sometimes it is hard to cope with our situations, the trials and tribulations of our daily lives. Those are the days that I pray the hardest. Believe it or not, I praise God for the wonderful things that I DO have, not necessarily what I DON'T have. It goes something like this:
"Dear Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for the fact that my children and I woke up alive, healthy, and happy today. Please continue to have your guardian angels wrap their wings of protection around us...." I also try to surround myself with wonderful people who actually care what happens to my children and me. THAT is definitely a gift. A shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh with, a helping hand when I need it....isn't this what God expects of us as Christians? I think so. If we all cared about one another, our lives would be enriched that much more. The supporters and volunteers of Against the Grain have no idea how much they impact lives - mine in particular. I want to thank them, for all they do and who they are. Thank you for your love, compassion, understanding, and rays of hope.
Love,
Leslie
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Reflections from the Executive Director
| Dear Partners,
Don't we just love this weather?
As I was preparing for another week, I was reminded of the 8 days I spent in another country. In this country I did not have the luxury of McDonald's drive-thru on every other street and definitely not ANY Starbucks, but what I did have was a peace that those luxuries do not matter. What matters is a hope that I have in my life.
My reason for being on this trip was to train local women to empower the natives when we were gone. In a few short hours we saw a community grow where there was no community before.
This process is one of our goals at AtG. We wish to inspire the people in these communities to commission a change in the women and/or inmates in their hometown while implementing the 180 curriculum and watching their lives be transformed. If you know of a church anywhere that has a heart for unwed women living in generational poverty or for a jail ministry curriculum, please let us know.
We extend our sincerest thanks to you for your investment in the lives of the children/women/men of the 180 program.
Meredith Kendall
Executive Director
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Exciting AtG Development News
| What? AtG is seeking acquisition of a transitional communal training home for women and children actively battling poverty and seeking total life change.
Why now? This long-term goal has been moved to the forefront of our mission as we have seen increasing numbers of moms and children in the 180 Program facing homelessness and/or abusive living situations.
Who? 180 Program families who qualify will live on-site for 1-2 years as they complete the 180 Program curriculum. They will be required to meet education and employment goals while continuing to meet weekly with their personal mentor. The families living in the training house will also be required to participate in community service, with the final goal being home ownership and business leadership.
How can I help? We will need volunteer involvement during all stages of opening the AtG Training Home. During this initial stage, you can help in the following ways:
- Prayer support: please ask God to open the doors for property to be donated or for us to either lease/purchase or purchase the property He desires us to have. Ask for protection and encouragement to surround the families already in crisis.
- Financial support: obviously this will not happen without extra financial support. We are seeking grants, in-kind donations and all levels of sponsorship that will go directly toward opening the AtG Training Home.
- Steering Committee Nominations: We are forming a steering team of people committed to making this home a reality. If you would like to be considered for this position, or would like to refer us to someone, please email carmen@atghope.org for more details.
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Volunteer Opportunities
| Against
the Grain relies upon volunteers for nearly every aspect of our
organization, and adding new families to the 180 Program means we also need
to add new volunteers.
Recent growth has given us opportunities to expand specific volunteer teams and invite more team leaders. Prior experience is not required; we will train you and place you with volunteer leaders who will work beside you. We have some of the most dedicated and passionate volunteers around, and they look forward to connecting with you and working together to change the future.
Check out our website www.atghope.org to download the Volunteer Manual and see the many opportunities available. We need your help to continue impacting families caught in negative generational cycles.
Currently, our most urgent needs are in the following positions:
- Communications Coordinator
- Study Buddy Coordinator for 2010-2011
- Special Events/Public Relations Coordinator
- Special Events/fund-raising team
- Mentors for single mothers
- Mentors for children of single mothers
- Church/Community Liaison Coordinator
- Church/Community Liaisons
- Male mentors for men completing the 180 Program through Williamson County Jail
Please visit www.atghope.org or email carmen@atghope.org to learn how you can join the team making a difference in the lives of single mothers and their children EVERY DAY!
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Please mark your calendars!
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Saturday, October 2-Spring Hill Applebee's Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Thursday, October 7- monthly 180 Program group meeting
Thursday, November 4- monthly 180 Program group meeting
Thursday, December 2- monthly 180 Program group meeting
Thursday, December 9- Christmas Shoppe
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Thank you so much for supporting Against the Grain!
Because of your support, in the last 5 years, the 180 Program alone has:
- Trained over 200 mothers in parenting, budgeting, and life skills
- Increased job retention to above national average
- Increased the average wage by over 25%
- increased employment of mothers in the 180 Program from 30% the day they start to
80% after 6 months of enrollment - Enrolled nearly 50% of the mothers in college or tech school
We appreciate your dedication to our mission of empowering single mothers!
Sincerely,
AtG Communications
Against the Grain Inc
www.atghope.org
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Our Sponsors
| Thank you to our corporate sponsors!
Please thank them for supporting Against the Grain the next time you use their services!
    
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