|
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.
|
Christmas Shoppe 
| |
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
|
|
Christmas Cards
| |
Click HERE to view our Christmas Card Masterpiece
Prices:
Set of 12 (Blank on inside) for $12
Set of 12 (Sentiment inside) for $15
Contact Against the Grain for your if you want to order them with your OWN inscription or if you require a bigger order!
Please make checks payable to AtG
Meredith KendallExecutive DirectorAgainst the Grain615-291-9532 Nashville615-791-7885 Franklin615-496-8769 cellP.O. Box 809Franklin, TN 37065
|
WAY to go, FM
| Our very own, hard working Executive Director, Meredith Kendall and Against the Grain were spotlighted on WAY FM 88.7 !!
Learn Against the Grain's story....past, present, and future!
Click HERE to listen to the WAY FM broadcast
|
We are on a MISSION....
| |
From the creative minds of
Rob and Meredith Kendall...
I am so excited about what is going on with AtG I can hardly contain myself! When Rob and I started this eight years ago we had a vision to work with the poor and help those in need. We quickly learned that there were more opportunities to serve than we had time and energy. So we made the decision to focus on the most obvious needs; single mothers and their children. As we have gained key volunteers to take ownership of specific areas, the ability to serve a broader base has returned and we are finally moving forward with the vision. With that in mind, I would like to introduce to you our new mission statement.
The mission of Against the Grain is to demonstrate the love of Christ by providing hope and healing to individuals caught in abuse, addiction and negative generational cycles; empowering them to live healthy stable lives, creating stronger families and communities.
Thank you for the past year of all the prayers, volunteer hours and financial support. Without your involvement in 2010, AtG would not be writing over 200 individuals stories. Please consider making an end of year donation as we move forward to expand AtG Domestically and Internationally.
With Love and Blessings,
Rob & Meredith Kendall
|
Funny Food for Thought...
Undeniable Truths
1. Part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die
2. Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive writing really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection..again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with a romantic dinner than Kay Jewelers.
17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
23 Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.
24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
Hope these put a smile on your face,
Love,
Leslie-A Single Mom
| |
| FREE Toolbar Produces Donations for Against the Grain
|
READ THIS BEFORE YOU DO ANY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!
Please make every gift count this holiday season. You can find coupons at more than 1,600 top stores (including Amazon, Macy's, J.Crew, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Gap and more) AND a percentage of virtually every sale will be donated to "YOUR ORGANIZATION HERE"
Just go to GoodShop.com, designate us as the cause you support and then click over to your favorite store and shop away!.
Or, add our toolbar to your browser at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar - and your purchases will earn a donation for us even if you forget to go to GoodShop first!
There's no easier way to support us this holiday season! Please spread the word.
It's the 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!
|
Life-Changing Messages of Hope Through Teaching
| How much do you know about the contributions made by AtG? They spend over 15 1/2 hours every week teaching different groups of women, men, and children in Franklin and Nashville. This does not include the hours of individual mentoring and tutoring given by volunteers every week. PLEASE pray for the men, women and children in these classes and the AtG teachers sharing the life-changing message of hope. If you would like to send a note to a specific class telling them that you prayed for them, you may send it to:
AtGPO Box 809Franklin, TN 37065Here is a list of the classes:
MONDAY:
8:00-10:00 Williamson County Jail (WCJ) - Female Job Skills
10:00-12:00 WCJ - Female Life Skills
12:00-2:00 WCJ - Male Life Skills
WEDNESDAY:
3:30-5:30 Meharry Medical Center in Nashville - Adolescent A & D (Addiction and Dependency)
THURSDAY:
8:00-10:00 WCJ - Female Family Relationships
10:00-12:00 WCJ - Male Family Relationships
10:00-12:00 Meharry Medical Center in Nashville - Female A & D
7:00-8:30 Dismas House in Nashville - Male Transitional Home
6:00-7:30 Monthly 180-Group meeting in Franklin (1st Thursday of every month)
FRIDAY
6:00-8:00 Williamson County - Hispanic Women
|
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.
|
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!
|
Please mark your calendars!
| |
Thursday, December 2 - monthly 180 Program group meeting
Thursday, December 9- Christmas Shoppe
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
Our Sponsors
| Thank you to our corporate sponsors!
Please thank them for supporting Against the Grain the next time you use their services!
    
|
Get Bloggin' with us!
Read AtG's Blog
  |
|
|
