Christian Relief Services Charities Inc

Education program:vocational training support: allowing students to train for specific skills is an important way to help an individual escape poverty. Aha sponsors tutors at the west virginia career and technology center in mcdowell county, the only vocational school in the county, to teach students law, video game design, and mechanical engineering to name a few studies. Students are helped with their coursework by tutors to pass their main high school courses and mentored throughout the vocational school training, ensuring they pass their tests. This program would not exist without $14,500 of aha funding assisting 209 individuals.(see schedule o for continuation)additionally, the want2work initiative gave funding to three vocational schools in kentucky and virginia so that they may purchase professional equipment and tools as well as pay for tests and accreditation for the students, relieving financial burdens on the young professionals. $70,000 were distributed between the five schools, lee county (va) career & technical center, lee county (ky) area technical center, and estill county area technical center, white county high school ctae, and tazewell county career & technical center helping over 765 students.

Housing/shelter:working with local and national volunteers, aha sponsored 141 home renovation/repair projects for low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals. Aha staff and partner organizations have witnessed firsthand homes without roofs, missing walls, and huge holes in the walls and floors of homes within central appalachia. This frightening fact is why aha sponsors trained volunteer groups every year to assist with home repairs. The work can be extensive and includes digging drains, replacing foundations, constructing wheelchair ramps, repairing roofs and walls, replacing jousts underneath kitchens and bathrooms, and renovating bathrooms to keep sanitation high.(see schedule o for continuation)aha sees this as a need and for that, awarded $65,000 total grants to partners in west virginia, tennessee, georgia, and kentucky.