IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Three organizations show just how much impact
communities can have when they band together
BY JEANA DURST
There is a multiplying effect to kindness. When
one person shows it, another is more likely to follow
suit. But what happens when entire communities
catch that momentum and mobilize technology and
church groups to meet the needs of the most atrisk
kids? We talked to three area organizations (all
way in this “kindness revolution.”
Many parents may be unaware that the girl
sitting beside your daughter in science class is
packing away part of her school lunch to save a
portion for dinner in case there is nothing at home
to eat. The boy who plays on the baseball team
with your son may wearing last year’s shoes while
avoiding complaining that they hurt his feet. That’s
why local communities have stepped up to meet
the most urgent needs—with a particular focus on
serving kids who are hungry. “Food insecurity” is
food. According to the Alabama Food Bank
Association, of the 48.8 million people in the U.S.
living in food insecurity, 16.2 million are children.
A heartbreaking reality.
And it’s happening right here in our backyard.
According to Greg Bishop, founder of Hoover
Helps, there are almost 200 kids in Hoover who
are not only food insecure, but also homeless. But
with the help of organizations like his, kids no
longer have to rely only on a well-meaning school
counselor who could be overwhelmed with various
needs and just “throwing crackers at the problem.”
NEIGHBORHOOD BRIDGES
Bishop and his army of volunteers are taking
the task of solving hunger and other needs to
the next level with the introduction of a seamless
online platform, called Neighborhood Bridges.
This online tool connects informed counselors
in 12 Alabama communities with dedicated
other household goods. What’s unique about this
system, which was founded by Rick Bannister
in Westerville, Ohio, is its simplicity: A school
counselor goes onto this website and enters a
particular need, such as a winter coat, on the
dashboard for their community. “They type in a
few sentences and it’s done,” Bishop says. The
needs are then claimed by Neighborhood Bridges
donor members after emails are posted on Monday
to the schools. With 975 online members already,
the needs go out, “They gobble them up,” Bishop
says. And the beauty is that the counselors no
longer have to make 15 phone calls just to locate
some extra food items. “It puts wind at their back,”
Bishop says. And it engages the 75% of people in
the community who may not have kids in school
and want to help.
Already operating Hoover Helps since 2015,
Bishop was in a unique position to lead the
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