‌ Doing it Better by Working Together

A common phrase taught to school children is "we do it better when we do it together." It's also the approach we take at the Community Resource Center in collaborating with other agencies. Recently two staff members visited Lynchburg Daily Bread to learn more about meeting needs and they noticed someone had given them some backpacks. That afternoon CRC Coordinator Brittany Melvin took a call from a father asking for help for his two children. Making ends meet meant they didn't have enough food. Brittany explained how we could help through our Food for Families pantry and then learned the kids didn't have school supplies. She placed a call and the folks at Daily Bread were happy to provide the backpacks, filled with supplies, snacks, and personal care items! It's what the CRC does, offering help, healing, and hope by working together to find answers.

City of Lynchburg Offers "Getting Ahead" Course Again Lynchburg residents who are tired of scraping by to make ends meet are starting the “Getting Ahead” program next week. This is the fourth time the course will be taught, thanks to a partnership with the City of Lynchburg and its Bridges to Progress Initiative. Classes will run for eight weeks, meeting each Monday and Wednesday, 10 am–1 pm at Park View. The title comes from a curriculum entitled "Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World."

The course is for people who are living in poverty or unstable situations, and focuses on building financial stability and a better future.

Shannon Brennan, one of the instructors and a workforce navigator for the city, said, "This course gives them a chance to see that it might not all be their fault but that they have the power to change their lives, and it's that self-empowerment that's important." All course materials are provided along with free on-site childcare. Watch for many more courses coming soon, along with big news about new facilities for the Life Skills Institute!

DID YOU KNOW?

...The "Getting Ahead" course is one of four currently offered under our Life Skills Institute banner. The newest course was offered in the Spring, entitled "Home Essentials." A third is a family nutrition course taught by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the fourth is "Going Beyond Education" presented by First National Bank. President and CEO Aubrey Hall says, “First National Bank is proud to partner with Park View Community Mission to provide the Go Beyond Education Program  , designed to facilitate financial education and development of basic job skills to help individuals enhance their quality of life and move out of poverty. Our support is viewed as an investment in our community’s future.” Your support is too! We couldn't do it without you!

To volunteer, text: helpPVCM to ( 760) 670-3130 To donate to our mission, text: givePVCM to ( 760) 670-3130 Visit us online, in person, or call (434) 845-8468