Sharing the love and hope of Christ while empowering our neighbors with education, employment, and crisis support.

As Thanksgiving draws near, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless blessings that so many of you have bestowed upon The CARE Center. Your unwavering support - whether through donations of food, prayer, volunteer hours, thrift-able goods, or financial contributions - has been instrumental in our vision to eradicate poverty from the communities of Southeastern Madison County. Thanks to your generosity, we have empowered our neighbors in New Hope, Gurley, Owens Cross Roads, and Brownsboro with education, employment, and crisis support, seeing countless lives transformed. It is truly awe-inspiring to witness the positive impact we can have when we come together to make a difference, in Jesus' name.

We understand you may have various reasons for partnering with The CARE Center. It could be because you grew up in poverty or one of the communities we serve, or you appreciate the tax benefits. Perhaps you or someone you know has personally benefited from one of our programs. It could be part of how you aspire to live like Christ or an inherent lifestyle value you hold to influence your community positively. Regardless of the reason, we want to express our deep gratitude for your contributions, which we rely on more than you can imagine.

With that, the end-of-year giving campaign countdown for The CARE Center has begun. Our goal for 2023 is to raise $72,000 through individual and end-of-year donations, but we still have a long way to go. To date, we have only received $39,730. Therefore, we must raise an additional $32,270 by December 31 to meet our budgeted commitments.

We desperately need your help to make our goal a reality. Regardless of the amount, every donation brings us closer. As you weigh your year-end giving options, please prayerfully consider offering financial support to our cause.

Appreciatively Yours, 

Andrea Bridges

Executive Director

The CARE Center

abridges@thecare-center.org

Holiday Happenings

We are accepting donations of NEW toys for the 2024 Christmas Store through December 1. These toys will be given to children in New Hope and Owens Cross Roads who receive Bags of Blessings, as well as families in these communities, Gurley, and Brownsboro who are in crisis. Donations can be dropped off to our Business Office (5410 Main Drive in New Hope) anytime between 9 AM and 1 PM from Monday to Thursday.

Shop using THIS AMAZON WISH LIST and have toys conveniently delivered.

Use THIS SIGN UP to serve as a Christmas Store volunteer.

Blue Christmas is a casual, cost-free service of comfort for those hurting during the holidays. It offers acoustic music, candle lighting, warm refreshments, and a brief message of hope. Onsite childcare is available for ages 3 - 5th grade. Bring a friend who needs support and join us in the New Hope Elementary School Auditorium on December 10 at 6 PM. Registration is not required.

Use THIS SIGN UP to serve as a Blue Christmas volunteer.

Wins & Celebrations

We are immensely grateful for the outstanding support we recently received from Avion Solutions Incorporated employees for our Bags of Blessings program. Their dedication to the cause was exceptional, as they went above and beyond to pack 600 bags in less than 45 minutes with the help of their family and friends. The $5000 in funding and the generous donation of their time will significantly impact food security for 135 children over 11 weeks. What an inspiring commitment to making a positive difference in the world!

Our team of school-based leaders seeks a caring and qualified individual to spearhead the mission at our 21st Century Community Learning Center in Owens Cross Roads. If you know someone who fits the bill, please encourage them to email their resume to molly.mullinax@thecare-center.org.

To appreciate the full significance of this photo, you must imagine these three local heroes standing amid a towering pile of reading materials! We greatly appreciate Mazda Toyota Manufacturing for generously donating more than 700 books to enhance our educational programs for children, teenagers, and adults. These resources will significantly impact empowering our community members with the priceless skills of literacy and learning.

Our hometown hero and Executive Director, Andrea Bridges, was awarded as the community superhero of November by the National Children's Advocacy Center and Redstone Federal Credit Union. Andrea graciously shared that her “ability to surround myself with a compassionate and hard-working team makes this mission come to life. I couldn’t do it alone.”

Read the full story HERE.

Our podcast team had fun taking a field trip to downtown Huntsville to interview Bruce Martin, the keynote speaker for our upcoming Blue Christmas event. We want to express our gratitude to Noah Marshall, a dedicated volunteer who has curated a year's worth of amazing conversations showcasing our mission from unique and inspiring perspectives.

Resources & Opportunities

The "Hand Up" Podcast

Desperate for Hope

November 2023

Author, counselor, retired pastor, and outdoor adventurer Bruce Martin shares his past and present experience in non-profit leadership consulting, discipling the broken-hearted, and as the keynote speaker for our annual Blue Christmas event.