When Advocates for Children approached Denim Marketing about creating its year-end appeal, it was a unanimous “yes” we’d love to help. Based in Bartow County, Advocates helps families across Northwest Georgia through programs that include Hope in Your Home, RISE Youth Independent Housing Program, Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter, Children’s Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Rainbows and Safe Place.

Having previously worked with Advocates on various initiatives over the years, Denim Marketing Founder Carol Morgan also makes an annual donation to the organization in memory of her father, Hugh Morgan. Additionally, Carol got to know Advocates President and CEO Rachel Castillo through Leadership Bartow.

Year-end appeal mailings are one of the most important asks nonprofits make each year with about 25% or more of annual gifts made in fourth quarter and many larger gifts given in the last few days of the calendar year.

Working with Dina Gundersen of Creative Thunder Design, we selected “Magical Moments” as the theme for this year’s holiday appeal. With two sets of hands on the snow globe, the vision of “shared” portrays the theme well. The goal of the appeal is to be positive and uplifting while giving hope for the future. We hope recipients of the appeal are touched and dig deep to help meet the need COVID-19 (coronavirus) has left this year.

The appeal tells the story of just two of the families Advocates recently helped. Each year, more than 8,000 children, youth and caregivers depend on Advocates for safety, comfort and hope. With each dollar given, children find the promise of help…help for a safe place to live, help for a long-term solution and help for a healthy family. In this season of giving, nothing is more important.

Clara’s Story

As newlyweds, Clara and her husband found themselves suddenly responsible for two of their tender-aged grandchildren. Clara, who never had any children of her own, was overwhelmed learning how to parent children who had experienced negative life events. After some initial difficulties with the children’s behavior, Clara reached out to the Advocates parenting program to learn how to provide for her new family beyond simply loving them and offering a safe house. The Hope in your Home program curriculum helped Clara create a structured environment with simple rules, a respected routine, positive reinforcement and a reward system. The program has been so beneficial to the family they are now working with the children’s mom toward reunification.

Chanise’s Story

Chanise felt trapped. She was living in a shelter with her newborn son and struggling to find any source of support when she discovered the RISE program. An ambitious and motivated individual, she started taking advantage of every resource that was offered through RISE. The program helped Chanise furnish her new home, learn valuable budgeting skills, obtain childcare and find new employment, as well as participate in the Hope in Your Home Parents as Teachers program. Chanise now has stable housing, her son is in daycare and she has a community of mothers and caretakers to support her. She is planning to enroll at Georgia Highlands College and give back to the RISE program after she achieves her degree.

More on each of these programs:

Hope in Your Home is comprised of three programs: First Steps, Parents as Teachers and Positive Parenting Program. These programs are designed to connect clients with community resources, provide evidence-based curriculum that aids childhood development and provide parenting guidance. The outcome is to build strong, healthy relationships by equipping parents and caregivers with strategies to help manage behavior and build a positive, nurturing environment.

RISE, a specialized Youth Independent Housing program, expands the organization’s capacity to assist youth ages 18-24. Using professional case management, RISE helps homeless youth find permanent housing and provides temporary rental assistance, transportation, childcare assistance and helps participants obtain and enhance life skills through job readiness, education and other opportunities.

We hope you are as touched by reading these stories as we were writing them. Please consider donating to Advocates for Children before the end of the year at www.advochild.org.