Greetings, Friends!
In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul reminds us not to grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Thank you for not losing heart! Instead, throughout 2022 you continued to support the CAC mission through your prayers and financial support – and for that we are so grateful.
Gratitude is what comes to mind when I think about the wonderful privilege and responsibility we have to help ensure all children have access to various opportunities that will equip them to thrive in life. During 2022 we focused on how to help our children recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exacerbated the adverse childhood experiences (ACES) some of our children face on a day-to-day basis. ACES consists of children living in single parent homes, having learning disabilities, being exposed to mental, physical, or sexual abuse, or having exposure to alcohol or drug abuse, just to name of few. The CAC team sees these situations more often than not, which is why we are committed to the CAC vision of “embracing children with the love of Christ and equipping them to thrive”.
The love of Christ is unconditional, which is what we strive to exhibit and extend - not just to the child, but to their family members as well. The family is always included in a holistic approach to childhood development and features activities such as our quarterly ladies’ day brunch and our Adult Diploma Recovery Program. These programs are tools we use to boost morale in the homes of our children.
Our ability to impact the community continues to grow. With your support, over 400 youth were adopted for Christmas and more than 350 kids were able to receive backpacks and school supplies to kick off the new academic year. Enabled by donations, we also provided food baskets and other types of care packages for families in need.
Despite being able to support so many youth, state licensing requirements and the need for additional teachers continues to limit the number of students that can attend our program on a regular basis (see the next chart for further detail). One of our primary goals for 2023 is to hire additional staff so that we can reduce the number of children on our waiting list.
The hiring of our new Program Director, Ms. Nancy Davis, was a tremendous blessing for the CAC. She brings much needed experience in the area childhood education, and we are thrilled to have her on our team!
We want our programming to be educational, engaging, and fun – this encompasses academic proficiency, social and emotional support, spiritual enrichment, and physical health. As with other out-of-school programs throughout the nation, our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a slow and steady process.
Similar to last year, we wanted to bring you an interactive annual report for 2022 – what better way to understand the work that we’re doing than through pictures? While I’ve given you a glimpse into our work already, I invite you to click below to see the entire report.
The future for CAC remains bright! Studies have shown that out-of-school (OST) programs such as CAC are vital for the growth and development of children nationwide. OST programs provide social, emotional, and cognitive development, help reduce risky behaviors, and provide a safe and supportive environment for children. It is the financial support from individual donors, corporations, and grants that enable OSTs to succeed. Please continue supporting the CAC with your prayers and financial support. You are making a monumental difference in the lives of our children.
May God continue to bless you and your family in 2023!
Dr. Jeffrey A. Williams
Executive Director
Christian Activity Center