Our fearless leader of over 26 1/2 years is retiring as of March 31, 2021. She has served in various roles throughout her time with Community Action Northwest, being instrumental in the evolution of programs and services offered in the Shoals to those needed a helping hand. We will miss her leadership but wish her the very best in her retirement.	Every year March is the month that brings awareness to the importance of Meals on Wheels and the good it does for all seniors in need. This year, the ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta helped us kick off the month with a video bringing awareness to food insecurity in the Shoals.	Are you HOMELESS or at risk of becoming homeless, Coordinated Entry can help. Call 256-577-0816 . The AL 502 has a "no wrong door" policy for help within our 6 county CoC. The flyer shows all the places you can get help if you are in need.
“Have you ever wanted to hug a place?” Well — we do! That is exactly how we feel for one of our community corporate partners, Chicken Salad Chick! They presented us with a donation from their “Giving Card” holiday promotion this week. We hope all who bought the giving card will enjoy using it throughout the year! A big Thank You to the employees and staff of our Chicken Salad Chick Florence location! Your contribution will help us provide over 1600 meals to our elderly and disabled neighbors!	Community Action Northwest recently took on the responsibility of being the HMIS Lead Agency for the Homeless Care Council of NW Alabama Continuum of Care. Coordinated Entry is also managed out of CAANW with various office locations throughout the continuum providing a "no-wrong door" approach for anyone experiencing homelessness. The AL 502 Continuum of Care serves 6 counties in Northwest Alabama.	We were excited to receive the annual Christmas meal groceries for our seniors from our friends and community partners at the Salvation Army of The Shoals. Through the Angel Tree Program, our seniors receive a bag of Christmas groceries to have on hand through the holidays. We are grateful to the many volunteers with the Angel Tree program for making sure this happens for our seniors each year.
Thankful for our community partners at Alabama Associated General Contractors for helping provide gifts for one of our Responsible Parenting Program families this Christmas. None of our work is possible without the support of people and businesses in our community helping to make the Shoals a better place to live and work.	One of our network partners, ENCAP Nebraska, made these wonderful Huggy Heart masks for Community Action Employees. We are happy to Mask Up to provide a safe environment for our staff and clients. Safe Safe and Healthy!	Susan Cole is one of our HUD Certified Housing Counselors. She works with the Chance Homeless Project as the Outreach Counselor for Franklin, Marion, Lawrence and Winston Counties. The Chance Homeless Project is designed to help those who find themselves living in a temporary public shelter or living in a hotel paid for by a charity program. Certain guidelines determine program help.
During Community Action Month, we took time out to recognize the hard work and dedication of our staff here at Community Action Northwest. Their commitment to helping those in need has never been more evident than during the recent pandemic crisis. They continued to work on the front lines helping those in need find food, shelter and other resources. We thank them for their dedication and love for our community.	The Weatherization program helps clients to learn more about conserving energy. The goal is to help homeowners living on low income to receive one time home weatherization assessments to determine measures that can reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills. Above is Mr. Jay Hendricks, weatherization specialist, inspecting a local home recently.	MAY IS COMMUNITY ACTION MONTH! Our Agency has a long and storied history of serving our communities across Northwest Alabama in Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties. We currently provide 8 different programs ranging from senior nutrition, housing assistance and energy assistance to gardening and responsible parenting classes.
Recently, our Mothers Program participated in a drive-thru class where emphasis was placed on the 5 Protective Factors for Building Strong Families. Participants were given information and goodie bags. Sheila Weaver is the Mothers Program Coordinator.	Recently, the Responsible Parenting/Fatherhood Program held a drive-thru style class to promote awareness of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Participants were given information about the 5 Protective Factors for Great Childhoods and "goodie bags". Pictured is Jackie Baker, NARP Program Coordinator and Shermen Jackson, NARP Program Facilitator. Together, they are helping make #GreatChildhoods happen.	We want to welcome the newest member of our staff, Shermen Jackson. He will be working in the Responsible Parenting/Fatherhood Program as Program Facilitator. We are glad to have him on our team.
The Gerald Williams Gardening Program is helping over 575 families grow their own food source this spring. Vouchers for seed, fertilizer and plants were mailed to qualifying households this month. We greatly appreciate the Lauderdale and Colbert County Co-Ops working with us to make this possible for our community. This program is made possible in part by the TVA Retiree Association.	We are pleased to help out our friends at The Salvation Army with meals to assist in feeding the homeless that were displaced in the COVID-19 early shut down of our area emergency shelters. Funding for this assistance is through the Alabama Business Charitable Trust.	During this unprecedented time in our country, we are relying on the kindness of our law enforcement to help deliver meals. This allows our regular volunteers, many of whom are in the high risk age group, to stay safe and healthy. We can't say Thank You enough for the help all 3 sheriff departments have provided us in their respective counties!
We recently got the chance to thank our area Publix for all the love they show our community. Through their partnership with United Way, Publix is able to support many nonprofits in the Shoals. We say Thank You!	Through the Salvation Army Angel Tree Project, our Meals on Wheels of The Shoals seniors each received a bag full of groceries for a holiday meal. Grocery bags were delivered before the Christmas holidays.	This year, our winner of the Annual Charity Decorating Contest was Mandy Dowdy. Her "Elf Squad" theme wowed the judges and helped raise money for a local charity. Each year, staff members pay to enter the decorating contest, where a portion of the proceeds is donated to a local charity chosen by participating staff members. Congratulations to Mandy!
We recently displayed at the TVA annual United Way Kick Off Program. This is a time for TVA employees to visit with area non profits to find ways to give back to their community. TVA current employees and the retiree association are both very active with our agency in the Gerald Williams Gardening Program and Meals on Wheels of The Shoals. Their donations of time and money are greatly appreciated.	Chicken Salad Chick is open in Florence and ready for your business. For the month of December, they are donating all proceeds from their giving card worth $60 in CSC goodies for 2020 to Meals on Wheels! SO get your card today!	Greenway Auto Group is a sustaining sponsor for Meals on Wheels of The Shoals. Their continued support each month allows us to budget and plan for growth. We couldn't do our work without them. We love all the employees and appreciate their support of Meals on Wheels in our community.
Recently volunteers, Jane Dill and Brenda Hobson, sponsored the Meals on Wheels of The Shoals Tinsel Tree at the first annual Tinsel Trail in McFarland Park.	Recently, members of our staff participated in the Witches Ride 2019 supporting United Way programs and the good they do in our community. We are grateful for United Way and their support of our Meals on Wheels of The Shoals program.	In October we wear pink in honor of those fighting breast cancer.
Captain Scott Wallace, Sheffield Police Department, recently spoke at the Staff Annual Retreat about the importance of personal safety habits and being aware of your surroundings at all times. We are thankful for Captain Wallace and all he does to keep our communities safe.	We are excited to have the UNA chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta delivering meals this week on some of our routes. These ladies are smart, sweet and serving in our community!	We recently celebrated one of our own, Ms. Jyl Hamilton. Jyl has worked in our Russellville office helping residents in crisis for over 30 years. She is retiring on October 31st. We will miss her dearly but wish her the best in her adventures.
We are happy to join the UNA Office of Alumni Relations in congratulating the 2019 UNA Community Service Award Winner, Patsy "Pat" Davis Burney '88. Burney has lived in #Florence since 1976 and considers it her home. She graduated from UNA with a Bachelor's of Science in Management. Pat has been a long time supporter and volunteer with us at Meals on Wheels and we are happy to celebrate her.	The MOTHERS Program had 2 very special guests in class recently -- Chelsea Puckett and her little boy, Sam. Chelsea was a participant in the MOTHERS Program from February until May and wanted to come back to tell her story to those in the class. She was so encouraging and inspiring to the ladies and gave them a message of hope. She spoke about how they can get through whatever they are going through and are stronger than what they think. And her little boy, Sam….well, he was just adorable!	Meet Lyndon, a Dad in our Responsible Fatherhood Program. Lyndon is now enrolled in the CDL Training class with Affordable Truck Driver Training in Moulton Alabama to obtain his Class A license and then be placed in employment. Lyndon said, “This is an opportunity for a new career made possible by Ms. Jackie and the Responsible Fatherhood Program that will help me with my family for years to come.” Pictured with Lyndon is Charlie Casewell, one of the instructors from Affordable Trucking.
Some of our HUD certified housing counselors recently spent time at a NCRC Financial Educational Workshop in Memphis Tennessee, learning more about financial training and gaining resources that will empower our clients for their future.	The Shoals Chamber of Commerce non-profit members recently hosted the Shoals Chamber After Hours Luau event. Great information was shared with Shoals Chamber business members about the services provided in our area through non-profit organizations. It was great to see everyone that attended. Aloha!	Jackie Baker recently met with Lauderdale County Child Support Court and DHR to give report on the outcomes of these program's partnership. In 2018, the Responsible Parenting/Fatherhood Program in collaboration with Lauderdale County Child Support and DHR collected over $128,000 in child support. Program participants were given opportunities for more education, training for increased skill certification and parenting counseling. This collaboration boasts some of the best outcomes in the state.
We were so excited to have Comfort Care Hospice sponsor our Spirit of Service Volunteer Appreciation Evening. Janey Rohling and Wendi Albritton attended the evening and were on hand to answer questions about their services for our volunteers. We are so thankful to Comfort Care Hospice for their support of our efforts in the Shoals area.	At our recent Spirit of Service Volunteer Appreciation Awards, our volunteers were entertained by the very funny and talented comedy trio, The XXXtremes. What a fun evening!	Our Meals on Wheels Chef, Nickie Campbell, was recently awarded the Presidential Service Award for her many years of service to the Meals on Wheels of The Shoals program. Her award came with a letter from President Donald Trump, a certificate and a commemorative gold coin. We are so proud to honor Nickie with this award and appreciate her many years of dedication and service in helping fight elder hunger here in the Shoals area.
Members of our staff recently attended the annual May meeting for Community Actions across the state. 20 agencies gathered to collaborate and learn best practices for better serving our clients.	We recently spent an Evening with United Way to celebrate the contributions made from our community. This evening the Inaugural Clyde W Anderson Philanthropic Award was given to the Anderson Family for their long years of service in the community.	Over 150 volunteers worked to distribute FREE plants, seed and fertilizer to 1000 Shoals area families in April. This program is in cooperation with the Muscle Shoals TVA Retirees Association. This program gives Shoals area families an alternative source of food for the year.
CFT area grantees got together to promote Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month recently. We visited area legislators, judges, advocates, and their staff to remind them that every child deserves a good childhood and we should all do what we can to prevent abuse.	To promote awareness of Child Abuse and Neglect, our Mother's Program has an exhibit at the Muscle Shoals Public Library. Stop by to learn more about the dangers of shaken baby syndrome and the symptoms of addiction in newborns.	The Gerald Williams cooperative gardening program has completed the application process and is now preparing for the distribution of FREE seed, plants and fertilizer to all those who qualified. The distribution day is early Spring. The Muscle Shoals TVA Retirees association coordinates over 150 community volunteers during the program and will distribute gardening supplies to over 1000 families in the Shoals area.
As part of Child Abuse & Neglect Awareness month, our Responsible Parenting program has been educating the community on the importance of strengthening the family bond. Let's all do our part to end child abuse and neglect. All children deserve a great childhood.	Faith Church recently treated our counselors and staff to lunch and made a donation to the Meals on Wheels of The Shoals Program. We are grateful for the kindness and support.	Ms. Nancy Morris is a volunteer of the Meals on Wheels program and the Gardening Program. Ms. Nancy retired from a career with TVA.
Community Action Northwest is set to be featured in an upcoming podcast series from Big River Broadcasting that focuses on area nonprofits and their contributions to the Shoals community. We are excited to be a part of the series.	The first general session of 2019 is now underway in Montgomery. Members of our staff spent the first 2 days meeting with the legislation from our area on concerns of the Shoals.
	The Florence Kiwanis Club held their annual Pancake Day in March. The Kiwanis use this day to raise money they will donate back into the community. Meals on Wheels of The Shoals is very thankful for the support of the Kiwanis Clubs in our area.	We recently received a testimonial from one of our graduates in the Mother's Program. Amber credits Mrs. Sheila Weaver and her time in the Mother's Program with the growth in her relationship with her son, Tanner.
Del Green, Family Services Manager for Habitat for Humanity, recently spoke to the first time home buyer's class about the application process for HFH. Brenda Crittenden, Vice President/Residential Mortgage Manager also spoke to the class about the mortgage process. Jernessa Jones of Operation Hope with SunTrust Bank and Jay Hendricks, CAANW Weatherization Specialist also spoke. Certificates were awarded for completers of the class.	TVARA President Tim Cornelius and Joan Marsh, TVARA Treasurer present Meals on Wheel of The Shoals with a donation at last night’s board meeting. TVA Retirees have delivered meals for many many years, as well as, helped with the gardening program each spring! We appreciate all their support. Also pictured is Tammy McDaniel, CAANW Executive Director and Gary Jarnigan, TVA Retiree and CAANW Board member.	UNA Alpha Gams made and delivered special treats to our Meals on Wheels of The Shoals seniors on Valentine's Day. Our seniors love when the Alpha Gams visit. We are delighted to have them as partners helping us fight senior hunger in the Shoals.
We are please to announce that First Southern Bank has joined Meals on Wheels of The Shoals as a Sustaining Sponsor for 2019. We are excited to be joining forces to fight elder hunger in the Shoals area. Together, we are better.	We were honored to received a check from the National Lighting Employee Committee for our Meals on Wheels program recently.	Meals on Wheels of The Shoals was delighted to have Bank Independent team members join in to deliver meals to our area seniors recently. None of our work is possible without the continued support from our community.
Secret Santa deliveries were made during Christmas to our seniors on the Meals On Wheels program. Donations for their wish list were filled by churches, organizations and individuals. Thank you to all who made their holidays brighter.	We are thankful to all the area Kiwanis Clubs for their support of Meals On Wheels of The Shoals. Together, we are fighting to end senior hunger in the Shoals. Pictured is Bob Head, Kiwanis Club of Tuscumbia President and Ms. Eva Graham, MOWS Coordinator.	Pete Key, Life coach and motivational speaker, provided a motivational workshop for members of the Responsible Parenting Class on August 23. His workshops provide hope and ways for change to people in crisis situations. We are always glad to have him.
The ladies of the UNA chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta have partnered with Meals On Wheels of The Shoals to help deliver meals to area seniors. We are so excited about this new partnership and can't wait to work with these ladies.	“I'm very grateful that the Chance program gave me and my new daughter a fresh start. My life has grown and prospered over the past year and that's all because of the this program. It gave me the opportunity to get off the streets, be a better parent and stay clean.”​ We are so proud of Casandra and wish her the very best in the future.	The Fatherhood/Responsible Parenting Class recently got to spend some quality family time with their children at Sky Zone in Florence. This class teaches parenting skills that help make the family, and extended family, a place where children can thrive.
This past Spring, CAANW provided ARC of the Shoals some seed, plants and fertilizer through the Gerald Williams Cooperative Garden Program. Our gardening program offers eligible individuals seeds, plants and fertilizer to grow their own food. Arc of The Shoals wanted to provide gardening skills to their clients. “We are a learning facility and our clients are learning about horticulture, said Mike Stumps. "They are learning the skills needed to plant, cultivate and harvest vegetables."	We had a great time at the Chillin' with the Cramer Children's Center event during Handy week. There were fun, kid-friendly activities, great music by the Midnighters, and free hot dogs & snow cones. If you didn't make it down this year, be sure and make plans to attend next year!	These donated supplies were given out during the Hydrate the Homeless event today, July 25th, at the Sunrise Center in Sheffield. We received a generous supply donation that contained cases of water, band aids, baby wipes, women's and men's deodorant, toothpaste, insect repellent, antibiotic ointment, bar soap, body wash, chap stick, sunscreen, facial tissues, and personal care wipes from Medical Center Pharmacy. We are very grateful to them for their dedication and support of our community.
We were delighted to have Rev. Danny Whitehead, Rector of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Florence, and Cornelia McIntosh delivering meals on one of our Florence routes today! #doservelove #MOWS #volunteerism #seniornutrition #volunteertoday #mealsonwheelspeople	Congratulations to our very own Mandy Dowdy for achieving certification as a Nationally Certified ROMA Implementer! We are so proud of her hard work and dedication in helping make the Shoals area a better place to live and work! Way to go Mandy!!	Responsible Parenting Class students recently participated in the quarterly TEAM event. The Saturday event is designed to help participants focus on better communication with their partners, problem solving techniques and life coping skills. The TEAM event is lead by Ben Hayes Counseling Services, LLC.
Recently, we held ROMA training for some of our board members and new staff. We are very fortunate to have Jackie Brewer Baker, Certified ROMA Trainer, in our office. ROMA is the results oriented and management accountability system that guides all Community Action Agency decisions. Pictured above are CAANW Board Members and staff.	Nick Harden admits he never dreamed that a 5 minute conversation about the Responsible Parenting Program would change his life. He was in court discussing an issue about child support when Jackie Baker, coordinator for the program, approached him. Harden was a high school dropout who needed some encouragement and his GED. With Alabama's new high school diploma option, Nick was able to get his high school diploma through a partnership the Fatherhood program has with NW-SCC Adult Education.	We love seeing our volunteer's share their love of delivering a friendly meal with their grandchildren. Mrs. Ann Smith had her grandchildren, Aubrie and Braxton, with her recently to deliver meals.
On Thursday, June 21st, the Shoals Chamber hosted a Treasure Hunt After Hours for non profits and business to come together and find ways to better serve in our community.	Jay Hendricks, Weatherization Specialist, speaks to First Time Homebuyers Class about key structure elements to look for when buying a home.	Please meet Nicole. Nicole enrolled and completed the Mothers Program in late 2015. Since that time, she has been reunited with her children, gained employment and gotten engaged. We are so happy for Nicole and wish her the very best in the future. Nicole is pictured with Sheila Weaver, MOTHERS Program Coordinator.
Jernessa Jones, Operation Hope, recently spoke to our First Time Homebuyers class along with specialists from the USDA. Attendees received education on credit, income, weatherization tips, and loan qualification. Pictured: Holly Morrison, CAANW Housing Counselor, Jernessa Jones, Operation Hope, April Moore, CAANW Housing Counselor.	We were honored to be nominated for the "Shoals Impact Award" at the 2018 Excellence in Business Awards. The award recognizes a non profit for their work in the community to make The Shoals a better place to live and work.	Judy Guyton has been delivering meals to residents of Russellville for over 17 years as a volunteer for Meals On Wheels of The Shoals. "She's an awesome volunteer and very dedicated," Tammy McDaniel, Executive Director says. "Mrs. Guyton has helped make sure meal recipients got their basic needs met outside their regular deliveries." To learn more, please read the latest Courier Journal Unsung Heroes article.
The Beth Rutledge Baker Disc Golf Tournament benefiting Meals On Wheels of The Shoals took place at McFarland Park on Saturday, May 26th. Beth Rutledge Baker was a long time volunteer of MOWS and an avid disc golf player. We honor her memory and support on this day.	Ms. Cam Jones, A MOWS Volunteer, lets her grandchildren tag along to help deliver the meals. They offer a friendly smile to the seniors on her route. We love volunteers like Ms. Jones.	CAANW was honored at the recent United Way Annual Meeting for being one of the Top 3 Non Profit Campaign Leaders. Live United.
The President has declared May as Seniors Month. Meals on Wheels delivers over 60,000 meals to Shoals area seniors each year. We love our seniors.	On May 3, we celebrated our students who graduated with their high school credentials through our partnership with NW-SCC Adult Education & Ready To Work Program.	Arc of The Shoals participated in our Gardening Program. They are planting a garden of their own. We can't wait to see their efforts grow.
The month of April is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.	We are always appreciative of the time and commitment our board puts in to serving in the community.	We love our Volunteers and couldn't do it without them! We thank them for their continued support and involvement.
Our gardening program provided plants, seeds, and fertilizer to area residents this spring to help them grow their own food. Volunteers from TVA coordinated the efforts.	Operation Hope from SunTrust Bank provides routine budgeting and finance advice to our Fatherhood program participants.	CAANW recently met with other non profits of the Shoals area to discuss collaborative opportunities with area businesses to serve the needs of our area.
Fatherhood Program participants complete team event that teaches trust, communication and cooperation skill building.