Community Improvement & Capacity Building

Since 1971, the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center (CRC) has been making a positive impact in the lives of our neighbors. CRC operates a Food Pantry that distributes over two tons of food daily, an affordable summer and after-school elementary program, Kinship Care, and a Senior Services Program that serves over 500 older adults.

Josphat Maroa lives in Migori County, Kenya and joined Nuru International's programs. Here is his story in his own words: Before Nuru, we were farming and not getting good yield. Like in one acre, I was getting just two to three sacks of maize (Six are needed to address hunger in a household). But after joining Nuru, in the first year in one acre I got 31 sacks per acre. Even my family was very proud. Being a leader and field manager with Nuru, I am very happy seeing the change taking place in my community as I train them so that their hunger can disappear and even their life changes.

Community Services Fund is a federation of nonprofits all working to enhance the quality of life. Read below to see how Center for Rural Affairs is creating economic development opportunities and improving the community.

“From an early age, Yomara has loved all things floral. She helped her mother make fabric flowers for bouquets and decorations for weddings. Now, Yomara now makes her living selling flowers.

Yomara started her floral business in Schuyler in 2013. What began as selling arrangements to friends out of her garage has grown into a full-fledged business.

U.S. Army Veteran Nelson Moody fell on hard times and spent 46 days homeless—that’s where United Way stepped in.
By Bradley Roberts

In Kenya’s male-dominated culture, a woman’s husband is often her sole source of financial support. If she loses her husband – or he loses his ability to provide – the entire family can spiral hopelessly into poverty.

Kadzo Kenga radiates confidence. She tackles each new day and each new challenge with strength. She works on her small farm, tends to her animals, and cares for her children and grandson. When not working busily at home, she can be found at her community’s “demonstration farm”—where she participates in training in food security—or meeting with the local village savings and loans group. As a single woman in rural Kenya, where women face barriers to equality, Kadzo proudly owns a small piece of land for her family, complete with a small herd of goats and chickens.

We depend on the work and skill of Community Shares of Mid Ohio not only for their workplace fundraising but also for the depth of knowledge, resources, and support the staff and all associated, provides. We have been fortunate to be a charity benefiting from Community Shares of Mid Ohio. Our work with the companion pets we serve would not be as rich or far-reaching without the support of funding. Just as importantly, we have learned so much from Community Shares. The staff is so knowledgeable about compliance, resources, and training that help to make non-profits even stronger.

Monica grew up in a rural village in Central Kenya. She married a small-scale farmer and together she and her husband raised crops for their home and to sell to neighbors. They began a family and Monica’s life centered around fetching water, cooking, cleaning the home and caring for her young children. Monica thanked God that her family always had food to eat, but their income was minimal and it was hard to provide beyond the most basic necessities. As her kids grew older, Monica worried about how she and her husband would continue to provide for their education.

His Hands Mission International began in 2007 in the small Honduran, mountain village of El Paraiso. After visiting for many years on short term medical mission trips, Joel Aycock saw the great need for clean water throughout the mountain communities. He started His Hands Mission International to be able to provide clean water, through the use of Biosand water filters, to the people of Honduras. Through this clean water project, His Hands Mission International has been able to provide clean water to tens of thousands of people throughout Honduras.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the Anchorage economy overnight, no one responded faster than United Way of Anchorage. Within days of the March order to hunker down and before the first stimulus checks went out, United Way had raised and
put to work hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep Alaskans housed, fed, and hopeful. The need continues, and we’ve expanded the partnership working to meet the need.