Employees of Memorial Health System (MHS) in Abilene wore blue jeans at work for another “Jeans Day” fundraiser on Fridays throughout the month of November. Employees make a donation, of at least $5, and are allowed to wear blue jeans at work. A total donation of $810 was presented to Abilene Core Community.
One of the first three projects that the members of CARES Coalition of Dickinson County worked on was the Abilene Core Community project. This program is derived from Youth Core Ministries, and it is a specific program that focuses on helping individuals and families develop skills to break the cycle of poverty. In this program, poverty is not only defined by a lack of financial resources, which is instantly what people think of first when they hear the word poverty. Instead, it is defined as “anywhere a person lacks a resource.” Core Community identifies the following ways in which a person can be impoverished: Financial, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, Physical, Language, Social Capital, Integrity & Trust, Relationships / Role Models, Knowledge of Middle-Class Rules, Motivation & Persistence. Individuals and families will enroll in a 22-week program. For more information, please visit their website at: caresresources.org/abilene-core-community.cfm.
The monthly Jeans Day fundraiser is organized by the MHS Employer of Choice (EOC) committee. Pictured from left are: Billy Hansen, MHS EOC committee member; Shiloh Walter, Abilene Core Community liaison; and Cindy Whittington, Abilene Core Community coach.