Shopper news • March 1, 2017 • my-5 When Gary Harmon stands before his audience, he is different from other speakers. Potential Speaking Topics
Businesses and groups have appreciated Gary’s ability to adapt his message to meet their specific needs and address individual issues. However, here are some topics to consider:
Are you interested in learning more about disability ministry? Would you like to volunteer with a ministry outreach, or help your church develop a Sunday school program for children affected by disability? Perhaps you have a disability, or know someone who does.
CONTACT US AT Joni and Friends at 865-540-3860 or www.joniandfriends.org/Knoxville KN-1491124
Clown Nancy Scott from First Baptist Concord provides a “stay in school!” cheer. She’s joined by Oneida Elementary School principal Tonya Crabtree, who went to the school herself. “You don’t know how much our kids need to hear this,” she says. Photos submitted
“The response I hear over and over again after he came, was that we needed to make sure and have him back to speak to our children. Everyone can benefit by what he has to offer. His take on dealing with limitations in life is unique. And his message is compelling.” - Rev. Drew Prince West Hills Baptist Church
Disabilities • Accepting People with Disabilities • School • Church • Workplace • Etiquette • Removing Barriers Diversity Accepting people with different ethnic religious, and political backgrounds in schools, churches, and in the workplace.
To Make a Difference in Your Organization Contact Gary Today: harmonspeaks@comcast.net; harmonspeaks.com
At the fall 2016 ceremony, a young student of middleschool age signs a pledge to graduate from high school. “Most of the time, when the kids do well, they come back to help their communities,” says Thompson.
Mission of Hope “Those kids were just clutching those contracts and looking up at us,” says Peck. “I’ve got goosebumps thinking about it. When you see how much it means to them, it’s very moving.” Though the 21-year-old Christian nonprofit is mainly known for its Christmas tradition of delivering toys and household goods to children and families in 28 rural Appalachian communities, MOH works year-round to provide aid and improve people’s lives through what Thompson calls “the blooming tree,” which includes two roots and seven branches. And the first root is “schools.” “There’s a lot of despair in these communities,” he says. “Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize the act of finishing high school as a priority.” During the teen years, some kids begin to drift away. Thompson recalls the heartbreaking case of a young man who had previously committed to graduating, but dropped out with only two months left of his senior year. MOH does everything possible to lessen this self-defeating possibility. Along with the blue bracelets and laminated documents comes a brochure that lays it on the line. “The truth may shock
From page 4 you!” it says. “Graduating from high
school will determine how well you live
Mission of Hope operations assistant Laura Peck and executive director Emmette Thompson are all charged up to visit the students at Oneida Elementary School.
for the next 50 years of your life. High school graduates earn $143 more per WEEK than high school dropouts. That’s $7436 more a year! Over 50 years, that’s $371,800! The key to your future is graduation!” The MOH “blooming tree” also includes such “branches” as day-to-day resources, aid with home construction projects, college scholarships, school supplies and evangelism. “There’ll never be anything we bring them on a truck that’s as important as knowing God loves them and Jesus is their greatest hope,” says Thompson. Right now, MOH is in dire need of volunteers who can work in the warehouse during weekly business hours. Some volunteer work calls for lifting, so “strong backs are always appreciated,” laughs Thompson. “If we were a business, our widget – the thing we manufacture – would be compassion,” he says. “We give ’em hope. We’re in the hope business.” If you’d like to volunteer or otherwise support MOH, visit missionofhope.org or call 865-584-7571.
Komen turns big guns on cancer On March 24, Susan G. Komen East Tennessee will host its fourth annual Shoot for a Cure sporting clay tournament at Chilhowee Sportsman’s Club. Many are familiar with Komen’s October Race for a Cure in Knoxville, but there are additional fundraisers, like Shoot for a Cure, throughout the year that help the organization raise the funds needed to support the Community Grants Program and fund the research that will find the cures. Beyond providing funding for mammograms for the uninsured through grantees like UT
Medical Center’s mobile mammography unit and the local county health department’s breast and cervical program, Komen East Tennessee also helps to ease the financial burdens for those fighting breast cancer by raising and granting money to community organizations that provide patient assistance. “When going through treatments, patients shouldn’t have to worry about the financial burdens that come with their costly treatments, travel to those treatments and missed work,” said executive director Amy Dunaway.
Komen East Tennessee serves 24 counties funding mammograms, patient assistance and providing education on breast cancer warning signs to help end late stage diagnosis. There are many ways that community members and businesses can help support Komen’s mission. Participating in or sponsoring events like Shoot for a Cure or Race for a Cure are great ways to be involved. Komen East Tennessee also has a BBQ & Auction event in August and Dine Out for the Cure in October. You could also host an event of your
own that benefits Komen East Tennessee. “Community events make a difference in the services, education and financial support we are able to provide in our community. Your event can be as simple as donating a percentage of sales, or you can plan your own stand-alone event,” said director of special events Lauren Chesney. To sign up for Shoot for the Cure or find more information on how to be involved with Susan G. Komen East Tennessee, visit www.komeneasttennessee. org.