Carilion’s Support for TAP

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Carilion doesn’t just provide healthcare for those in southwest Virginia. They also invest in the health and vitality of their community. Carilion has been a sponsor of TAP’s Bringing Hope Home campaign for the past three years. They provide much-needed support to our efforts to bring hope to the community. Carilion’s support for TAP has allowed us to continue providing help to those in need.

Carilion’s Support for TAP Goes Further

Carilion has gone beyond providing financial support in the past. They have demonstrated their commitment to supporting TAP. In the past Carilion has been a partner in our adult education and employment services. This partnership formed through our Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program. Carilion worked with us to provide a pathway to a career in healthcare. Carilion’s support helped make this program accessible. Many people who faced barriers to employment were able to complete it. They now have stable and rewarding healthcare careers. Carilion’s support for TAP has helped give them a path to a brighter future.

They Believe in Our Community

By investing in the community Carilion is helping to create a stronger community. They are helping to make a more robust community. Through support for TAP’s initiatives Carilion has shown their commitment to this community. Their efforts are making a significant difference in the lives of people in the Roanoke Valley. They are bringing hope and support to those who need it the most.
Local partners like Carilion are critical. They make our efforts to create a better future for all possible. By investing in the community in this way, Carilion is making a significant contribution to the region’s growth and development. According to Nancy Agee, Carilion’s CEO, “We are pleased to join with agencies like TAP whose goals and values are aligned with our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve.”   They are setting an example for others to follow.

Ending the cycle of violence

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Gun violence is a national epidemic. The African American Culture and Contemporary Issues (AACCI) classes are part of TAP’s answer to curbing the issue locally.

Changing Dropout Rates and More

Started in 2008, the class originally aimed to reduce Black male dropout rates at William Fleming High School. This fall, it launched an open-to-the-public initiative. Based on the Fleming curriculum, this Saturday program is available to anyone age 15 or older. Both programs follow the school year calendar. Part African American history, part empowerment strategies, part holistic health, AACCI is changing lives.

“This program is catered toward building your self-worth, empowering you to be a leader, as well as knowing when you need to follow,” says TAP’s Youth Services and Education Manager. “It’s learning how to not only think of yourself when you’re in a situation, but those around you in your communities and your home; leading by example.”  

A Holistic Approach

In 2020, Antonio Stovall was tapped to manage this legacy program. He began revamping the curriculum after he was hired. Antonio integrated holistic approaches born from a tragic personal experience. “The man who my mother was in a relationship with, who she had just broken up with, had taken her life,” says Antonio. “After it happened, I could go on the path of self-destruction or [the] path of bettering myself. Reading more, working out more, eating better, studying any type of information about holistic wellness, healing, nutrition. I learned from lots of people from around the country, went to Egypt, and started teaching mindfulness, yoga, and martial arts in the community.”

With his experience, alternative education research, and natural talent for fostering relationships, Antonio created a class structure that works. “What we’re noticing is since the pandemic everything has changed. How students learn, how teachers need to teach,” he says. “This program could be a model for what is needed to rebuild that class and the environment when it comes to learning.”

Impacting Generations

The benefits of AACCI didn’t stop with high school students. “Eventually, it started having an impact on the parents as well because they started to see a difference in how their child was acting,” says Antonio. Soon, adults were asking about the class, and TAP’s “Whole Family” focus made open Saturday classes a natural next step. “The conversations are a lot more diverse. You have different age groups that are part of the class. That just makes the class a lot more interesting because of all the different perspectives,” says Antonio.

“I think one of the biggest reasons why Antonio’s approach works above and beyond the method is because he approaches every individual as an individual,” says TAP’s Youth Services Manager. “He doesn’t come off as the head honcho in the room. He believes in equality for all and that everyone has a voice.”

The class has made an invaluable impact on the community­—AACCI participants have left gangs, learned to appreciate school, and ended suicide plans. “This was created for our most at risk youth, but what we discovered is everyone needs it,” says TAP’s Youth Services Manager. “The more you recognize yourself, the more power you have over dealing with things.”

See You on Saturday!

We invite anyone age 15 or older to join us for this FREE class every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until June at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. To register, please contact info@tapintohope.org.

Supporter Story: Member One Donation

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Last November, Member One presented TAP with a $100,000 donation—the biggest single gift given in our 58-year history! A gift of this kind to a nonprofit was also a first for the credit union.

“Member One is incredibly excited to make this contribution to TAP,” says Frank Carter, President & CEO of Member One. “We were impressed with all of TAP’s initiatives but specifically their housing and early education programs.”

TAP will use part of the donation to help buy a bus to transport our Head Start students so parents can work or pursue their education; the other part will provide additional affordable and safe housing for homeless families seeking careers. “We have three families that are going to be placed in housing as a result of Member One’s financial contribution, and that is only the beginning,” says Annette Lewis, TAP President & CEO. “Member One is a leader in giving back to the community that it serves, for which TAP is very grateful.”

Member One also became a top-level sponsor of our Bringing Hope Home annual campaign this year. They’re invested in the health of the region and those who live here. “When it comes to community support, it’s important to think about how we’re all interconnected,” says Alex Lucas, Vice President of Community Impact at Member One. “By supporting organizations like TAP we can work to consciously make that impact a positive one.”