Nonprofit Performance 360 Issue 12

Nonprofits that Work Together

Nonprofit Collaboration Power ofWe Lynchburg JESSICA ARRINGTON & SARAH GRANT

The heart of CRI is for our neighbors in Lynchburg who are struggling to move beyond difficult and even crippling circumstances. We believe the greatest hindrance to moving beyond challenges is the lack of a strong, healthy, supportive, Jesus-centered community. We believe the best resources in the world are null and void without healthy friends to lead and support the pursuit of not just surviving, but thriving, and that being surrounded by a community like this is the greatest hope to overcoming anything. CRI partners in the community to blend families and individuals from all backgrounds and economic classes, and strives to clear away all barriers to the formation of genuine relationships. As friendships form, CRI provides avenues for them to become the environment where difficult life circumstances can be approached and worked through. Power of We Lynchburg The goals of Power of We Lynchburg are these: • To develop a strong sense of Unity in the Community. • To bridge the gap between nonprofits and community members for the sake of usefulness and unity. • To empower the community to actively know and use available resources. • To provide education on the 10 Keys to Empowering a Thriving Successful Community.

There is a growing desire for collaboration among nonprofit organizations. The spirit of collaboration is alive in Lynchburg, Virginia, through many different avenues. Even if some endeavors are a struggle, the struggle is the indicator of effort.We are truly better together! Power of We Lynchburg was founded and is hosted by Jessica Arrington with Rise Against Hunger, and Sarah Grant with Community Restoration Initiative (CRI), in Lynchburg, Virginia. Our greatest desire for the leaders of nonprofits through Power of We is that you are known, heard, connected, valued, and supported by the community you serve, so that you may continue to keep the mission in focus, create bandwidth for celebration, and tread the waters of collaboration for the joy of unity and usefulness. Our Background Jessica is the Assistant Community Engagement Program Manager for Rise Against Hunger in Lynchburg. Rise Against Hunger is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. Our mission is to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources through a global network of hunger champions. Our volunteers package millions of nutritious meals annually that are distributed to our partners in countries around the world.These meals are provided in schools to encourage increased enrollment and attendance. Adults

attending training sessions in community empowerment programs avoid losing productive time while providing meals.Meals distributed in hospitals and clinics support patients’ nutritional needs and complement their treatments. Our international partners are best able to address the causes and effects of hunger based on their local expertise, while our thorough monitoring and evaluation process ensures that the meal distribution changes lives by promoting education, improving students’ health and nutrition, addressing gender inequalities, stimulating economic growth, and fighting child labor. We assist with disaster relief efforts domestically and internationally. Sarah Grant is the Founder and Executive Director of CRI (Community Restoration Initiative). CRI’s mission is to pursue life- changing relationships within Lynchburg neighborhoods by maintaining environments that cultivate youth and family support systems and community that reflects the body of Christ. Formerly Lighthouse Kids Ministry, CRI was founded in November of 2011 and became a nonprofit in 2016. We began with a heartbeat for creating environments for children to learn about Jesus and be introduced to the miracle of the gospel. Our heart is the Acts 2 Church. As we’ve grown, our purpose has redirected to focus on the entire family unit. Our name change reflects our desire to focus on the community as a whole.

38 I Nonprofit Performance Magazine