BWW Charities

Founded in 1989, City Relief has mobilized thousands of volunteers to compassionately serve those struggling with homelessness by providing hope and resources that lead towards life transformation. Because homelessness is a struggle, not a life sentence.

Our two outreach models are based on mobility and consistency. Our Relief Buses are mobile care centers where we serve homemade soup & bread, distribute hygiene kits, host Life Care Visits, and pray for the needs of our friends on the street. By setting up tables & chairs on the sidewalk, we create an intentional space that welcomes our guests and invites conversation over a shared meal.

In 2017, we launched a new outreach model called the Relief Co-Op. This is a partnership with other nonprofits providing direct services. With this model, we go to locations where the homeless population is already congregating. We hold Life Care Visits while guests wait for immediate services. We meet immediate needs - by offering soup, bread, hot chocolate, hygiene kits, socks and prayer - but our goal is to meet long-term needs by leading our guests into a Life Care Visit and connecting them to resources and hope.

Life Care Visits are why we do what we do. In these one on one meetings, our team provides hope and resources through individualized action plans. We provide hope - by listening, encouraging and praying with our friends who are struggling - and then we provide resources - by connecting guests to emergency shelter, job programs, detox or drug rehabilitation.

Life Transformation happens one person at a time. Our outreaches create a space where everyone belongs, no matter what life stage you are in. We focus on intentional relationships and building communities of trust... but all starts with a cup of soup!

The San Antonio Food Bank strives to maintain the highest standard of efficiency while providing food to those in need. With only a 2% overhead, 98% of donated resources go to help set the table for 58,000 individuals a week.

We rely on the generosity and support of local businesses, churches, foundations, corporations, government, civic groups and individuals in order to successfully continue serving Southwest Texans who are at risk for going hungry.

Through no fault of their own, 35% of our clients are children. In Bexar County, one in four children don’t know where they will find their next meal. Without access to food outside of school, nutrition takes a backseat to hunger.

Most of our seniors often have to choose between food and medical care being on a limited income. With nearly a third of our clients being seniors, we work to ensure that our elderly are properly fed and have access to medical resources.

Many working adults struggle with covering expenses until their next paycheck. Of the households we serve, 46% have at least 1 working adult. The ability to sufficiently provide nutritious food for their families is our goal.

Providing for your family as a single parent is not easy. Single parents often find that the ability to provide nutritious food loses priority to other expenses such as rent, transportation, utilities, and sometimes daycare.

The hidden face of hunger often includes those who have served in the U.S. Military. Of those served through the Feeding America network, 1 in 5 households includes a family member who is a current or former military member.

Much like hunger, homelessness is a symptom of a larger systemic breakdown. Beyond initial food assistance, we work with shelters and group homes to provide resources towards self-sustainability and sufficiency.

The San Antonio Food Bank. Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope.

The Dixon Center is changing the conversation about veterans and military families to highlight their potential and create life-changing opportunities. The Dixon Center works nationally and locally to break down barriers and connect individuals and organizations with easily accessible solutions veterans and military families need to access meaningful employment, education, and healthcare.

In communities across the country, the Dixon Center deliver services that veterans and military families need to live productive, successful lives. The Dixon Center's national credibility and community-based reach provide an unmatched resource enabling our veterans and military families to succeed where they live. Through direct interaction, visits, and direct contacts in hundreds of communities and thousands of organizations, the Dixon Center is a catalyst for change. This is achieved by assisting in the development of systems for organizations: finding veterans, focusing on their needs, and creating community-based solutions.

Through its partnerships with organizations across the nation, the Dixon Center leverages community-based networks and countless volunteers. These collective impacts, achieved through organizational leadership and direct service, result in the structural changes that maximize public and private resources and most importantly, enable our veterans and families to thrive, where they live.

Like its distinctive mission, the U.S. Dream Academy's program sets it apart from other afterschool and mentoring organizations.

The program starts with this principle: Beyond school, every young person we serve must spend 11 to 15 hours each week in a stimulating learning environment. One-on-one sessions with carefully matched mentors complement afterschool activities that combine academic fundamentals. The focus builds on three pillars – skill-building, character-building, and dream-building. The overall goal is to nurture the whole child while altering attitudes, enhancing self-esteem, supporting emotional and intellectual growth, and sparking dreams.

From our earliest days, the Dream Academy has grounded its program in research and tested it in the field. A recently developed theory of change illustrates the relationship between this design and the outcomes we strive to achieve.

Ongoing research and evaluation helps us determine results and continually strengthen the program. Anecdotal evidence tells us that the Dream Academy also has an important impact on the quality of education and classroom learning, suggesting that our program has the capacity to become a building block for better schools.
The Pillars of the Dream Academy Program

The U.S. Dream Academy’s academic excellence is built on three thematic pillars: Skill-building, Character-building, and Dream-building.

1. Skill Building: Academic failure has been shown to be the most important predictor of future incarceration. The core components for this pillar are assistance with homework and online learning. Students use SuccessMaker, a computer-based educational program that focuses on literacy and math instruction.

2. Character Buildingr: Students utilize the Education in Human Values curriculum, a universal, values-based program that lays the foundation for students to understand and apply the five fundamental values of peace, love, truth, right action, and non-violence in their lives.

3. Dream Building: Helps students to broaden their understanding of what their options and opportunities are, while eliminating the possibility of incarceration from their framework of reference. Mentoring plays a part here because mentors act as role models, showing students positive options for their lives.

The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, "Go and do likewise."

For over 40 years, Samaritan's Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ's command by going to the aid of the world's poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Our emergency relief programs provide desperately needed assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. As we offer food, water, and temporary shelter, we meet critical needs and give people a chance to rebuild their lives.

Our community development and vocational programs in impoverished villages and neighborhoods help people break the cycle of poverty and give them hope for a better tomorrow.

We impact the lives of vulnerable children through educational, feeding, clothing, and shelter programs that let them know they are not forgotten.

We provide first-class treatment in the Name of the Great Physician through our medical projects, as well as supplying mission hospitals with much needed equipment and supplies.

As our teams work in crisis areas of the world, people often ask, "Why did you come?" The answer is always the same: "We have come to help you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Our ministry is all about Jesus—first, last, and always. As the Apostle Paul said, "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV).

MISSION STATEMENT

Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mission
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.

Vision
Our vision is to be the world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic diseases in children. This vision will be pursued by providing outstanding patient care; by conducting basic, translational and clinical research designed to elucidate biological mechanisms, understand disease pathogenesis, improve diagnosis, enhance treatment outcome, prevent diseases and minimize adverse consequences of treatment; and by educating health care and scientific research professionals. Through these efforts we seek to cure and enhance the quality of life for an increasing proportion of children who come to us for treatment, and by expanding and sharing knowledge, to advance treatment of children with catastrophic diseases worldwide, while developing strategies to prevent catastrophic diseases in children.

Values
Our foremost responsibilities are to the children with catastrophic diseases, their families, and to the donors that have committed their personal resources toward our Mission. To fully meet these responsibilities, we are committed to an explicit set of values. These values are the standards of behavior that we use to guide our daily actions and decisions. We will ensure that these standards of behavior are adhered to through ongoing training of all personnel working at St. Jude, and by annually evaluating the executive leadership, faculty and staff in their adherence to these values.

Our values of ethical behavior are an important part of who we are, and their incorporation into the fabric of the institution directly impacts our ability to make progress toward achieving our Mission, while simultaneously strengthening our reputation.

• A commitment to provide our patients with the highest quality of medical and supportive care, and their families with the level of information and support necessary for them to make informed decisions and to become active participants in the care of their children.


• A commitment to respect the ethnic, cultural, religious and lifestyle differences of patients, their families, our colleagues and our supporters.


• A commitment to our donors that every dollar donated will be wisely spent toward achieving our Mission of advancing cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic disease through research and treatment.


• A commitment to a culture of excellence, innovation and creativity, not only in our research, but in everything we do.


• A drive and a sense of urgency to succeed.


• Honesty, integrity, and accountability in our actions and decisions.


• A culture of trust and teamwork.


• Respect for the employees under our supervision.


• A commitment to the continual development of our employees.


• A commitment to diversity.


• A commitment to social responsibility and institutional citizenship on a local, state, national and global level.

To effectively live up to these ideals, institutional leaders and all employees must maintain a culture that promotes adherence to these values in all that we do.

Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for nearly 90 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

Easter Seals, Amway & BWW
Through the years, donations by Amway and Amway IBOs have been a powerful force in support of Easter Seals. Amway has raised more than $30 million in donations over their 27-year partnership with Easter Seals, and helped millions of individuals with disabilities.

Amway is an annual National Presenting Sponsor of "Walk With Me" events, to raise funds benefiting Easter Seals therapy programs in local communities. Every year, more than a thousand IBOs and employees participate in dozens of "Walk With Me" events around the country.

Over the past quarter of a century, BWW IBOs Angelo & Claudia Nardone's team has contributed well over $2.5 million to both local and national Easter Seals, in an effort to give back to a community of children, their parents, and also brain-injured adults who have a "never-give-up" attitude, fostered at Easter Seals facilities across our nation.

At the 2009 World of Hope Gala, BWW IBOs Kanti & Lata Gala received the prestigious Lillie and Allan Shedlin Award from Easter Seals New York, in recognition of their service in helping people with disabilities and special needs.

Easter Seals Today
Easter Seals offers help, hope and answers to more than a million children and adults living with autism and other disabilities or special needs and their families each year. Services and support are provided through a network of more than 550 sites in the U.S. and through Ability First Australia. Each center provides exceptional services that are individualized, innovative, family-focused and tailored to meet specific needs of the particular community served.

Primary Easter Seals services include:

Medical Rehabilitation
Employment & Training
Children's Services
Adult & Senior Services
Camping & Recreation

Americans With Disabilities Act

Easter Seals also advocates for the passage of legislation to help people with disabilities achieve independence, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Passed in 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against anyone who has a mental or physical disability, guaranteeing the civil rights of people with disabilities.

At the core of the Easter Seals organization is a common passion for caring, shared by its 23,000 staff members and thousands of volunteers, and by those who support its mission. This heart-felt commitment to helping people with disabilities and their families is what Easter Seals is all about.