Take 5 to Give $5 Coronavirus Relief Special Part 1

Take 5 to Give $5 Coronavirus Relief Special Part 1

>>> you're watching waay 31 news.

Coronavirus in alabama.

Take 5 to give 5.

>> najahe sherman: thanks for joining us this giving tuesday, and welcome to our "take 5 to give 5" celebration show.

I'm najahe sherman.

>> dan shaffer: and i'm dan shaffer.

For the past week and a half we've highlighted some of the dozens of organizations receiving support through the "take 5 to give 5" partnership between the huntsville-madison county chamber of commerce, toyota manufacturing, and those of us at waay 31.

All the money donated stays right here in alabama.

>> najahe sherman: hundreds of you at home, and several corporate donors, have made a big difference.

Your support to those hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic is having a big impact on our communities.

We went into the goal with half a million dollars and we have reached it with your help.

Right now we have raised more than $565,000 for the take 5 to give 5 campaign and there is still time to take part.

There's a link to donate online at waaytv.com.

Just find the story with the take 5 to give 5 logo.

>> dan shaffer: we want to turn our attention to the woman who is behind the boots on the ground behind this whole operation.

We're joined now by melissa thompson.

She's the president and ceo of the community foundation of greater huntsville.

Melissa, thanks for being with us tonight.

You're doing fantastic work.

>> thank you, dan.

Thank you for having me.

>> dan shaffer: walk us through how the campaign came to be.

>> so back in big march our community foundation recognized that they were going to be many non-profits who were serving on the front lines of this current covid crisis.

So we activated our emergency relief fund on march 16th.

Our donors came in and began supporting the effort in a big way.

And then we were so happy whenever toyota motor manufacturing came in and said, we want to be part of it and we want to be part of the take 5 to give 5 campaign.

That's really how it was launched just two weeks ago, the take 5 campaign was dawnched.

>> dan shaffer: incredible how fast this came to believe.

Why is it to important especially now?

>> community is hurting weapon have many non-profits out on the front line, serving meals, helping the homeless.

Providing protective equipment to those medical workers and thigh need our help.

Our community is so incredibly generous.

They have come together in remarkable ways to really benefit those on the front lines.

>> dan shaffer: what's the overall goal of this fundraiser?

>> the goal was half a million dollars.

We kind of looked at that and just kind of held our breath.

Wondering whether we might be able to hit it but as in every situation our community always over achieves and in this case they have done that as well.

And the money is going to go straight to those on the front lines.

>> dan shaffer: melissa, congratulations.

Thanks for being us.

>> absolutely.

Thank you.

>> najahe sherman: now we want to show you how some of the organizations receiving grants from this program plan to use the money.

We start with new futures, a homeless shelter in huntsville that keeps families together while as they work to find jobs or homes of their own.

Waay 31's pat simon shows us how funds from the "take 5 to give 5" campaign will help the organization support its mission.

>> mr. carroll, my life before new futures, my life was absolutely chaotic.

>> pat simon: for the past six months, andrew carroll, his fiance and stepson have called the new futures shelter home.

They moved from north carolina in search of a fresh start.

>> mr. carroll: i left huntsville originally to get clean, and we came back.

>> pat simon: after years of battling a drug addiction, carroll is celebrating two years of sobriety.

He said the recovery process hasn't been easy, but for the first time, he has the support that he needs to move forward.

>> mr. carroll: it definitely became easier know that i had new futures as a security blanket, something that can make me comfortable enough to learn and to get back out there into the world.

>> pat simon: new futures is the only shelter in huntsville that allows families to live together as they work to find jobs and a home of their own.

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, there's been a growing number of families on the waiting list.

>> ms. rains: i had 11 calls looking for placement.

>> pat simon: since donations are down and their cleaning budget is increasing, executive director tanya rains applied for the community foundation of greater huntsville's emergency relief fund.

The grant will help pay their utility bills and purchase cleaning supplies and food.

>> ms. rains: we haven't been able to procure meat since this has happened.

>> pat simon: carroll is grateful the staff is doing everything they can to keep the shelter clean and well stocked during the pandemic, so his family can stay together.

>> mr. carroll: it's euphoric because i would be definitely so uncomfortable being apart from them.

For us to be together, it's a great feeling.

>> pat simon: pat simon, waay 31 news.

>> new futures plans to use the money to purchase more food and cleaning supplies.

>> dan shaffer: now we want to highlight another organization that's been getting creative during the pandemic, so that it can still support kids and families.

Here's a look at how "the boys and girls club of north alabama" is taking care of people during these times.

No, it's not the ice cream truck, but when the boys and girls club bus drives into neighborhoods, that means it's lunch time.

>> ms. carter: they see that bus, and they can run out there and get them something to eat, that's a blessing.

>> dan shaffer: louise carter normally watches around a dozen of her grand and great grandchildren every day.

She says the free meals help because it's a financial burden purchasing groceries and cooking for each child.

>> ms. carter, when i cook, i cook a lot.

>> dan shaffer: after the schools closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the boys and girls club of north alabama created the grab n go food program to pass out free nutritious lunches.

Right now, they're serving 325 kids a day compared to the 95 kids they were feeding during their afterschool program.

Tween and prevention director bryan cordell helps pass out meals in the butler terrace and l.r.

Patton communities.

>> mr. cordell: if i go to a parking lot in one of the apartments where the kids live and we only have 2 kids in that, but there are 30 in the parking lot -- and this happens everyday -- every one of those kids will get a meal.

>> dan shaffer: the boys and girls club of north alabama will receive a grant from the community foundation of greater huntsville's emergency relief fund to help them continue to provide lunches to children in underprivileged communities.

>> see y'all tomorrow.

>> all right, thank you.

>> dan shaffer: and carter is doing her part to make sure those meals go to children who need them.

>> ms. carter: even if my grandkids are not here and i see some children coming through, and if they are not here to eat it, then it still goes to good use because i will give it to a child.

If i see them coming through.

>> dan shaffer: the boys and girls club of north alabama will receive a grant from the community foundation.

They plan to use the money to continue providing lunches to underpriveleged children.

Before we take a break we want to show you how one more organization is making a difference in our community.

>> najahe sherman: the manna house is another one of the dozens of organizations that will receive funding.

It's a food distribution program that helps those in need.

>> dan shaffer: they've seen a lot more people over the past month and a half.

Waay 31's marie waxel explains how manna house plans to use the money it receives.

>> ms. oglesby: i'm a country person, and i love my vegetables.

>> marie waxel: almost a decade ago, irene oglesby started volunteering at manna house, bringing fresh vegetables from her garden for the hundreds of families in line needing food.

Now, after suffering a back injury, the 98-year-old is in line picking up groceries for herself.

>> ms. oglesby: that means a whole lot to me because i'm old now and not working.

>> marie waxel: even during the coronavirus pandemic, the manna house is keeping its doors open to those in need, providing free food boxes full of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Director fran fluhler is noticing more people are needing help after being laid off during the pandemic.

>> ms. fluhler: a lot of people in the hospitality industry, people who worked in dentist offices that are closed, other people in other locations, the factory closed because someone tested positive, and they're just not making it.

>> marie waxel: fluhler applied for the community foundation of greater huntsville's emergency relief fund to continue providing food to new clients and those like john anderson who need the help on a regular basis.

>> mr. anderson: the manna house is a blessing for a lot of people in the neighborhood and everywhere.

>> marie waxel: clients like anderson and oglesby are relying on those blessings to continue so they don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from.

>> mr. anderson, i'm very grateful for them.

I say a prayer for them every night.

>> marie waxel: in huntsville, marie waxel, waay 31 news.

>> najahe sherman: we talked with the huntsville hospital foundation, it is insure that front line caregivers are safe while working around people who are exposed to the coronavirus.

After being a nurse at huntsville hospital for 32 years, joyce thomas realizes that working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic are now a part of her new normal.

>> you just get into that cycle and that work mode of this is a job that has to be done and this is what we do.

>> najahe sherman: each day she's at a different location testing those who think they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.

>> that's the actual test kits.

>> najahe sherman: as a emergency repairedness manager she's been train for this moment.

>> we had just had a highly infectious disease exercise just prior to this breaking out, probably last summer we did that.

We practiced our negative pressure equipment room in the ed and the workflow and the transition of ems patient into the highly infectious disease units.

>> najahe sherman: the huntsville hospital foundation realized front line workers needed additional personal protective equipment while working during the pandemic.

They a pliend for the community foundation of greater huntsville's emergency relief fund to help pay for the equipment.

>> that's a comforting feeling is to know you've got the adequate equip to the do your job so you can -- you don't have to worry about that.

You just do your job.

>> najahe sherman: huntsville hospital foundation president jones workers' comp the grant will help pay for fever and flu clinics in communities so people can get tested, quarantined employees.

>> if someone is exposed, on the job, and they have tonight to be quarantined, we help to make sure that they are provided for financially.

>> najahe sherman: this is a job thomas still loves and despite the stressful moments, she remembers one thing -- >> you know, this is a very difficult time for everything and you feel like i did my part.

I was able to put in that little piece that keeps the wheel turning and that we care for the patients.

>> najahe sherman: we want to take a minute to thank our corporate sponsors who have taken part in this campaign.

Nearly a dozen companies donated to the cause, including toyota, aerojet rocket foundation, raytheon, erc, and cadence bank community reinvestment fund also contributed as well as mtsi, redstone federal credit union and vector wealth strategies.

And finally, torch technologies and a caring foundation of bcbs alabama.

Again, thank you so very much for your generosity.

>> dan shaffer: stay with us, in a few minutes we'll be joined by represenatives from toyota who will share the final fundraising numbers with us.

>> najahe sherman: plus, hear from the huntsville-madison county chamber of commerce about how