Jessica Howington's Spotlight Charity Project

Over the past two months, The Crider Foundation team members Jessica Howington and John Walker have been working closely with a family in Elberton, GA, to complete a hands-on donation project to meet a variety of their needs. The recipient of this donation reached out to The Crider Foundation for assistance after unexpected circumstances lead to significant damages to her home. In addition to the damage to her doors, windows, walls and locks caused by this domestic incident, this pregnant mother of six was in need of adequate furniture and food assistance. Jessica and John met with this family to evaluate the situation, and they determined that The Crider Foundation should nominate this family to receive a Spotlight Donation, as they could benefit from an individualized donation project to meet their unique need.

Jessica and John spent several weekends at this family's home in order to complete this complex project. The home had suffered damages including broken windows, broken exterior and interior doors, and large holes in the walls of nearly every room. John donated his time and labor to repair the walls, repair the windows, repair the front and back doors, and install new locks on the front and back doors. Jessica donated her time and money to deliver multiple food donations and monetary donations over the course of several weeks, as the mother was out of work and unable to afford groceries due to pregnancy.

The Crider Foundation is operating with a limited budget, so Jessica was determined to stretch her resources as far as she could to provide the largest donation possible. Because of her personal fundraising efforts and savvy repurposing of donated furniture, she managed to complete this donation project spending under $250 when the value this donation easily exceeds $900. It is amazing how efficiently Jessica was able to create such an impactful donation with the limited funds at her disposal, which she donated from her own pocket.

This project has made a significant impact on this family's life. The mother is now able to provide a safe living space for her children, and they no longer have to worry about the basic necessities of life. The family is grateful for the support they received and feels blessed to have people like Jessica and John in their lives. "Y'all brought me some peace today" she said, "I honestly can't thank y'all enough!"

Jessica's initiative on this Spotlight Charity Project is an excellent example of how a small act of kindness can have a significant impact on someone's life. It is a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference in someone's life, no matter how big or small the gesture. We need more people like Jessica and John who are willing to step up and help those in need.

Andrea Bradshaw & The Bush Family

On February 13, The Crider Foundation celebrated our biggest Spotlight Donation success story yet! Our team member, Andrea Bradshaw celebrated her birthday by providing a remarkable donation that would ultimately change the lives a local family in Okeechobee, Florida. The Bush Family was in desperate need of a vehicle in order to properly care for their household of seven. Several members of the household are elderly and require specialized care, but could not receive it due to a lack of transportation. When Andrea caught wind of this need, she was determined to find a way to help.

Andrea drove all the way from her home in Georgia to Okeechobee, Florida to meet with the Bush Family and inform them that they have been nominated to receive a Spotlight Donation from The Crider Foundation. Andrea met with Mitch, the owner of a local car dealership called M&M Auto Brokers Inc. She organized our biggest donation yet, a car donation to the Bush Family!

When Andrea organized this generous donation to The Bush Family, she volunteered to personally raise the funds to cover the cost of this vehicle. In collaboration with M&M Auto Brokers Inc, The Crider Foundation team members Andrea Bradshaw and Alysha Crider personally donated over $6500 to purchase a vehicle for this Spotlight Donation. The Bush Family received their new car on the same day and even drove it out of the lot.

The Crider Foundation is extremely proud of Andrea Bradshaw's hard work with this Spotlight Donation. She not only found a way to offer a helping hand to a family who desperately needed it., but she displayed astonishing compassion and leadership while completing this project. Andrea's project turned out to be the largest and most successful donation project The Crider Foundation has completed this year. The Bush Family will continue to benefit from this vehicle donation every single day.

The Crider Foundation's First Charity Event

On Saturday, February 11, 2023, The Crider Foundation partnered with the city of Lavonia, Georgia to host a Valentine's themed charity event called the Lavonia is for Lovers Community Drive. Jessica, Rebekah, and Andrea invited the community to join in on some fun some fun while we collect canned food donations to put in the donation box for the Lavonia Food Pantry.

In addition to collecting canned food donations for the Lavonia Food Pantry, The Crider Foundation hosted a silent auction, carnival games, a cornhole tournament, a cake walk, and a Valentine's Day Raffle! The Raffle prize containing Valentines candy, a $20 Starbucks Gift Card, and a cash prize of $30 was won by a local Lavonia woman. Congratulations Ms. T!!

The Crider Foundation believes that kindness breeds kindness. The holiday of love seemed like a perfect opportunity to host our very first event, which turned out to be a success despite the cold and rainy weather.. With the help of the generous people in Lavonia, we were able to fill up our donation box for the Lavonia Food Pantry, who will soon distribute this food to hungry people across Franklin County.

Thank you to everybody who made this event possible! We couldn't have done it without you!