• By Krista Kindley
• Posted Thursday, January 22, 2009

RAPP Cultivates Meaningful Experiences

Thanks to over 93 generous individuals, churches, Forsyth County Government employees, community groups and businesses, the “presents” of joy was encountered throughout our community.

RAPP’s third annual holiday assistance project successfully served over 182 adults and 299 children {128 families} in our community, a 36% increase from last year! The success of this annual community project goes beyond providing basic items for families; it offsets financial burdens and strengthens family connections by providing opportunities for them to create lasting memories that will be remembered for years to come.

RAPP adults and children openly express their excitement and gratitude for their assistance. In the words of one child, “Thank you for my presents. My grandma is out of work and she wasn’t going to be able to buy me anything; we lost our grandpa this year, it was our first holiday without him. Your gifts made our holiday bright.”

RAPP appreciates the extraordinary efforts of KB Toys at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem. KB Toys began collecting toys for our program in May 2008 and collected until the end of August. We are sincerely thankful for the longevity of their efforts.

Special thanks to Boy Scouts Troop #119, which ensured RAPP had assistance in the delivery of holiday assistance items to our RAPP families. Troop #119 donated their time, talent and energy in picking up items and delivering to families in our community for added convenience. This was especially helpful for our families without transportation and for those who are medically fragile.

Additionally, thanks to over 10 community partners, over 141 people {40 RAPP families} received Thanksgiving meals. Per Teresa Bryant, RAPP coordinator, “Some of our families received food to cover multiple meals and this was really beneficial to families, especially during these tough economic times. Additionally, most of these community partners contacted the agency seeking families to serve; we did not have to seek them.”

View a complete listing of our generous holiday sponsors.

RAPP is a part of the Forsyth County Department of Social Services, Family and Children’s Division, under the direction of Tanya McDougal. RAPP cultivates opportunities to strengthen the relative caregiver family system to preserve familial and cultural connections.

For more information about RAPP, please contact Teresa Bryant, program coordinator, at bryanttc@forsyth.cc or 336-703-3744.