It’s true, AlphaBEST serves thousands of youth with innovative after school programming throughout the country. But did you know that some AlphaBEST programs go above and beyond to also serve their communities as a whole to foster lasting change?

 

The AlphaBEST sites in Charles County, Maryland have done just that.

 

District Manager, Paula Wade, has been with AlphaBEST for 14 years, working as an Area Manager for 10 of those years. She—along with Area Managers Shawnta Jones and Melissa Stokes—took it upon themselves to help the community they care deeply about by organizing a pizza fundraiser and presenting a check to a local organization once completed.

 

The funds raised benefited LifeStyles, Inc., a nonprofit organization established in 1998 that supports people in crisis by providing emergency assistance and referrals for health and human service needs. On average, LifeStyles sees approximately 14,000 people annually, and in the last year, LifeStyles has fed over 6,000 families and individuals. They’ve also provided over 5,000 bed-nights to those in need during the harsh winter months and helped over 200 people find permanent housing.

 

Wade said that helping those experiencing homelessness was the key motivator for the fundraiser.

 

“We know that some people are less fortunate than others,” said Wade. “So, we like to help in any way we can to give back to the community.”

 

The funds were raised by selling Joe Corbi’s pizza kits and the children at each site did their part by collecting orders.

 

“We also had a contest of who could raise the most money at each site,” said Wade, who is excited that their donation will help LifeStyles get the materials they need to help those experiencing homelessness in the community.

 

But this isn’t the first time Paula and the rest of the Charles County, Maryland AlphaBEST team have gone above and beyond to give back locally.

 

“We’ve helped several times with different organizations dealing with homeless shelters,” said Wade. “The Arnold House was another homeless shelter we gave a donation to previously.”

 

Join us in thanking Paula and the rest of the Charles County, Maryland AlphaBEST team for their efforts!

 

Photo courtesy of Paula Wade.