Program areas at CAN
The CAN Help! Program almost tripled the number of items distributed in 2023 versus 2022. Over 100,000 items, including produce, canned and frozen meats, boxed and canned foods, candies, personal hygiene items, clothes, hangers, birthday and Christmas gifts, and more, were distributed to residents of three senior living facilities in Norfolk, Hampton, and Virginia Beach, one battered woman shelter, patrons of one community center in Newport News, VA. serving disadvantaged youth, senior citizens, single parents, and residents of two Virginia Beach and Keysville, VA nursing homes. This program gave 550 isolated seniors Christmas gifts and school supplies to disadvantaged youth in South Carolina, helped seniors reset and service their cell phones, budget their finances, apply for grants to offset medical expenses, and gave $3,500 in a direct medical expense recovery grant to a senior undergoing cancer treatments.
Operation T.I.D.Y. served four individuals with learning disabilities by keeping one of them from homelessness and teaching all of them to develop integrity, manage personal finances, organize their time, communicate clearly, and develop business management skills. Through this life skills training, housing, and taking the time to show compassion, one of the individuals served said that CAN kept them from giving up on life.