Avion Takes Action is an employee-led charitable giving fund that supports non-profit organizations in the local communities of our employee owners.
Purpose
Mission Statement
To improve our communities by offering financial support to non-profit organizations that address quality of life priorities, to include:
- Basic Needs – Food, shelter, jobs, and family support
- Health Care – Access to basic health care and dental care
- Education – Early childhood development, special education programs, college and career-readiness, and mentoring for at-risk segments of the community
- Veterans – Programs aimed at improving quality of life for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Environment – Sustainable development, reduction of energy consumption, and protection of natural resources
Grant Funding Requests
Non-profit organizations may submit the Avion Takes Action grant application in order to be considered for a grant – see link below. Grant applications must support programs related to one or more the quality of life priorities listed above.
Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year and will remain active for six months unless otherwise withdrawn by the non-profit organization. Therefore, if an organization is not successful in receiving an award the first grant cycle, the application will automatically be included for consideration the subsequent quarterly grant cycle. Non-profit organizations are eligible to receive an award from Avion Takes Action once every 12 months.
Complete grant applications will be evaluated and voted upon in the quarterly award cycle after they are received.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a non-profit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and contributions shall be deductible by donors under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Mission of non-profit organization must support one or more of the Quality of Life priorities defined in the Mission Statement.
- Must be a community-based organization operating in an area where Avion Solutions employees reside.
- 100% of Avion Takes Action grant monies must be used in area where Avion Solutions employees reside.
- Services rendered by agency must be open to all members of the community regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, ability to pay, or background.
Ineligible Organizations
- Individuals or fraternal organizations
- Private foundations
- Tax-supported institutions
- Social organizations or committees, including fraternities, sororities, or alumni groups
- Athletic teams or booster clubs
- Professional associations
- Scouting associations
- Political organizations or campaigns
- Religious organizations without secular community designation
Avion Takes Action Award Recipients
305 8th Street Community provides shelter, food, case management, and structured living for adults with diverse mental challenges such autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, intellectual deficiency, and mental deficiency in the Huntsville/Madison County area.
Its mission is to cultivate a family of diverse disabled adults, who are ineligible of receiving state assistance, and provide them a home and opportunities that enable them to grow in their community. The $5,000 grant covers the basic support of one resident for six months.
Davidson Farms is home to girls in the foster care system ages 10-19 and serves girls across the states of Alabama and Tennessee. A house mom and team of mentors provides care, guidance, and stability for each of our girls. Most group homes put emphasis on providing a bed and shelter; our focus is on creating a family. The $5,000 grant supports their Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Program.
KTECH is a workforce initiative of Kids to Love that was born out of the desire to support foster children as they age out of the system, as well as Veterans, non-traditional students, and rising high school seniors. KTECH provides specialized workforce training and credentialling for high-demand occupations, including certifications in Mechatronics, Robotics, Soldering, and Virtual Reality. A $5,500 grant will provide a full scholarship for one student to enroll in the next class, which starts in August.
National Children’s Advocacy Center
The National Children’s Advocacy Center serves the Huntsville/Madison County community by providing intervention for children affected by sexual abuse and prevention programs for at-risk families so that the quality of life for children is improved. Children who are affected by physical or sexual abuse receive full, comprehensive care from disclosure through therapy, prosecution, and ultimately graduation. Children affected by abuse receive the hope and healing that they need at no cost to their families. The $5,000 provides over 30 hours of individual tailored therapy services for children within NCAC.
First Stop is on the front line in the battle against homelessness in Huntsville and North Alabama. Its mission is focused on reducing homelessness by encountering homeless individuals where they are, connecting them to important services, and empowering them toward independent, sustainable living. The $5,000 grant supports the First Stop Enrichment Program to offer educational opportunities, counseling, and life skills training – in collaboration with other local agencies – to 100 students in 2022.
The Hope Autism Clinic offers new methods to educate, treat, and care for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. At the Hope Autism Clinic in Brownsboro, Alabama, Board Certified Behavior Analysts provide medically necessary Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, autism screenings, and diagnostic evaluations to children with ASD and developmental disabilities from birth to age 22. ABA therapies are proven to increase the quality of life for people with disabilities across the lifespan. Two separate $5,000 grants have been awarded to Hope Autism Clinic for their outdoor play initiative; first to build a fence, the second to support the purchase of additional Sensory Adaptive Play equipment and storage for the clinic.
Huntsville Inner City Learning Center
The Huntsville Inner City Learning Center (HICLC) is a structured after-school program partnering with schools, families, and the community to help students with limited opportunities become responsible citizens. They encourage high school graduation and lifelong learning practices through well-defined programs focusing on extracurricular academic support and personal mentoring. Over 90 students ages 5-13 come to HICLC’s facility weekday afternoons to participate in a predominantly volunteer-led program that includes tutoring, exercise and fitness, and life skills training. The $5,000 grant provides a hot meal to the students in the after-school program weekday evenings.
For over 30 years, Thrive Alabama has played a vital role in North Alabama’s health services landscape and presently cares for almost 4,000 patients. Its patients benefit from Thrive Alabama’s wide spectrum of services including adult primary medical care, pediatrics, outreach and health education, behavioral healthcare, among other services. Thrive Alabama is a Community Health Center that provides services to everyone in North Alabama regardless of income or insurance status. The $5,000 grant supports laboratory services for patients who visit the clinic.
The North Alabama Foster Closet provides support and resources for hundreds of foster, adoptive, and kinship families who care for vulnerable children. At a time when children are the most vulnerable, having just been taken from their biological families and thrust into a home with a family they don’t know, the North Alabama Foster Closet steps in to provide necessities that lend a feeling of safety and dignity to children in a time of crisis. The $5,000 grant will be used to purchase 10 bunk beds and 20 mattresses for foster families, which will allow sibling groups better opportunities to stay together.
The Ark Assessment Center & Emergency Shelter for Youth (Corpus Christi, Texas)
The Ark Assessment Center and Emergency Shelter for Youth provides a caring intervention for abused, neglected, and displaced children and youth, ages newborn through 17 years old, in a secure environment where they’re treated as a family. All of their needs are furnished with absolute respect and unconditional love while they’re assessed for placement in appropriate long-term care. The $5,000 grant provides 49½ days of groceries for the residents’ three daily nutritious meals, snacks and refreshments.
Foster Angels of South Texas meets the many unfulfilled needs of children in foster care. They believe all kids deserve to feel “normal,” so they work to ensure children receive the basic essentials and, whenever possible, provide life-enhancing opportunities. Through partnerships with other state and non-profit agencies, Foster Angels identifies the gaps and quickly responds to children’s circumstances so they, too, can have supportive, loving childhood experiences. The $5,000 grant covers basic essential needs for children, including bedding, clothing, and tutoring.
Healthy Establishments at Local Schools, (HEALS, Inc.) provides free, school-based pediatric medical, dental and optometry care to children living in poverty in Huntsville and Madison County. The $5,000 grant will be used to fund the purchase of new vital machines for their clinics. Upgrading these devices will ensures that they are properly diagnosing, treating, and monitoring their patients. A second $5,000 grant will support the ongoing operation of HEALS clinics in Huntsville and Madison County.
AGAPE of North Alabama has been meeting the needs of thousands of children and families with active love and compassion since 1969. AGAPE specializes in adoption, foster care, birth parent support, and counseling. The $5,150 grant will allow four social workers to enroll in the Trauma Informed Partnering for Performance and Safety (TIPS) certification course provided by the Alabama State Department of Human Resources. These social workers will then, in turn, be able to offer 10-week training classes for the education and licensing of prospective families who are interested in fostering vulnerable children within the North Alabama community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley
The Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to create and support 1:1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. It is their vision that all youth achieve their potential. By partnering with parents and guardians, volunteers, and others in the community Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley empowers youth to achieve higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships; avoid risky behaviors; and pursue educational success. The $5,000 grant will sponsor five matches for mentoring between a “Big” and “Little”.
Covenant House Missouri serves youth ages 16-24 who are runaway, trafficked, and at-risk of or experiencing homelessness through their residential and support services. The $5,000 grant will cover Campus Utilities, Cafeteria Services, and medications for the youth at Covenant House.
The Community Free Dental Clinic is the only organization of its kind in Huntsville, providing free dental services to low-income, elderly, and veterans living at or below the poverty level in Madison County, Alabama. The $5,000 grant will help cover a year’s worth of numbing agents for all extractions performed by the clinic.
New Hope Children’s Clinic is a non-profit, school-based health clinic created to increase the access to and provide comprehensive medical care for children in Madison County and surrounding communities. The $5,000 grant will provide for flu and strep testing and treatments for children who are “back to school” and at higher risk than the last few years.
The Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen works to feed the homeless and less fortunate in the Huntsville community, utilizing their food box program that provides supplemental assistance to all who are in need in our community. The $5,000 grant will provide the funding necessary to secure the items necessary to produce 100 food boxes to be distributed within the community.
The Alabama Kidney Foundation (AKF) is the only state-based organization dedicated to assisting low-income kidney patients, providing direct financial assistance, education, and support services. Dialysis treatments are typically three times per week for three-five hours per treatment, thus many patients are unable to continue working while receiving treatment. The increase in medical expenses and decrease in income can create a financial burden on kidney patients. AKF helps patients meet daily living expenses, including utility bills, prescription medications, and transportation to and from the dialysis clinics. A $5,000 grant supports daily living and transportation needs for low-income patients in Madison County and surrounding areas.
The Caring House Huntsville Hospital Foundation
The Caring House provides a safe space for children and their families to cope with the death of a loved one and share their grief experiences with others. As Madison County’s only childhood bereavement program, the Caring House is fully funded by Huntsville Hospital Foundation, and all services are provided free of charge. A $5,000 grant provides the opportunity for 29 children to participate in monthly group therapy, special events, and a summer grief camp, putting each of these children on a healing path to work towards channeling grief in healthy, constructive ways.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Huntsville seeks to improve the quality of life for children who do not have a bed of their own. SHP’s unique approach invites community members to help build and deliver brand new twin beds, along with mattresses and bedding, thereby increasing awareness of childhood bedlessness while also providing a solution. Children develop and thrive when they sleep in a stable, safe, and comfortable environment. A $5,000 grant purchases the materials to build and donate 18 beds, mattresses, and bedding to local area children who do not have a bed of their own.
United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville & Tennessee Valley
Since 1963 the United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville & Tennessee Valley has been a leading therapeutic and educational resource for individuals who currently represent 188 different disability and chronic health diagnoses in addition to cerebral palsy. UCP Huntsville’s mission begins by helping children with disabilities learn to walk, talk, eat, dress, play, laugh, and learn alongside their typically developing peers. And the mission continues by helping families care for their loved ones with special needs throughout their lifespan and by educating the community about their needs and appropriate care. A $5,000 grant provides services for low-income families by covering insurance gaps for recommended treatments, as determined by UCP’s pediatric outpatient therapy program.
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama
The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama provides a safe place for at-risk children and youth after school and during the summer. They fill the gap between school and home with life-changing programs, experiences, and mentorships focusing on Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character & Citizenship. In partnership with UAH, Alabama A&M, and Athens State, The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama’s Stem Career Pathways Program provides opportunities for youths to participate in engaging STEM experiences. The goal is to provide a pathway for disadvantaged youth to gain both an interest in and the necessary skills to pursue an education and careers in STEM to rise out of a life of poverty. A $5,000 grant would sponsor a year’s worth of robotics supplies, including wood, 3D printing filament, and acrylics for modeling and modification as a part of the STEM Career Pathway education plan.
Huntsville Assistance Program
For over 20 years, the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP) has provided two critical programs to aid Madison Country families in crisis: the Emergency Food Pantry and the Emergency Financial Assistance. Based on giving a “Hand Up” rather than a “Hand Out,” HAP assists non-homeless families who need emergency assistance with utility bills, rent shortages, or partial mortgage payment assistance. Their goal is to help those who might otherwise “fall through the cracks” due to temporary emergencies and provide supplemental assistance to seniors on fixed incomes so they may continue payments on their homes to prevent homelessness. A $5,000 grant would provide emergency assistance of up $200 for 25 families.
Free 2 Teach provides free resources to teachers in the three public school systems located in Madison County, Alabama. These resources are available to more than 3,800 full-time classroom teachers and their 55,000+ students, improving the educational experience of our children. A $5,000 grant will provide supplies for ten local teachers this coming school year.
The Care Service’s mission is to serve those in crisis and to prevent homelessness and hunger. As such, The Care Service operates three client choice food pantries in the tri-county area surrounding St. Louis, Missouri, providing weekly nutritious, supplemental food to more than 1100 individuals (including 453 children) annually. A $5,000 grant will provide meals for vulnerable families this year.
The CARE Center supports under-resourced families in southeastern Madison County. Working in partnership with local schools, The CARE Center provides “Bags of Blessings,” which contain weekend meals, for food-insecure students. A $5,000 grant will provide Bags of Blessings for 135 students throughout the coming school year.
ENABLE provides services that allow the aging and homebound that enables them to live at independently, safely, and with dignity. The $5,000 grant will support the purchase and installation of safety equipment in client homes, such as grab bars, handrails, and other durable medical equipment.
New Futures is a family homeless shelter that helps to keep families together during times of homelessness and assists families in moving back into stable independent living. The $5,000 grant will allow New Futures to build a six-foot privacy fence around the entire yard to promote security and privacy for the children to play safely.
The Caring Link supports students in need throughout Madison County by establishing on-site Care Closets in area schools. These closets provide clothing, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, and food items to children who lack necessary resources, allowing them to focus on the important task of learning. The $5,000 grant will be used to establish a new on-site Care Closet at Hazel Green Elementary School, where over 56% of the student population lives at or below the poverty line. This closet would serve 700+ students in Pre-K to 5thgrade.
Mission of Mercy – Corpus Christi
Mission of Mercy provides medical care to the uninsured and under-insured in the Texas Coastal Bend region around Corpus Christi at no cost. Services include primary care; diagnosis and management of acute and chronic conditions; dental care; vision care; and prescriptions.
A $5,000 grant will support free healthcare and free prescription medications for the underserved healthcare population in and around Corpus Christi.