Journeys: A GAIN Initiative Documentary

Journeys: A GAIN Initiative Documentary

GAIN participants and partners witness breakthroughs and small wins on their journey toward stability every day.

Together with peers and partners, they learn how to budget, use vital resources, build relationships, and pursue their big dreams. They ask questions, learn from one another, and make changes that lead to giant steps forward. Watch this short documentary and witness the trials, tribulations, successes, and setbacks, about four real people from our community who have utilized GAIN Initiative and its resources to move forward.

Join us today: https://restoringpeople.com/donate/

Journeys: A GAIN Initiative Documentary
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Take a Tour

Take a Tour

Are you interested in learning more? A virtual tour is a great way to start.

Interested?
Contact Gina by email or at 812.492.0711.

Take a Tour
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Golf Scramble

Golf Scramble

Spend a day on the course to support our work of restoring people from need to potential at the 33rd annual ECLC Golf Scramble fundraiser.

Details:

  • Monday, July 10th, 2023
  • Rolling Hills Country Club (1666 Old Plank Road)
  • Registration at 10:30 a.m.
  • Lunch from 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
  • Shotgun start at 12:00 noon
  • Great prizes for top 3 teams

Enjoy snacks, lunch, prizes, and contests!

Pricing:

  • $150 per person
  • $500 per team of four

Register:
Register online or call us at 812.423.9222.

Questions?
For information about corporate sponsorships or registration, contact Katie by email or at 812-423-9222.

Thanks to our 2023 sponsors so far!

 

                  

 

 

Golf Scramble
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Classes, Training, & Coaching

Classes, Training, & Coaching

Over 100 free online and in-person classes, training, and coaching to help our neighbors move forward.

Our classes, training, and coaching equip anyone in the tri-state interested in improving in some area of their life.

TOPICS INCLUDE:
– Finances
– Relationships
– Family & parenting
– Spiritual growth
– Health & nutrition
– And more!

Services like these are funded by neighbors like you.

Thanks to your gifts, these classes, training, and coaching are available at no cost to the community.

We invite you to consider giving a gift to support our services.

Your gift during this unique season helps neighbors learn parenting, budgeting, and other life skills that serve as resources to equip them to gain stability and move toward their potential.

Thank you,

Gina Gibson, CEO Katie Merrick Grunow, Executive Director

P.S. – Interested in trying a class? Call us at 812.423.9222 to learn more!

Classes, Training, & Coaching
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Host A Gathering

Host A Gathering

Want a way to help your community and get your friends involved?

Have a “virtual gathering” like our friends below did and help spread the word about our services!

All you have to do is:

  1. Schedule a 10-minute Zoom call with Gina or Katie
  2. Share that video on your social media and/or email

That’s it!

(We’ll take care of all the technical things and send you the video ready to share. The entire process should take about 15 minutes of your time.)

We are also available for in person gatherings as well to talk to your friends, family, coworkers, or church!

See below for some examples of virtual gatherings.

Interested?
Contact Gina by email or at 812.423.9222.

Host A Gathering
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Food Nutrition Cohorts

Food Nutrition Cohorts

As volunteers, staff, clients, and donors of the ECLC, we are working to build an Evansville with less poverty, stronger families, and more Jesus. We do this by helping people move from need toward their potential. 


The Problem:

Many of our neighbors (including those we see regularly at the ECLC) have health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. Unfortunately, they are often ill-equipped with the education, resources, and experience to both choose and prepare healthy foods which could help these health issues. Therefore, the food they eat is often making them sicker. 

Symptoms and effects of these health issues decrease their mobility, ability to work, and access to resources and relationships. These are hurting their overall quality of life and creating additional barriers keeping them from moving toward their potential.

Picture a senior on social security, without the physical ability to work and provide for themselves. They are often living on approximately $350 per month in social security and receive less than $20 per month in SNAP food benefits. With rent (even subsidized at 30% of their income) and utilities, they can be stuck in their circumstances. 

The food they eat, which is both familiar and more affordable, is often hurting their situation. However, on such a limited budget, it is risky for them to experiment with new, more expensive, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Without prior exposure to or experience preparing these foods, it is unlikely that they will choose new, healthier options.

This need for healthy food education and experience is a great opportunity to improve the quality of life for our neighbors.


Food Nutrition Cohorts:

We’re excited to announce that we are working to offer new Food Nutrition Cohorts (healthy cooking and education group classes). In these relationally-based, multi-week cohorts, participants will:

  • Experience hands-on learning about healthy foods, recipes, and practices in our kitchen 
  • Help prepare and sample the food each week
  • Participate in choosing the ingredients
  • Work with a trained facilitator who will equip them with both knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and prepare healthy, delicious food at home using ingredients and tools they have access to
  • Build positive relationships that help them move from need toward their potential

We’re working toward a tentative goal of launching these cohorts on Fridays in early 2021. 


Changes:

As we transition, we will no longer be serving meals on Fridays as of this March (2020).

This will allow our team the opportunity to:

  • Build relationships
  • Secure funding
  • Plan for the program’s long-term success
  • And work to help clients who utilize our hot meal program on Fridays transition to find other resources to meet their needs

A Healthier Community:

Because health plays such a key role in the overall quality of life for our clients and our community, the opportunity to provide both nutrition education and experience for our neighbors can mean a major difference in the trajectory of their health, quality of life, and ability to move toward their potential. As they move forward, the overall health of our community increases as well. 

This is a key resource needed for those on their journey out of poverty. We believe it is one more step toward a community with less poverty, stronger families, and more Jesus. 

If you are interested in helping support this initiative as a volunteer or donor, please contact us at restoringpeople.com or 812.423.9222.


FAQ

Have questions? Read/download this printable FAQ (PDF) for more details.

Have additional questions? Contact us through this form or by calling us at 812.423.9222.

Food Nutrition Cohorts
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The Community I See Book

The Community I See Book

When you think about Evansville, do you see hope or despair?

Do you want to make a difference, but the problems seem too big and you don’t even know where to start?

In The Community I See, Gina Gibson, ECLC’s Executive Director, takes you on a journey to look at some of the problems plaguing Evansville. Along the way, she confronts misconceptions, offers new perspectives, and shares a vision of hope.

You’ll come away with a better understanding of our community, its problems, and discover practical steps and inspiration to be a better neighbor and create lasting change.

Get your copy today (includes several free digital options)!

EBOOK:
PDF
– Kindle

PRINT:
– The Vineyard
– Amazon

AUDIOBOOK:
– YouTube


Here’s what some of your neighbors are saying about the book:

“…a wake-up call for how the greater community can build up, not only our city’s most vulnerable, but at the same time, the entire city.” – Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor, City of Evansville

“A fresh and inspired vision of what real transformation in Evansville requires.” – Ross Chapman, city convener

“…an appeal for cooperation to problem solve real life issues. If churches and community organizations would lay aside differences and link resources and outreaches, more people would be truly helped out of poverty.” – Dave Schwambach, Pastor, Bethel Church

“An honest, practical and unapologetically hope-filled blueprint for building a better Evansville.” – Bob Jones, CEO, Old National Bancorp

“…does a very good job in helping us understand that the key to meeting these needs and becoming an even greater community is to have a partnering mindset and focus on the potential of each person.” – Carl Chapman, CEO, Vectren Corporation

“…incredibly transparent, insightful and hopeful all at the same time.” – Janet Heldt Baas, President, Old National Bank Foundation

“An excellent map for those who also are choosing to transform their community by being a great neighbor.” – Jamie Levy, President and Director of Vision, JDLevy & Associates


The Community I See Book
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