Aloe Family Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, WELL-BEING, SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND HEALING TO RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS FACING CHALLENGES OF POVERTY AND LACK OF FAMILY SUPPORT. OUR VISION IS TO EQUIP FUTURE LEADERS TO CHANGE CYCLES OF POVERTY IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH HEALING, HOPE AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. IN EVERYTHING WE DO, AND IN EVERY INTERACTION WITH THOSE WE SERVE, WE WILL ENCOURAGE THESE THREE THINGS: RESILIENCE, EMPOWERMENT AND HOPE. WE VALUE CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND LETTING LOCAL LEADERS LEAD. WE VALUE STAFF HEALTH AND HAPPINESS. WE VALUE PATIENCE AND ALLOWING EVERYONE TO LEARN ALONG THEIR OWN JOURNEY. WE VALUE INCLUSIVENESS FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER, AGE OR RELIGION, THAT ALL MUST BE EQUALLY VALUED AND OFFERED SERVICE TO. WE VALUE PATIENCE AND A CONSTANT STATE OF GROWING, CREATIVITY, CURIOSITY AND PASSION. WE VALUE INTEGRITY AND FIERCE OPEN COMMUNICATION, TO ALWAYS PURSUE TRUTH, TRANSPARENCY AND HONEST.

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: WE ARE EQUIPPING FUTURE LEADERS TO CHANGE CYCLES OF POVERTY IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH BUSINESS SKILLS INCLUDING MARKETING, BUDGETING, ENGLISH, MAKING ARTISAN CRAFTS AND MORE. LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, THE ENTREPRENEURS IN OUR PROGRAMS RECEIVE SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, BUSINESS PLAN TRAINING, AND MENTORSHIP TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. WE REQUIRE OUR ENTREPRENEURS TO CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN AND SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE HOST WEEKLY BUSINESS SKILLS AND ENGLISH CLASSES ON TOPICS SUCH AS PRODUCT AND COST ANALYSIS, BUDGETING, BOOKKEEPING AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT BASICS. AFTER AN INITIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE ENTREPRENEURS, WE PROVIDE SUPPLIES, TRAINING AND SUPPORT IN CREATING THEIR PRODUCTS. WE EDUCATE AND SUPPORT THE ENTREPRENEURS IN FINDING A MARKET FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. THE ALOE FAMILY MARKETPLACE, A SEPARATE FOR-PROFIT ENTITY, EXISTS AS AN ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER TO PURCHASE AND SELL ARTISANS PRODUCTS WITH 100 PERCENT OF THE PROCEEDS GOING BACK INTO THE PROGRAMS OF THE ALOE FAMILY. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023, WE HAD 11 ENTREPRENEURS PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAM AT VARIOUS BEGINNING STAGES OF THEIR BUSINESSES. SOME OF THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT WE USED TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM AT THIS TIME ARE BUSINESS CLASS ATTENDANCE RATE, COMPLETION RATE, PARTICIPATION RATE, AND RETENTION RATE. DURING 2022, WE RAISED FUNDS FOR AND BEGAN CONSTRUCTION ON A WORKSHOP FOR ONE OF OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND ANTICIPATE COMPLETION IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2023. WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING A HOUSE TO SERVE AS LODGING FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS IN THIS PROGRAM AND TO HOST OUR BUSINESS AND ENGLISH CLASSES, AS WELL AS ANY ENTREPRENEUR MEETINGS AND TRAINING SESSIONS. AT THE "ALOE HOUSE," ENTREPRENEURS WILL HAVE FREE ACCESS TO RESOURCES SUCH AS COMPUTERS, PRINTERS, AND OTHER SUPPLIES NECESSARY TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR BUSINESSES.

COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION SUPPORT: WE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO POSITIVE FUTURES. IN NASHVILLE, THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN WE SERVE ARE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES. WE SEEK TO REMOVE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER THAT IS A PERSISTENT CHALLENGE FOR THEM IN THEIR EDUCATION. WITHOUT ENGLISH-SPEAKING PARENTS AT HOME, WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT AND COMPETENT EDUCATION AID AND EMPOWER THEM TO LEARN ENGLISH AND FEEL SUPPORTED. WE OFFER TWICE WEEKLY HOMEWORK HELP FOR THE STUDENTS AND, ONCE WEEKLY, FREE ENGLISH CLASSES FOR THE ADULTS IN OUR PROGRAM. EACH SATURDAY, WE HOST A "COMMUNITY DAY," DURING WHICH WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL GAMES, HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES AND LIFE SKILLS GROUPS THAT FOCUS ON GRATITUDE, SELF-CARE, SAFETY AND HOPE. WE ALSO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE CHILDREN AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR PARENTS. OUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY DAY IS FOCUSED ON EDUCATION AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN THE COMMUNITY. IN MEXICO, WE ARE ACQUIRING THE "ALOE HOUSE'' WHICH WILL NOT ONLY HOUSE STUDENTS IN NEED, BUT ALSO ACT AS A FREE RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH ACCESS TO COMPUTERS, PRINTERS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. FOR STUDENTS WITHOUT ACCESS TO SCHOOL, WE OFFER TUTORING AND READING SUPPORT ON A WEEKLY BASIS. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WE PROVIDE NEEDED FOOD AND SUPPLIES TO LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOMES AND IMMIGRANT SHELTERS. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2022, WE SERVED AN AVERAGE OF 10 CHILDREN IN NASHVILLE DURING OUR WEEKDAY HOMEWORK HELP SESSIONS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 6 VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF. WE PARTNERED WITH THE CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR ONLINE PORTAL WHICH SHARES TOPICS THAT THE CHILDREN ARE FOCUSING ON EACH WEEK. WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, WE WERE ABLE TO TAILOR THE CONTENT WE PROVIDED SO THAT IT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR SCHOOL WORK. OUR STUDENTS WERE GIVEN AN ASSESSMENT IN AUGUST 2022 AND REASSESSED QUARTERLY, SHOWING A 5% INCREASE IN THEIR SCORES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REASSESS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO MEASURE ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, THEIR SCHOOLS HAVE REPORTED AN INCREASE IN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR TUTORING PROGRAM, WITH OVER HALF HAVING PERFECT ATTENDANCE FOR THE LAST QUARTER. OUR ADULT ENGLISH CLASSES WERE ATTENDED BY AN AVERAGE OF 8 STUDENTS EACH WEEK, WITH 2 VOLUNTEERS AND/OR STAFF. COMMUNITY DAYS WERE ATTENDED BY AN AVERAGE OF 27 PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 12 VOLUNTEERS EACH WEEK.

MANY OF THE FAMILIES WE SERVE STRUGGLE FINANCIALLY MAKING HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND SELF-CARE AN AFTERTHOUGHT RATHER THAN A PRIORITY. ADDITIONALLY, MANY OF THEM HAVE ENDURED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA IN THEIR LIVES. WE BELIEVE THAT WE CANNOT TRULY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE WITHOUT ALSO ADDRESSING THESE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL NEEDS. WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE TRAUMA-INFORMED ENVIRONMENTS AND PLAN TO EVENTUALLY OFFER COUNSELING SERVICES THROUGH OUR PARTNERS. CURRENTLY, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS AND GROCERY STORES, WE ENSURE THAT THOSE WE SERVE ARE EDUCATED AND HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD IN ORDER TO PREVENT ILLNESSES AND MALNUTRITION. IN NASHVILLE EACH SUNDAY, WE DISTRIBUTED FREE, FRESH GROCERIES TO AN AVERAGE OF 39 FAMILIES (AN AVERAGE OF 174 INDIVIDUALS) WEEKLY AND TOTALING OVER 22,000 POUNDS OF FOOD IN 2022. EACH SATURDAY, WE HOST A "COMMUNITY DAY," DURING WHICH WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL GAMES, HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES AND LIFE SKILLS GROUPS THAT FOCUS ON GRATITUDE, SELF-CARE, SAFETY AND HOPE. WE ALSO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE CHILDREN AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR PARENTS. IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2023, WE PLAN TO PROVIDE WEEKLY FITNESS OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH VOLUNTEERS AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS.