We will remember 2020 for the COVID pandemic, lockdowns, mask mandates and social distancing.  Other stressors included riots, elections, remote learning, unemployment, and the economy.  We are truly living through historical times. Whew!

In spite of stressors, amazing things happened to ACE Overcomers in 2020.

In a recent teleseminar the California Surgeon General, Doctor Nadine Burke Harris, was asked how communities of faith might help mitigate ACEs with individuals and in communities? Dr. Burke Harris replied, “Whenever someone asks me about faith communities, I think immediately about ACE Overcomers and the wonderful work they have done…”

Additionally,

We were awarded a Communication grant secured from the ACEs Aware Initiative, through the California Department of Health Care Services to create and disseminate ACE’s related material in the form of educational videos, billboards, radio, and social media advertising. ACE Overcomers is collaborating with Merced County Office of Education’s Family Resource Center and Merced Educational TV (METV) to saturate Merced County with ACE related material from January 2021 through July 2021.

Because of Dignity Health’s Community Grants Program we will develop and implement an online/virtual learning program of the ACE Overcomers program in English and Spanish during 2021.

YOUR FAITHFUL GIVING, in the middle of a storm, allowed us to stay the course.  We were able to continue our mission of helping individuals and families overcome the effects of adverse childhood experiences.  Your dollars helped keep The Center for Resiliency doors open.  Here are some highlights of 2020.

We conducted parenting classes in both English and Spanish to 60 parents.

We conducted classes for 69 men and women who are on probation.

We nearly doubled the number of rescue missions using our curriculum. We trained over 260 rescue mission staff to communicate biblically sound and scientifically solid lessons to those recovering from drug and alcohol use.

Classes were conducted at the Madera County Jail to both men and women inmates. In turn, inmates have impacted their family to break the generational transmission of trauma.

Dave conducted numerous trauma-informed trainings for educators, law enforcement officers, medical and psychology students, and professionals via Zoom conferences.

The Africa ACE Overcomers program is rapidly expanding. ACE training classes were temporarily suspended because of COVID, but your donations helped Moses begin 2 weekly radio programs covering Uganda, parts of Rwanda, Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania. Now the impact is greater than ever. Hundreds of church and community leaders are trained to prevent child abuse and promote good parenting skills.

And we have expanded to the United Kingdom. We are entering into a formal agreement with an American couple who have lived in Scotland over 12 years. They have a long and successful ministry and have degrees in divinity and social work.

It has been an exciting and impactful 10 years, and the best is yet to come,

ALL BECAUSE YOU CARE!