Strive2Thrive focus of Rise N Shine event

ALBANY — As Albany’s Strive2Thrive initiative continues to have a positive impact on the fight against poverty in the community, business and civic leaders will come together Thursday at an Albany Area Chamber of Commerce Rise N Shine breakfast to recognize the success of program participants and volunteers who have made those successes a reality.

Planned for Albany Technical College’s Kirkland Center, the breakfast will feature a brief overview of the Strive2Thrive program and presentation of several awards, including the Family of the Year award, the Commitment Award, the Volunteer of the Year Award, the Student Volunteer Award and two Helping Hands Awards.

“The goal of the Rise N Shine breakfast is to share and reward the successes of our families and to show appreciation to our volunteers and the community for their support,” said Strive2Thrive Executive Director Alvita Swain. “We also want to give the community an overview of the different Strive2Thrive initiatives, including our community garden and our health and wellness initiative.”

At its core, Strive2Thrive is best described as a volunteer initiative in which concerned members of the community work together to provide coaching, training and technical assistance to qualified families that are mired in generational poverty.

Started as an initiative from the chamber’s Work Force Development Committee, Strive2Thrive takes families struggling with poverty and puts them through a rigorous program where, instead of getting what the organization calls “handouts,” such as food, shelter and clothing, the family is given real world skills designed to help its members become self-sufficient.

“Strive2Thrive uniquely meets an important need in our community,” said Albany Area Chamber of Commerce interim President Barbara Rivera Holmes. “The program, borne out of the chamber, connects the dots for many families on their journeys out of poverty and into a place that is sustainable and that allows them to contribute to the community.”

Swain puts things even more succinctly.

“Our mission is to change the face of our community from a face of generational poverty to a face of hope and prosperity,” she said.

Thursday’s program begins at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and networking, and the breakfast and program begin at 8 a.m.

Tickets to the Rise N Shine are $25 for members and $35 for non-members. After today, prices increase to $30 and $40, respectively. Registration for the event can be completed online at business.albanyga.com or by contacting Cassandra Mathis at (229) 434-8700 or [email protected].

Presenting sponsors of the Strive2Thrive Rise N Shine breakfast are Albany State University and Darton State College. Albany Vascular Health and Wellness is the supporting sponsor.

To learn more about Strive2Thrive and its programs, visit strive2thrive.org.