APPALACHIAN LIFE QUALITY INITIATIVE (ALQI) 202 Chester Street Oneida, TN Phone 423-569-2677 Fax
423-569-2678 website www.alqi.org
SYNOPSIS
The Appalachian Life Quality Initiative (ALQI), a 501(c) (3) corporation, located in Oneida, TN was
created in 1999 to bring healthcare, educational, and related services to the underserved
children in the ten counties of the ELGIN Children’s Foundation (formerly B. R.
Thompson Charitable Trust) with Scott County, a Federal Empowerment Community,
as its program base. The ten counties
are: TN–Scott, Knox, Anderson and Blount; KY-Leslie, Clay, Laurel, Bell; and VA-Buchanan
and Tazewell. ALQI’s focus in 2018 is primarily dental care of underserved
children in Scott County, TN. ALQI has a six-member Board of Directors to
govern the programs in Scott County that are chosen based on the greater need
of the community. They are: Steve
Phillips, Dwight Murphy, Lori Jones, Jack E. Lay, Mike Baker, and Terrie Cross.
Staff: Kathy West, Executive Director, and Katie Garrett, Administrative
Assistant.
ALQI began with the assistance
of the Elgin Children’s Foundation and has since started or assisted the
following programs:
Scott County Dental Clinic. (2000) In 1999 there were over 4,000 children in Scott
County with TennCare insurance which no dentist in the County accepted. The
Scott County Dental Clinic opened in 2000 with the assistance of the University
of Tennessee and Scott County paying for the building remodel. The Clinic’s
leader is Dr. Caleb L. Thompson, DDS.
Children’s Health and Maintenance Plan (CHAMP): (2003) CHAMP became a partnership with the ten schools
in dental screening, BMI, hearing, vision, blood pressure, and scoliosis data
collection. After dental screenings are completed, personal family contact is
made until any identified problems are resolved. The statistical outcomes are presented
to the schools for student improvement, used for grant writing, and for research.
The ALQI short bus helps students to the dentist when parents need help with
transportation. This program is funded through the ALQI Administrative office.
Data Collection: (2000) Working through the ALQI and CHAMP offices, certifiable data are
retrieved for the schools and for research.
Children’s Center of the Cumberlands (CCC), (2000) a regional accredited children’s advocacy
center striving to reduce the trauma to physically, sexually, and mentally
abused victims, and to promote healing. Working with the District Attorney
General, it brings the medical examiner and the investigation teams to the child. Educational
programs in schools help reduce incidents of child abuse.
Scott County Telemedicine (2000) University of Tennessee grant with sixty video
units in homes of patients needing frequent monitoring; and a grant for behavioral
health between the local hospital and Ridgeview Mental Health Facility in Oak
Ridge, TN.
Students Together Allowing No Drugs (STAND) (2001) Created by Juvenile Judge Jamie Cotton to prevent
and stop drug abuse among school children from 6th through 12th
grades. To participate in any school activity, including parking on school
property, they must be drug tested. For
those testing positive, counseling after school is mandatory. Records are
confidential and destroyed at graduation.
Boys & Girls Club and Community Center – (2002) A Capital Campaign initiated by ALQI raised over
$2M; city and county government covered a portion of the $3.8M facility that now
serves an average of 175 children per day. The junior basketball program has 300
participants. It is the largest Boys
& Girls Club in a rural area in America.
The Salvation Army-Scott County Service Unit Organized in 2002 by ALQI, Bell Ringing funds are used
for past due utility bills. Each year up to 35 underserved children attend camp
free; and the toy distribution in December helps up to 500 families. Food is
also provided weekly.
Morgan-Scott Project. (2007) The Salvation Army also issues vouchers for
this organization, whose headquarters are in Deerlodge, TN.
The Shelter Society (formerly known as Scott County
Women’s Shelter) In 2004 a grant
provided a Counselor for over 800 women and children seen at the shelter
annually.
Remote Area Medical Clinic (RAM). Since 2003 we have had a total of 8 RAM clinics in
Scott County seeing 4,402 patients; issuing 1,584 pair of glasses; filling 1,556
teeth and extracting 5,615. Over 8,313 services have provided for a total value
of $1,486,174 in donated care. ALQI is proud to oversee RAM in Scott County by
finding the volunteers, food, housing and other services for these free
clinics.
Mission of Hope: They bring backpacks filled with
school supplies and at Christmas, toys for the children. ALQI participates and serves
as a contact and warehousing source for the many services and goods they donate
to the county all year long.
Imagination Library: (2004) Dolly Parton’s program that mails a
book a month to every child from birth to age five and paid for by businesses
and other organizations. Initiated with an ALQI grant, in 2011 it had the State of TN’s highest registration percentage of all
eligible children (1,341 children). Our Health Department and physicians help
register each newborn or new resident online. For some kids these are the only
books they have. This program was overseen for a time by the Children’s Center
of the Cumberlands; however, it is back under the oversight of ALQI.
Winfield School Academic Fund: (2005) An endowment to provide something extra for the
school each year. 19 grants for over $13,000 were awarded to the teachers the
first year. Accrued interest purchases something needed by the school each
year. As of 6-30-18, $49,873.73 in grants have been awarded.
Second Harvest: (2006) ALQI was happy to assist with the backpack program in the
schools (food for kids to take home) and the Kids Café at the Boys & Girls
Club (kids learning to cook). ALQI now serves as a contact point for truckloads
of food purchased by Winfield Baptist Church.
Free Shoe Fence and Free Coat Door: (2009) Shoes and coats are hung outside where people
can get them at any time - 24/7 - free of charge.
Operation Sharing TN: (2008) Working with Operation Sharing in Corbin, KY, a
branch of Christian Appalachian Project, this program opened in Oneida on September
15, 2008. An agreement for ALQI to start up and operate the facility for one
year saw $8.7 million in free products distributed through 176 members. To date
over $96 million has been distributed
through OST. These goods must be given to the youth, elderly, sick, or needy. They
cannot be sold, traded, or bartered.
Appalachian Ministry Center: (2011) A center for association churches and community
events. Also originally housed the Agape Christian Learning Center. Located in
an old school building leased for $1 from the County, the building has a new
roof and extensive interior remodeling through an Elgin Children’s Foundation
grant. Mission groups stay here during summer months. It also houses Hebrews
Coffee Shop and a used clothing ministry. A new food pantry should be open
before the end of 2018.
Agape Christian Learning Center: (2011) A Center for primarily underserved children,
ages 2 - 4 open four days a week, providing a love of reading and understanding
before starting kindergarten. Located in the Winfield Baptist Church, Winfield,
TN.
Bible Released Time: (2015) This program is in all five County elementary
schools as well as Oneida Elementary. Once a month children are released from
school with parental request to be taken to a nearby church for one hour of
Bible study.
Xylitol Toothbrush Study: (2016) This pilot program has been approved for study
in Robbins and Winfield Schools and also Oneida Elementary School. It will
involve 1st and 2nd graders being given a toothbrush,
dental education video, neither, or both, after lunch each day.
Project Hope: (2017) This project is a coalition of community leaders meeting
regularly and partnering with BlueCross BlueShield of TN to identify health
disparities of Scott County’s citizens.
ALQI- Administration: (1999) ALQI works and supports the chosen programs
not only with fundraising, grant writing, administrative needs, but with
information for assessment of health needs, data collection, program
development, and establishing self-sufficiency. In the nineteen years of ALQI, more than $18 million in grants/donations/earnings
plus $66 million of in-kind donations have been provided through the
efforts of an active, excited, and diverse Board of Directors, programs, and with
the support of Elgin Children’s Foundation and its long-range vision, among
others. |