All In The Family

For more than 10 years, the Green family—Barry, Kim, and their son, Jacob—spent the holidays buying Christmas gifts and back-to-school supplies for less-than-fortunate kids in Hancock and Henry counties.

“Giving back is something that’s just very important to us as a family,” Barry Green said. “Both my wife and I were raised to help others, and that’s how we’re raising our son.”

When the Green family learned three years ago that another nonprofit organization was able to fully meet the needs of the families they had been serving, it was
bittersweet. They were thrilled that people were getting the help they needed, but they were also eager to provide help elsewhere. So Barry turned his attention to his hometown.

“I grew up in Yorktown, and we got in touch with someone there and they told us about the YOC,” Barry said. “So we asked what we could do to help.”

Before long, the Greens—including Barry’s parents, brothers and sister-in-laws—were Christmas shopping for kids at the YOC who might not otherwise receive any Christmas gifts.

“We decided to forgo buying Christmas presents for each other so we could do this,” Barry said. “After taking a tour of the YOC, you see firsthand how much these kids do not have. And a lot of these kids have no one who believes in them. That was a real eye-opener. no one should go through childhood thinking that no one is thinking of them or praying for them.”

Barry believes own 13-year-old son is getting an important gift from the experience, too. “he’s learning the value of giving back. And one day, he’ll pass that down to his children.” Still, Barry insists that his family’s efforts are just a small part of the good work already being done at the YoC every day.

“Looking at how they provide for these kids, giving them a sense of hope and comfort, and teaching them that they can be somebody, and not succumb to their circumstances—that’s just huge. not enough people are aware of just how important this organization is.”