The Caring Link

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The Caring Link establishes Care Closets at local schools, providing resources to students on site.

10/30/2026

Once an English major, always an English major… even when you’re invited to speak at the College of Business! 😂💙🧡

Yesterday was a little bit of a homecoming as I returned to my alma mater, The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)!

After spending a decade teaching English at UAH, it was fun to return to campus wearing a different hat—this time as a guest speaker talking about entrepreneurship in the nonprofit sector!

I had the opportunity to share how a little idea, a lot of determination, and a passion for helping kids grew into The Caring Link.

Who would have thought my English degree would one day lead me to running a nonprofit, managing budgets, building partnerships, and talking business with future entrepreneurs? Turns out, there’s more than one way to put that degree to work! 😉

It was such a full-circle moment to be back on campus, sharing lessons learned along the way and hopefully inspiring a few students to think about entrepreneurship as more than just building a business. Sometimes, it’s about building something that makes a difference. ❤️

Thanks for having me back, UAH! Once a Charger, always a Charger! ⚡

10/30/2026

🩸📚 ONE DONATION. DOUBLE THE IMPACT! ❤️💙

What if rolling up your sleeve could help save a life AND bring a little book fair magic to a local child? ✨

Join us for our next BLOOD FOR BOOKS!

Every blood donation helps fund our Book Fairy program, giving local kids in need the chance to shop their school book fairs and choose books of their very own! 📚

🩸 Help save lives.
📖 Help fill home libraries.
💙 Make TWICE the difference!

📅 NEXT FRIDAY, November 6 from 10 AM–5 PM
📍 Bank of Frankewing in Hazel Green

❤️ ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, BRING A FRIEND, AND HELP US MAKE THIS DRIVE A SUCCESS!

One simple act of kindness. Two wonderful ways to give back! 💙🔗

10/30/2026

💙 You give. We link. And together, we change little lives in BIG ways.

A new pair of shoes. A warm coat. A hairbrush. To some, they're everyday essentials. To a child who needs them, they can mean EVERYTHING.

Behind each one is someone like YOU who cared enough to make a difference.

You may never meet the child you've helped or see the smile you made possible. But because of your kindness, they can walk into school feeling confident, included, and cared for.

That's what happens when a community comes together. And that's why caring links us all. 💙 🔗

10/29/2026

🚗💬 Steering Wheel Side Chat — and today we’re getting a little science-y.

A note from Kate:
Listen, I am an English major. 😂 Nobody handed me a lab coat, and I am absolutely not qualified to start diagnosing brains from the driver’s seat of my car.

BUT… there is some really important brain science behind the work we do at The Caring Link.

When a child is in crisis — when they’re hungry, worried about whether someone will notice their clothes are dirty, embarrassed because they smell, freezing because they don’t have a coat, or stressed about something happening at home — their brain is focused on one thing:

Get through this.

Their nervous system can shift into survival mode. Fight. Flight. Freeze.

And when your brain is busy scanning for threats and trying to keep you safe, it is much harder to access the parts of your brain responsible for things like reasoning, problem-solving, memory, attention and learning.

So imagine sitting a child down in math class and asking them to solve for X while their brain is screaming:

“WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW.”

That’s why I talk so much about the difference between giving kids things and removing barriers.

A clean shirt isn’t going to teach a child fractions.

A pair of shoes isn’t going to improve their reading comprehension.

A snack isn’t going to teach them science.

But meeting an immediate need can help quiet the alarm bells long enough for that child to actually access the learning happening in front of them.

We aren’t the education.

We help make the education accessible.

And that’s your slightly science-y Steering Wheel Side Chat for today.

No microscopes were harmed in the making of this video. 🧠😂💙🩵

10/29/2026

🍎🐟 **4,344 SNACKS DELIVERED TO LOCAL STUDENTS!** 🐟🍎

That's 4,344 little opportunities to refuel, refocus, and get back to learning! 💙

This quarter, The Caring Link delivered 4,344 snacks to our participating elementary schools through our Feed Our Friends program!

We know that hungry kids have a harder time concentrating, participating, and making the most of their school day. For families struggling to keep up with rising grocery costs, even something as simple as providing a daily snack can become a financial burden.

That's where Feed Our Friends comes in! 💙

Through this program, we provide quarterly snack deliveries to participating elementary schools, ensuring teachers have resources available for students who might otherwise go without.

Because no child should have to sit through class with an empty stomach while their classmates enjoy a snack.

A huge THANK YOU to our supporters and volunteers who make these deliveries possible! Together, we're helping local kids stay fueled, focused, and ready to learn—one snack at a time! 🍎💙

10/29/2026

💙 HELP THE CARING LINK WIN $10,000 FOR LOCAL KIDS! 💙

We have an exciting opportunity, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! 🎉

The Caring Link is seeking nominations for the Grounds for Hope Outreach of the Year Award, and we'd be so grateful if you would take a few minutes to nominate us!

🏆 The winning Huntsville nonprofit will receive $10,000 to support its mission AND advance to the national Grounds for Hope Awards!

In just a few short years, The Caring Link has grown to serve more than 17,000 students through 28 on-campus Care Closets, providing brand-new clothing, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, and other essentials to children experiencing financial hardship. And that's just the beginning of what we do!

✨ HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

💙 NOMINATE US! Visit https://g4hope.com/ and nominate The Caring Link for Outreach of the Year!

💙 SHARE YOUR STORY! Are you a volunteer, educator, donor, community partner, or family we've served? Tell them why you believe our work is making a difference! Your firsthand experiences can help show the true impact of our mission.

💙 SPREAD THE WORD! Share this post and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to submit nominations, too!

⏰ NOMINATIONS CLOSE NOVEMBER 2!

Winning would mean so much more than an award. It would mean more resources for more children, more barriers removed, and more opportunities for local students to walk into school feeling confident, prepared, and cared for.

Let's bring this one home for our kids! 💙

10/29/2026

💄 GOT MAKEUP BAGS? WE'VE GOT BIG PLANS FOR THEM! 💕

You know those cute little Ipsy bags, free gift-with-purchase pouches, and cosmetic bags you've been collecting for YEARS because surely you'll use them someday?

✨ TODAY IS THAT DAY! ✨

We're collecting NEW and CLEAN, GENTLY USED SMALL COSMETIC BAGS to turn into feminine care kits for local girls.

👜 WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
💕 Ipsy bags and similar makeup subscription pouches
💕 Small cosmetic bags and free gift-with-purchase makeup bags
💕 Handmade fabric pouches (yes, fire up those sewing machines! 🧵)

Think small, zippered bags that can easily fit inside a school backpack or purse. No large makeup organizers, totes, or full-sized toiletry bags, please.

Our volunteers fill these little bags with period essentials and stock them in our in-school Care Closets, giving students discreet access to what they need, right when they need it. 💗

✨ READY TO CLEAN OUT THOSE DRAWERS?

📦 Drop donations off ANYTIME! Our outdoor donation box is available 24/7, and there's no deadline!
📍 The Caring Link Headquarters
14155 Hwy 231-431 N
Hazel Green, AL 35750

Your forgotten makeup bag could become a local girl's much-needed peace of mind.

So dig through those drawers, round up your extras, and help us turn something small into something pretty wonderful!

Please SHARE to help us BAG even more donations! 👜💙🔗

10/28/2026

🍺 SAVE THE DATE! DRINKING FOR A GOOD CAUSE? WE'RE ALL IN!

Consider this your official permission slip to grab a b**r after work on Monday, November 9th! And while you're at it, tell your coworkers, rally the group chat, and make sure that one friend who's ALWAYS suggesting happy hour actually shows up this time. 😂🍺

We're teaming up with Straight to Ale for BREWS TO BENEFIT, and they're donating $1 from EVERY pint sold to The Caring Link to help local kids!

🍺 B**r with your favorite people after work? Absolutely.
🏈 Monday Night Football on the TVs? You bet! (It's the Bills vs. Vikings.)
💙 Helping local students while enjoying a cold one? Now THAT'S what we call multitasking!

📅 Monday, November 9 | 3–9 PM
📍 Straight to Ale at Campus 805 in Huntsville

So cancel your plans to go straight home, rally the crew, and make this the one Monday everyone actually looks forward to.

🍻 TAG YOUR DRINKING BUDDIES, SHARE THIS POST, AND HELP US PACK THE PLACE!

Because when every pint gives back, the more the merrier!

💙 BE THE LINK & HAVE A DRINK! 🍻

10/28/2026

A big THANK YOU to Alabama State Representative Rex Reynolds (District 21) for taking time out of his busy campaign schedule to visit with us and learn more about the incredible things happening through The Caring Link! 💙

We loved having the opportunity to share how our programs are making a difference for students across his district, ensuring that children have access to the essentials, opportunities, and support they need to thrive.

And we are especially grateful that Representative Reynolds chose to invest in our mission with a generous $5,000 donation! This support will go directly toward helping us meet the needs of local students, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of his generosity.

As an added bonus, we got to talk NASCAR! 🏁 Representative Reynolds is a past Alabama nominee for the NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, so it was especially fun to connect over an honor we both share and our mutual passion for serving others!

Thank you, Representative Reynolds, for your time, generosity, and support of the students of Madison County! 💙

10/28/2026

🌟 OCTOBER VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: NORMA MURRAY! 🌟

Help us give a big round of applause to our October Volunteer Spotlight, Norma Murray! 💙👏

Norma is a dedicated member of our Dawson Care Closet team, where she serves as the Counter—the important behind-the-scenes role of tracking inventory and making sure we send the right resources each week to keep the closet stocked and ready for students in need!

But Norma's commitment doesn't stop at Dawson! She's also rolled up her sleeves to help with our New Beginnings School Readiness Program, fundraising car wash, Halloween BOO-tique, and inventory sorting events. Wherever there's work to be done, Norma is willing to jump in and lend a hand!

And we especially love that Norma makes giving back a family affair! She brings her sons along to volunteer, showing them firsthand the importance of serving others and making a difference in their community. Talk about leading by example! 💙

Volunteers like Norma are what make The Caring Link's mission possible. Her reliability, dedication, and willingness to help wherever she's needed make her an incredible asset to our team.

Thank you, Norma, for the time, energy, and heart you pour into caring for our kids! We're so grateful to have you and your family as part of The Caring Link family! 💙

Address

14155 Highway 231-431, Suite B
Hazel Green, AL
35750

Telephone

+12566037981

Website

http://thecaringlink.org/

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