Community

AVION TAKES ACTION

Avion Takes Action is an employee-led charitable giving fund that supports non-profit organizations in the local communities of our employee owners. By harnessing the power of collective giving, we have provided more than $250,000 in support to improve our communities over the past three years.

Quality of Life Priorities

  • Basic Needs: Food, shelter, jobs, and family support.
  • Education: Early childhood development, special education programs, college and career-readiness, and mentoring for at-risk segments of the community.
  • Environment: Sustainable development, reduction of energy consumption, and protection of natural resources.
  • Health Care: Access to basic healthcare and dentalcare.
  • Veterans: Programs aimed at improving quality of life for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Grant Funding Requests

Eligible organizations are invited to submit the Avion Takes Action grant application for consideration. Grant applications must support programs aligned with one or more of the quality-of-life priorities mentioned above.

Grants are awarded on a semi-annual basis. The deadline for our Spring Grant Cycle is February 28; the deadline for our Fall Grant Cycle is August 31.

Non-profit organizations may receive an award from Avion Takes Action once every 12 months.
Click Here To Submit Grant Funding Requests

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a non-profit organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, with contributions deductible by donors under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • The mission of the non-profit organization must align with one or more of the Quality-of-Life priorities defined in the Mission Statement.
  • Must be a community-based organization operating in an area where Avion Solutions employees reside.
  • 100% of Avion Takes Action grant funds must be used in areas where Avion Solutions employees reside.
  • Services provided by the agency must be accessible to all community members, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, ability to pay, or background.

Ineligible Organizations

  • Athletic teams or booster clubs
  • Individuals or fraternal organizations
  • Political organizations or campaigns
  • Private foundations
  • Professional associations
  • Religious organizations without secular community designation
  • Scouting associations
  • Social organizations or committees, including fraternities, sororities, or alumni groups
  • Tax-supported institutions

Avion takes Action Award winners

305 8th Street Community

The Eighth Street Community provides shelter, food, case management, and structured living for adults with diverse mental challenges such autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, intellectual deficiency, and mental deficiency in the Huntsville/Madison County area. Its mission is to cultivate a family of diverse disabled adults, who are ineligible of receiving state assistance, and provide them a home and opportunities that enable them to grow in their community. Two separate $5,000 grants have been awarded to Eighth Street Community: (1) the first grant covers the basic support of one resident for six months; and (2) the second grant allows Eighth Street to hire a part-time Wellness Assistant to strengthen its Wellness Program.

AGAPE of North Alabama

AGAPE of North Alabama has been meeting the needs of thousands of children and families with active love and compassion since 1969.  AGAPE specializes in adoption, foster care, birth parent support, and counseling. The $5,150 grant will allow four social workers to enroll in the Trauma Informed Partnering for Performance and Safety (TIPS) certification course provided by the Alabama State Department of Human Resources.  These social workers will then, in turn, be able to offer 10-week training classes for the education and licensing of prospective families who are interested in fostering vulnerable children within the North Alabama community.

Alabama Kidney Foundation

The Alabama Kidney Foundation (AKF) is the only state-based organization dedicated to assisting low-income kidney patients, providing direct financial assistance, education, and support services. 

Dialysis treatments are typically three times per week for three-five hours per treatment, thus many patients are unable to continue working while receiving treatment. The increase in medical expenses and decrease in income can create a financial burden on kidney patients. AKF helps patients meet daily living expenses, including utility bills, prescription medications, and transportation to and from the dialysis clinics. 

Multiple grants totaling $30,000 have provided for the daily living, utilities, medication, and transportation needs for low-income patients in Madison County and surrounding areas.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley

The Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to create and support 1:1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.  It is their vision that all youth achieve their potential.  By partnering with parents and guardians, volunteers, and others in the community Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley empowers youth to achieve higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships; avoid risky behaviors; and pursue educational success. The $5,000 grant will sponsor five matches for mentoring between a “Big” and “Little”.

Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama

The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama provides a safe place for at-risk children and youth after school and during the summer. They fill the gap between school and home with life-changing programs, experiences, and mentorships focusing on Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character & Citizenship. In partnership with UAH, Alabama A&M, and Athens State, The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama’s Stem Career Pathways Program provides opportunities for youths to participate in engaging STEM experiences. The goal is to provide a pathway for disadvantaged youth to gain both an interest in and the necessary skills to pursue an education and careers in STEM to rise out of a life of poverty. A $5,000 grant would sponsor a year’s worth of robotics supplies, including wood, 3D printing filament, and acrylics for modeling and modification as a part of the STEM Career Pathway education plan.

Community Free Dental Clinic

The Community Free Dental Clinic is the only organization of its kind in Huntsville, providing free dental services to low-income, elderly, and veterans living at or below the poverty level in Madison County, Alabama. The $5,000 grant will help cover a year’s worth of numbing agents for all extractions performed by the clinic.

Covenant House Missouri

Covenant House Missouri serves youth ages 16-24 who are runaway, trafficked, and at-risk of or experiencing homelessness through their residential and support services. The $5,000 grant will cover Campus Utilities, Cafeteria Services, and medications for the youth at Covenant House.

ENABLE Madison County

ENABLE Madison County provides services that allow the aging and homebound to live independently, safely, and with dignity.

Multiple grants totaling $15,000 have been awarded to ENABLE to support the purchase and installation of safety equipment in client homes, such as grab bars, handrails, and other durable medical equipment; and to provide dental treatment for clients who do not have dental insurance.

First Stop

First Stop is on the front line in the battle against homelessness in Huntsville and North Alabama. Its mission is focused on reducing homelessness by encountering homeless individuals where they are, connecting them to important services, and empowering them toward independent, sustainable living. The $5,000 grant supports the First Stop Enrichment Program to offer educational opportunities, counseling, and life skills training – in collaboration with other local agencies – to 100 students in 2022.

Foster Angels of South Texas

Foster Angels of South Texas meets the many unfulfilled needs of children in foster care. They believe all kids deserve to feel “normal,” so they work to ensure children receive the basic essentials and, whenever possible, provide life-enhancing opportunities. Through partnerships with other state and non-profit agencies, Foster Angels identifies the gaps and quickly responds to children’s circumstances so they, too, can have supportive, loving childhood experiences. The $5,000 grant covers basic essential needs for children, including bedding, clothing, and tutoring.

Fostering Connections

Foster Connections provides support and resources for hundreds of foster, adoptive, and kinship families who care for vulnerable children. At a time when children are the most vulnerable, having just been taken from their biological families and thrust into a home with a family they don’t know, Fostering Connections steps in to provide necessities that lend a feeling of safety and dignity to children in a time of crisis. The $5,000 grant will be used to purchase 10 bunk beds and 20 mattresses for foster families, which will allow sibling groups better opportunities to stay together.

Free 2 Teach Foundation

Free 2 Teach provides free resources to teachers across the five public school systems in North Alabama.  These resources are available to more than 5,000 full-time classroom teachers and their 75,000+ students, improving the educational experience of our children.  Multiple $5,000 grants have supported the purchase of high quality classroom supplies.

Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley

Over the past 25 years, Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley has provided homes for more than 300 families in North Alabama who were previously living in substandard or inadequate housing.  Their mission is to build homes, communities, and hope for families living in Madison, Jackson and Limestone Counties.

The $5,000 grant allows Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley to purchase tools so volunteers can continue building homes for families in need of safe and affordable housing.

HEALS, Inc.

Healthy Establishments at Local Schools, (HEALS, Inc.) provides free, school-based pediatric medical, dental and optometry care to children living in poverty in Huntsville and Madison County. 

Multiple grants totaling $25,000 have been used to purchase new vital machines used for diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring of patients at their clinics; purchase a Plusoptix Vision Screener to enhance vision screening capabilities; support the Dental Clinic at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School; and provide support for ongoing operations of HEALS clinics in Huntsville and Madison County.

Hope Clinic

The Hope Autism Clinic offers new methods to educate, treat, and care for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. At the Hope Autism Clinic in Brownsboro, Alabama, Board Certified Behavior Analysts provide medically necessary Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, autism screenings, and diagnostic evaluations to children with ASD and developmental disabilities from birth to age 22. ABA therapies are proven to increase the quality of life for people with disabilities across the lifespan. Two separate $5,000 grants have been awarded to Hope Autism Clinic for their outdoor play initiative; first to build a fence, the second to support the purchase of additional Sensory Adaptive Play equipment and storage for the clinic.

Huntsville Assistance Program 

For over 20 years, the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP) has provided two critical programs to aid Madison Country families in crisis: the Emergency Food Pantry and the Emergency Financial Assistance. Based on giving a “Hand Up” rather than a “Hand Out,” HAP assists non-homeless families who need emergency assistance with utility bills, rent shortages, or partial mortgage payment assistance. Their goal is to help those who might otherwise fall through the cracks due to temporary emergencies and provide supplemental assistance to seniors on fixed incomes so they may continue payments on their homes to prevent homelessness.

Multiple grants totaling $10,000 have provided emergency assistance for at-risk families.

The Caring House Huntsville Hospital Foundation

The Caring House provides a safe space for children and their families to cope with the death of a loved one and share their grief experiences with others. As Madison County’s only childhood bereavement program, the Caring House is fully funded by Huntsville Hospital Foundation, and all services are provided free of charge. A $5,000 grant provides the opportunity for 29 children to participate in monthly group therapy, special events, and a summer grief camp, putting each of these children on a healing path to work towards channeling grief in healthy, constructive ways.

Huntsville Learning Center

The Huntsville Learning Center (HLC) is a structured after-school program partnering with schools, families, and the community to help students with limited opportunities become responsible citizens. They encourage high school graduation and lifelong learning practices through well-defined programs focusing on extracurricular academic support and personal mentoring. Over 90 students ages 5-13 come to HLC’s facility weekday afternoons to participate in a predominantly volunteer-led program that includes tutoring, exercise and fitness, and life skills training. The $5,000 grant provides a hot meal to the students in the after-school program weekday evenings.

Kids to Love

Kids to Love strengthens our community by meeting the immediate and long-term needs of children in foster care through a variety of programs including housing, education, and mental health support. Through these programs, they provide holistic support that empowers both youth and foster families.

Multiple grants totaling $26,500 have supported the KTECH workforce initiative; Davidson Farms for tween and teen girls in foster care; and the Kids to Love Mental Wellness Program.

Mission of Mercy – Corpus Christi

Mission of Mercy provides medical care to the uninsured and under-insured in the Texas Coastal Bend region around Corpus Christi at no cost. Services include primary care; diagnosis and management of acute and chronic conditions; dental care; vision care; and prescriptions.

A $5,000 grant will support free healthcare and free prescription medications for the underserved healthcare population in and around Corpus Christi.

National Children’s Advocacy Center

The National Children’s Advocacy Center serves the Huntsville/Madison County community by providing intervention for children affected by sexual abuse and prevention programs for at-risk families so that the quality of life for children is improved. Children who are affected by physical or sexual abuse receive full, comprehensive care from disclosure through therapy, prosecution, and ultimately graduation. Children affected by abuse receive the hope and healing that they need at no cost to their families. The $5,000 provides over 30 hours of individual tailored therapy services for children within NCAC.

New Futures

New Futures is a family homeless shelter that helps to keep families together during times of homelessness and assists families in moving back into stable independent living. The $5,000 grant will allow New Futures to build a six-foot privacy fence around the entire yard to promote security and privacy for the children to play safely.

New Hope Children’s Clinic

New Hope Children’s Clinic is a non-profit, school-based health clinic created to increase the access to and provide comprehensive medical care for children in Madison County and surrounding communities.  Two separate $5,000 grants have been awarded to New Hope Children’s Clinic to purchase critical medical supplies, childhood vaccines, and provide for flu and strep testing and treatments for children.

One Generation Away

The mission of One Generation Away is to share hope, honor, and dignity through food, with a vision of teaching people to love one another through service.

A $5,000 grant supports a weekend Mobile Food Pantry in North Alabama, providing groceries to approximately 300 local families in need, directly impacting over 1,000 people.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Corpus Christi

Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas provides a comfortable home-away-from-home for families who must travel to fulfill their children’s healthcare needs. The $5,000 grant supports the Share-A-Night program, which offers families whose child is in the hospital, a guestroom, hot meals, laundry room, indoor/outdoor play areas, craft, games, movie nights, and seasonal celebrations.

Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen

The Rose of Sharon Soup Kitchen works to feed the homeless and less fortunate in the Huntsville community, utilizing their food box program that provides supplemental assistance to all who are in need in our community.

Multiple $5,000 grants have supported support the Life-Meal program and food distribution within the community.

Sleep In Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Huntsville seeks to improve the quality of life for children who do not have a bed of their own.  SHP’s unique approach invites community members to help build and deliver brand new twin beds, along with mattresses and bedding, thereby increasing awareness of childhood bedlessness while also providing a solution.  Children develop and thrive when they sleep in a stable, safe, and comfortable environment.

Multiple grants totaling $15,000 have purchased the materials to build and donate a total of 50 beds, mattresses, and bedding to local children who do not have a bed of their own.

The Ark Assessment Center & Emergency Shelter for Youth (Corpus Christi, Texas)

The Ark Assessment Center and Emergency Shelter for Youth provides a caring intervention for abused, neglected, and displaced children and youth, ages newborn through 17 years old, in a secure environment where they’re treated as a family. All of their needs are furnished with absolute respect and unconditional love while they’re assessed for placement in appropriate long-term care. The $5,000 grant provides 49½ days of groceries for the residents’ three daily nutritious meals, snacks and refreshments.

The CARE Center

Established in 2000, The CARE Center is committed to improving the quality of life in southeastern Madison County by providing the tools and resources necessary to help our neighbors overcome barriers to success due to generational poverty, mental and/or physical disabilities, and crises.

The CARE Center developed its Bags of Blessings program to help combat childhood hunger in the rural communities they serve. The local children’s clinic in New Hope has diagnosed many students with malnutrition and health-related issues. Students who struggle with food security over the weekend will return to school on Monday with stomachaches, headaches, and difficulty focusing on their schoolwork.

A $5,000 grant supports the Bags of Blessings program, providing weekend meals for food-insecure children.

The Care Service

The Care Service’s mission is to serve those in crisis and to prevent homelessness and hunger.  As such, The Care Service operates three client choice food pantries in the tri-county area surrounding St. Louis, Missouri, providing weekly nutritious, supplemental food to more than 1100 individuals (including 453 children) annually.  A $5,000 grant will provide meals for vulnerable families this year.

The Caring Link

The Caring Link supports students in need throughout Madison County by establishing on-site Care Closets in area schools. These closets provide clothing, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, and food items to children who lack necessary resources, allowing them to focus on the important task of learning. The $5,000 grant will be used to establish a new on-site Care Closet at Hazel Green Elementary School, where over 56% of the student population lives at or below the poverty line. This closet would serve 700+ students in Pre-K to 5th grade.

The Enrichment Center

The Enrichment Center (TEC) believes every child deserves access to professional mental health services when facing a difficult time. TEC partners with local schools (Huntsville, Madison County, and Madison City) to provide free, school-based counseling with licensed clinical social workers, as well as community mental health education.

A $5,000 grant supports The Center’s Summer Support Program, which offers mental health services (both telehealth and satellite in-person locations through partnership with HEALS, Inc.) to children in need over the summer months to continue the treatment process or if there is a new mental health issue.

Thrive Alabama

For over 30 years, Thrive Alabama has played a vital role in North Alabama’s health services landscape and presently cares for almost 4,000 patients. Its patients benefit from Thrive Alabama’s wide spectrum of services including adult primary medical care, pediatrics, outreach and health education, behavioral healthcare, among other services. Thrive Alabama is a Community Health Center that provides services to everyone in North Alabama regardless of income or insurance status. The $5,000 grant supports laboratory services for patients who visit the clinic.

United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville & Tennessee Valley

UCP Huntsville’s mission begins by helping children with disabilities learn to walk, talk, eat, dress, play, laugh, and learn alongside their typically developing peers.  And the mission continues by helping families care for their loved ones with special needs throughout their lifespan and by educating the community about their needs and appropriate care.

Two separate $5,000 grants have been awarded to UCP Huntsville & Tennessee Valley: (1) the first grant provides services for low-income families by covering insurance gaps for recommended treatments, as determined by UCP’s pediatric outpatient therapy program; and (2) the second grant supports UCP’s Parents as Teachers program, which provides education, resources, and support to high-needs families in Madison County.

BBBS

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas

Since 2005, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas has addressed the community's most pressing youth issues, strengthened families, and built stronger communities by partnering at-risk youth with caring, responsible adult mentors who provide friendship, support, and guidance that many of these children lack in their personal lives.

The BBBS mentoring program is an evidence-based, preventive approach that addresses the root causes of youth mental health and academic struggles, juvenile delinquency, and developmental growth at no charge to the participants.

A $5,000 grant supports essential program services, including recruiting, screening, and training of volunteers to serve as mentors.

Food Bank of North America

The mission of Food Bank of North Alabama (FBNA) is to feed the hungry today and create solutions to end hunger tomorrow. FBNA currently works with over 230 agency partners in 11 counties in North Alabama. With rising prices, food insecurity is also increasing. Agency partners, such as food pantries, senior centers, homeless shelters, schools, and rehabilitation centers, are critical as the first line of services to distribute food to people experiencing food insecurity.

A $5,000 grant allowed FBNA to grow agency capacity by collaborating with their agency partners to purchase refrigerators, freezers, and trailers to help them safely store and procure food for their communities.

Down Town Rescue Mission

Downtown Rescue Mission is more than a shelter. They provide services like daily meals, emergency services, Life Transformation Programs, medical clinics, and community outreach to people experiencing homelessness.

When Downtown Rescue Mission experienced a substantial increase in the number of individuals actively seeking services, they found they needed to expand their facilities.

A $5,000 purchased bedroom furniture so that all clients have access to comfortable and adequate sleeping arrangements, which is fundamental to their overall well-being.

Grand Parents as Parents

Grandparents As Parents (GAP) improves quality of life by supporting kinship families - grandparents and relatives raising children - through its One-Stop Shop, which provides food, clothing, and school supplies, as well as referrals to essential services.

In North Alabama, grandparents and relatives raising children often do so without adequate support, often on fixed incomes, without legal custody, and with little access to coordinated services.

A $5,000 grant will furnish and equip the One-Stop Shop to better serve the grandfamilies. Funds would cover critical client support needs, including toys and books to create a child-friendly waiting area, and basic office furnishings (tables, chairs, shelving) to support workshops, meetings, and support groups.

Morgan County Child Advocacy Center

The Morgan County Child Advocacy Center provides free, trauma-focused therapy to children who have experienced abuse or neglect, helping them heal and build resilience. By addressing trauma early, they support healthier emotional development and stronger families, creating safer, more hopeful futures for children across the community.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect contribute to significant physical and mental health issues if they remain untreated. Untreated ACEs can lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, chronic diseases, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships. ACEs can disrupt brain development, affecting emotional regulation, behavior, and overall well-being. Without intervention, these effects can hinder academic performance and career success. Early treatment, such as Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can reduce these risks and promote healing, improving outcomes for those affected.

A $5,000 grant supports specialized Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy services for the children and families of Morgan County.

Still Serving Veterans

Still Serving Veterans serves and honors Veterans and their families by empowering them to build meaningful lives through connections to fulfilling careers, benefits, and services; and to proactively strengthen Veteran communities through leadership and collaboration.

Many Veterans face financial issues due to difficulties in transitioning to civilian life, unemployment, and service-related disabilities.  The Veterans Support Network Program provides immediate financial relief to Veterans in crisis while fostering long-term stability.  It provides grocery store gift cards, pays utility bills, covers a month’s rent or deposits to help get Veterans into an apartment.

A $5,000 grant supports the Veterans Support Network Program.

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