What’s the Key to Breaking the Cycle of Poverty? GRIT

Almost Home held its first annual Celebration of GRIT awards on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at the Caramel Room at Bissinger’s. The evening’s program was hosted by Latasha Fox, former contestant on season 28 of the hit CBS show, Survivor. Having demonstrated her own brand of tenacity and grit in her impressive run on the show, Fox shared her Survivor stories when introducing the 2014 GRIT Awardees, Corey Smale of Strange Donuts, Teresa Katubig of Extra Help, Inc., and our first Almost Home Alumni Awardee, Ashley Fisher.

Each of the awardees were selected because they embody the same passion and determination that it takes for the teen moms at Almost Home to climb out of poverty. Our young moms have had to deal with challenges and tragedies their entire lives. Almost Home recognizes that in order to help them overcome these obstacles they need more than just housing and food – they need a fierce determination to not allow adversity to keep them from reaching their goals and dreams. Our Celebration of Grit awardees were excellent role models of how ordinary people can overcome extraordinary odds.

Each year Almost Home will recognize people in the community who demonstrate these same qualities. We want to champion the idea that success is not determined by your race, gender, class or even if you’re a young or single mother. We need your help to identify others who can serve as an inspiration to our teen moms and the community. Who do you know who has the same grit and passion that Almost Home is developing in our young moms? We’ll have our official nomination form on the site soon but for now tell us about someone you think deserves a grit award.

To learn more about our awardees or their businesses click on the links below.

Strange Donuts | http://strangedonuts.tumblr.com/

Extra Help, Inc. | http://www.extrahelpinc.com/

Ladue News graciously photographed the event; we will provide a link to the pictures when they are posted on the Ladue News’ website.