Victory Train Delivery Angels spread Christmas cheer
Published 9:20 am Thursday, January 6, 2022
- Madison Priester presenting her Victory Train® Christmas Tree.
Victory Train® Delivery Angels brought Christmas cheer to 174 children in Greene County.
“Our Victory Elves set up shop at the Greene County Library,” said Theresa Kemp, founder of Victory Train Inc. “And we held a drive-thru event where we distributed hundreds of educational toys to the children in our program. These Christmas toys are a reward to our parents for the hard work they put into our program during the year, as they prepare their children for kindergarten-readiness.”
According to Kemp, “The Victory Train has been running at full speed. Our child head count has grown by 300% since the start of Covid, starting with 58 children in 2020 and we now have over 170 children ‘riding’ on the Train. That is phenomenal growth and what has been even more impressive is that we have not been actively recruiting. Our families love what we are doing and refer their friends and family to join us.”
“We want to thank Lonya Jackson-Sarden and the Greene County Library for opening their doors to us,” said Kemp. “The library has been a key partner to the Victory Train, providing a meeting place for us to gather our families, and plays a critical role in our community.”
“We also would like to thank our many donors who provide the needed funds to run our program,” said Kemp. “The Christmas toys and educational materials are all provided by our generous donors. It is truly a joy to witness the overwhelming response and support from our local community, as they have wholeheartedly embraced our Victory Train initiative.”
“We also thank Lakeside Church for providing space in their building for us to run the operations of our program. Lakeside and their staff have been a true blessing, enabling us to sustain the incredible growth we have experienced. They make our work possible,” said Kemp.
“It has been an amazing ride,” said Kemp. “We are 99% volunteer driven and run with less than 2% of our funds being spent on overhead. A lot of work goes into the planning and preparation of the educational packets we deliver to the homes of over 170 children every week,” said Kemp. “We have a wonderful volunteer base that believes in what we are doing and eagerly takes ownership in the running of our operations. It is a joy to work alongside so many generous people who have a heart for the families in our community.”
The Victory Train® is an early childhood education program that empowers parents with skills and resources to provide essential learning experiences for their children from birth to kindergarten. Kindergarten-readiness is a key predictor to a child’s future academic and economic success and is a critical first step on the pathway to graduation.
The Victory Train walks alongside parents, helping them realize their role as their child’s first and best teacher, and providing them with age-appropriate educational packets delivered to the home every week. Parents are guided every step of the way, helping them raise children who arrive at the first day of school confident and ready to succeed at the first key milestone on the pathway to graduation.
Victory Train, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To learn more about how to participate in the program, visit www.victorytrain.org or call 770-609-5990.