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THE ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The spirit of community service is alive and well in Coffee County.
The Alliance for Community Outreach (ACO) was founded in 1997 by a group of local citizens who saw the need for a broad, faith-based ministry for the entire community. The catalyst for forming the ACO at that time was a well known provider of such services, Benny Benjamin, who had served as a minister of Forest Mill Church of Christ. It was recognized at the outset that the ministry must be non-sectarian, non-profit, and must be accessible to all in the community.
The group that formed the Alliance were from different churches, occupations and had many different views on how the organization should function. Jeff Spry amalgamated these many facets and was the leader in writing a charter and by-laws that featured the main function of the ministry. In July of 1997, the ACO was incorporated in the state of Tennessee, 501c regulations were met, a board of directors was elected, office space was secured and the organization became official in September of 1997.
From the beginning, the question of funding was an issue. It was decided that no charges for services would be made. Initially, donations from individuals and businesses made up the bulk of the revenue. Later, a few churches began to contribute and services started to become available to the general public. An Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) was improvised by Jeff Spry to help companies meet the the Grug-Free Workplace requirements and provide personal counseling for employees. About this time (1999), Dr. Eban Gilbert became a part time worker in McMinnville. He brought the ACO some strong credentials from his work with the Taft Youth Institute in Pikeville and with the expansion of Warren County, several EAP's were brought in, all of which are still in place. A counseling office is maintained in McMinnville.
Today, the Charter has not changed, the financial struction hasn't changed and the services rendered have not basically changed. The ACO has three employees, Ralf "Benny Benjamin," Dr. Eban Gilbert, and one office member. There is also a 14-member board of directors headed by Dr. Wheeler McGregor.
The ACO is currently engaged in a busy program consisting of personal counseling (marriage, depresssion, children and drug problems), classes and seminars (drug free workplace training, crisis management, anger management, co-parenting and grief support) and chaplainships (Manchester Police Department, Coffee County Sherriff's Department and Hospitals in Coffee and Warren Counties).
The Alliance is always in need of funding. It has become a vital asset to the community and any support it can recieve is greatly appreciated. Send your donations to:
The Alliance for Community Outreach
115 West Main Street
Manchester, TN
37355
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