Cross Country Education - Cross Country Cares

January 2009 Books From Birth
Books From Birth mails a new, age appropriate book each month to Imagination Library participants ages 0-5 at no cost to the family. It began as a result of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - a statewide program that includes BFBMT - and was founded by Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Nashville Public Library, Jo's Reach Out and Read, NashvilleRead, Ingram Industries, News Channel 5, Dollywood Foundation and the Governor's Books From Birth Foundation. From Memphis to Mountain City, all 95 Tennessee counties offer Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, making the program to each and every one of the state's 375,000 children under age five! Click here to learn more!

February 2009 The American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is: "Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and strokes." The association's impact goal is to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. CCE will also be participating in the National Wear Red Day on February 6th to help bring awareness to heart disease and stroke. You can learn more at www.americanheart.org

March 2009 The Tennessee School for the Blind
The Tennessee School for the Blind has served Tennessee's visually impaired children since 1844. Because its students have unique needs, the school often needs special equipment, supplies and opportunities for enrichment in addition to what can be provided by the state through normal appropriations. The purpose of Friends of Tennessee School for the Blind is to supplement those state appropriations by enhanceing and enriching the educational, vocational, special skills, and social development of students enrolled in the Tennessee School for the Blind. You can learn more by visiting their web site at: www.friendsoftsb.org/

April 2009 VH1 Save the Music Foundation
The foundation's core mission is to restore instrumental music programs, ensuring that every child has access to a complete education that includes the benefits of music instruction. The VH1 Save The Music Foundation has proudly restored 1,600 instrumental music programs in more than 100 cities nationwide, putting instruments into the hands of 1.2 million children. The Foundation is able to make grants of music education programs because of the generous support from its corporate sponsors, foundations, and partners. To learn more you can visit their web site at: www.vh1savethemusic.com

May 2009 CaringBridge
CaringBridge provides free, personalized web sites for easier communication with family and friends during a health crisis, treatment or recovery. Their mission is to bring together a global community of care powered by the love of family and friends in an easy, accessible and private way. More than 20 million families each year turn to CaringBridge for comfort and support during difficult times. To learn more you can visit their web site at: www.caringbridge.org

June 2009 Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
The Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is a leading provider of pediatric health care. Living by the principal of "family-centered care," Children's Hospital provides top-level care while including the family as an essential element of the child's treatment plan. As a world renowned academic medical research center, Children's Hospital has access to the most advanced care available and is continually searching for more answers to serve families. Children's Hospital researchers are internationally recognized for their discoveries in vaccine development, genetics, pediatric epidemiology, autism, fetal and cardiac surgery and more.

July 2009 Nashville VA Center
The Nashville VA Medical Center is one of two main campuses in the VA Tennessee Valley HealthCare System (TVHS),comprised of the Nashville and Alvin C. York Medical Centers and nine outpatient clinics. The Nashville campus offers primary, secondary and tertiary care to veterans living in middle Tennessee and Kentucky. The Nashville campus supports a vigorous research program of over $26 million annually. The Nashville campus serves as a VHA resource for solid organ and bone marrow transplants. You can learn more about the VA Medical Center by visiting http://www.visn9.va.gov

August 2009 MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary national agency - a dedicated partnership between scientists and concerned citizens aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans. MDA has led the worldwide fight against muscular dystrophy for half a century. MDA funds 350 research teams around the globe, allocating tens of millions of dollars in grants each year in pursuit of cures and treatments. You can learn more about MDA at: http://www.mda.org/

September 2009 ALS Association - Fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease
To lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. You can learn more about the ALS Association at: http://www.alsa.org/

October 2009 American Cancer Society/Breast Cancer Awareness
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services. CCE is going to participate in the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk again this year. Please click here to learn more about "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

November 2009 St. Luke's Community House of West Nashville
St Luke's mission is to help low income working families, seniors, and individuals in West Nashville achieve their potential and prevent problems that threaten the stability of families and community. St. Luke's is the only major social service agency in the area offering a variety of programs including childcare, mobile meals, emergency food, home repairs, tax assistance, toy store, adult computer classes, summer camp and health assessments. You can learn more by visiting their website at: www.stlukescommunityhouse.org/

December 2009 Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. In the over two decades since MADD's founding, U.S. alcohol related fatalities have declined by more than 40 percent. You can learn more by visiting: www.maddtn.org