(Pictured: Greg Darby, Little General Store, Inc., Mary White, Children's Home Society, Traci Nelson, OMEGA, Brian Waugh, Par Mar Stores)
The West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association (OMEGA) raised $132,335 during their Every Child Deserves a Loving Home Mother’s Day Campaign to help children across the state dealing with crisis in the family.
“West Virginian’s take care of their own; particularly our children,” said Traci Nelson, President of OMEGA. “We are very thankful that our convenience store members were able to raise this money to assist the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia in helping our most vulnerable population. We appreciate the public’s incredible spirit of generosity and desire to help children in need of adoption and families in crisis.”
This multi-month campaign included the sale of brightly colored paper flowers at nearly 500 OMEGA-member convenience and grocery stores across West Virginia.
The group also will hold their Jan Vineyard Children’s Charity Golf Outing in September for this initiative.
Mary White, Chief Operating Officer of the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, said, “Our Mission is to protect children and strengthen families. OMEGA provides the funding and other resources to help make a difference in the lives of thousands of children every year. They are committed to West Virginia’s most vulnerable and they make a difference in our communities statewide.”
White said funds will be used for the organization’s efforts to find foster and adoptive homes for children, to assist the emergency child shelters, and to support their resource centers.
Nearly $3.3 million has been raised by OMEGA since 2003 for this and other efforts to help West Virginia children.
About the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia:
The Children's Home Society of West Virginia is a private, non-profit child welfare organization founded in 1896. Comprehensive child welfare, behavioral health, social casework, and advocacy services are provided to over 13,000 children and families each year from thirteen primary locations throughout the state. Some of their current programs are statewide adoption and foster care programs, family strengthening and support programs, 8 emergency child shelters, volunteer and mentoring programs, wraparound support programs, and resource centers.
The West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association (OMEGA) raised a record $115,463 in 2021 to help children across the state dealing with crisis in the family.
“Given all West Virginia and our nation has been through over the past year and a half it’s amazing to see this incredible spirit of generosity and desire to help children in need of adoption and families in crisis,” said Traci Nelson, President of OMEGA. “We are very thankful that our convenience store and independent grocery members were able to raise a record amount to assist the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia in helping our most vulnerable populations.”
This multi-month campaign included the sale of brightly colored paper flowers at nearly 500 OMEGA-member convenience and grocery stores across West Virginia as well as through hosting the Jan Vineyard Children’s Charity Golf Outing at Glade Springs on May 12. Jan Vineyard, the longtime director of OMEGA, was an advocate for causes supporting West Virginia’s children.
Mary White, Chief Operating Officer of the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, said, “The pandemic has only intensified the problems facing families in crisis and thousands of West Virginia children are in need of adoption. We are very appreciative of OMEGA for supporting this effort, the proceeds of which will go directly to improving the lives of state children and families.”
White said funds will be used for the organization’s assistance programs, which include emergency child shelters, foster care, adoption support, mentoring, early intervention, and numerous other family support programs.
Nearly $3 million has been raised by OMEGA since 2003 for this and other efforts to help West Virginia children.
September is We Card Awareness Month and it’s a great time to train or re-train employees and raise awareness of the FDA regulations and state law compliance.
The West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association encourages all retailers to continue in their efforts to successfully identify and prevent underage age-restricted product sales. We Card resources include:
The West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association encourages all retailers to continue in their efforts to successfully identify and prevent underage age-restricted product sales. We Card resources include:
- We Card’s 2021 materials are now available to order at www.wecard.org.
- We Card’s online training and its mystery shopping service — ID Check-Up help equip your store employees with the knowledge while you can gauge their performance with mystery shops.
- Get an updated state law summary or a Federal Law Summary on FDA regulated products and requirements of retailers. See the Resource Center at www.wecard.org.
- We Card’s Age Checker App, a smartphone app that scans driver’s license bar codes and provides an "OK to Sell" or "Do Not Sell" message — available in the App Store and Google Play. Learn more here.
- Take We Card’s Best Practices Survey and get a free download of We Card’s Guide to Best Practices.
As of May 2020, there were 7,265 youths in foster care and with the ongoing opioid crisis, the number keep increasing. Due to Covid19, the Annual Mother's Day Campaign, which benefits the Children's Home Society of WV (CHS), was not held. This greatly reduced the funds that are available to assist these children in need.
The work that the Children’s Home Society does is so important and because of that we want to try to provide support to replace some of the money we typically raise during the Mother’s Day Campaign. OMEGA Chairman Greg Darby of Little General Store, Inc. has pledged to donate $10,000 toward this effort and challenges all OMEGA MEMBERS to donate as well.
This effort will not replace the Jan Vineyard Children's Charity Golf outing, which will be held September 23rd at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV. More information will be distributed for the event later this week.
These children desperately need our help so we are asking that you please help support this worthy cause and donate what you can!
Please send your checks made payable to Children’s Home Society of West Virginia to OMEGA WV, 2006 Kanawha Blvd., E., Charleston, WV 25311. If you have questions, please contact Missy Morgan at missy@omegawv.com.
The West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association (OMEGA), has awarded ten students from across the state and region with college scholarships.
Those receiving awards, and the OMEGA member they are affiliated with, include:
Those receiving awards, and the OMEGA member they are affiliated with, include: