In the Year 2000, Jerry Jacob worked hard to improve the building belonging to Tennessee Valley Outreach. He raised more than $32,000 to do it.

The roof was replaced. The floors were re-tiled. The building looked good.

Jerry's dream was a thrift store through which the excess donations to TVO could be sold. Jerry was working toward making it a reality. He attended a conference on mission-operated thrift stores. The information he learned about thrift store operation and management was carefully saved and filed away.

Then Jerry resigned and moved to Cullman.

Six weeks later the board of directors secured the services of yours truly, the present director. Having served on TVO's board, I knew something about the mission, but I was totally unprepared for what lay ahead.

Almost two months later, my first issue of "The Outreach" was published. That seemed to be the best way to let contributors know what was going on at the mission.

Now, eight years later, I'm looking at the future-again. God and our contributors have certainly been very good to the mission and me. TVO has a working program that means hard work on the part of the staff and the residents.

I've learned that residents are residents because they make poor choices, lack self-control, and have multiple problems. Their families are fed up with them.