With the upcoming holidays, finding safe pastimes for children can be an issue for parents and caregivers for which Allegany Hope has free, wholesome opportunities.

Our Allegany County nonprofit organization, focused on Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families^TM, is offering free access to the national RightNow Media library of over 20,000 videos, including a large children’s section with fun cartoon presentations which provide moral messages, such as kindness, helpfulness, safety and being a good friend.

There also are adult videos, in both single sessions and series for individual or group use, which encompass guides for marriage and families, parenting, men’s and women’s studies, conflict resolution, mental health and wellness, professional development, leadership, values and culture, and many more topics.

Children’s videos include BOZ, the green bear next door, Friends and Heroes, Adventures in Odyssey, Monster Truck Adventures, Owlegories, Stories from the Storyteller, The Emily the Elephant Show, Life at the Pond, Bible Adventures, and music videos.  Make Ready for Christmas and Inspired Christmas Adventures are among seasonal topics.

Presenters in the teen and adult video sessions include well-known pastors John Maxwell, John Perkins, Max Lucado, John Piper, Tony Evans, J.D. Greear, Francis Chan, and Andy Stanley, along with nationally-recognized Christian counselors and authors Henry Cloud, John Townsend, Emerson Eggerichs, Les and Leslie Parrott, Gary Thomas, Greg Smalley, and others.

Authors Dave Ramsey and Larry Burkett on finances; Chuck Colson, creator of a national prison ministry after serving time for involvement in the Nixon White House investigation, and celebrities Kirk Cameron and NFL football coach Tony Dungey also are included.

A special section for business includes individual videos and series by men and women executives with backgrounds at Coca-Cola, Walmart, HP, Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, Popeye’s, Tyson, and Auntie Anne’s pretzels.

Allegany Hope has obtained a community subscription to enable area families to take advantage of this free service.

Access to the videos is available by emailing Allegany Hope at AlleganyHopeWNY@outlook.com with name, community of residence and email, and then accepting a return email invitation to participate.

Allegany Hope is involved in various other initiatives for Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families in Allegany County and beyond which include an online Community Calendar of free and primarily-free events, a Faith Community Health Ministry Network to assist churches and community groups in developing health ministry networks to help serve holistic health – physical, mental/emotional and spiritual – needs of individuals and families within congregations and their communities, and various forums focusing on specific areas of need.

Additional forums are being planned to help meet the needs of individuals of all ages and families.

Allegany Hope seeks volunteer Information Ambassadors in churches and the general community who can help connect individuals and families with services and opportunities they may not be familiar with through a process of organized information dissemination. Further details are available from Casey Jones, executive director, through email or at (484) 435-0503