With a population greater than 25,000 and a poverty rate of 21%, it's easy to see that we have our work cut out for us,especially in areas like Canton, Georgia. According to Welfare Info, one in every fourth resident of Canton lives in poverty. In fact, Canton has a higher percentage of residents living below the poverty line when compared to the rest of Georgia.

Summer break often paints a bleak picture for our children. In addition to not having many opportunities to engage academically, during summer break, our children often miss out on school breakfast, school lunch, and chances to develop social skills that greatly improve the possibility  that they will grow into well-rounded, successful adults.

Path To Shine has been operating in Canton since 2013, and under the leadership of committed Mentors it has become one of our largest programs. In an effort to stand in the gap with our children over the summer break, Path To Shine-Canton recently took our children to Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. The children were able to see rare minerals up close, conduct an archaeology dig, and everyone received a great astronomy lesson. A great time was had by all!

This one example of how Path To Shine works tirelessly to support our children over summer break. With our newest program, at St. Jude's/San Judas in Marietta opening in the fall, we are now up and running in 17 locations across north and middle Georgia.

As always, we are thankful for your generous support. During the summer months we are especially thankful for your support of our Enrichment Programs. To read more about our 17 locations and what we're doing to dismantle poverty, please click here.