Operation Sharing celebrates 32 years of helping those in need in Appalachia

Forcht Bank Area President Corey Chesnut presented Andrea Spradlin one of several monetary gifts donated as door prizes for the Operation Sharing open house, held last week at the organization’s Corbin facility.

One of the largest non-profit organizations in the U.S. celebrated its 32nd anniversary last week with a special open house at one of its main distribution centers, located in Corbin.

“Operation Sharing,” a program of the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), gathered employees, volunteers and corporate partners together for a special celebration at its Corbin facility last Thursday.

Guy Adams, President and CEO of CAP, told the group that “Operation Sharing,” the largest single part of the organization, has a “substantial impact on lives” in the Appalachian region.

“Operation Sharing is an incredible part of CAP,” Adams said. “CAP is such a blessed organization to have the benefit of a gift-in-kind program. All of Appalachia is blessed that we can partner to make an impact across the whole region.”

As a CAP program, Operation Sharing brings businesses and people together to deliver hope to individuals and families in dire need. Operation Sharing receives donations from corporate America and other non-profit organizations. Donations include items from food and books to furniture and building supplies. Each year it is estimated more than 1.5 million people in all 13 Appalachian states — and Missouri and Arkansas — are impacted by donated materials.

Jeff Burchett, Director of Operation Sharing, said in the past year, the program received $70.6 million in donated products. It’s five biggest donors — Feed the Children, World Vision, Operation Compassion, Good 360 and The Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints — accounted for $67.7 million of that total.

“All told for this fiscal year, we have 37 different donors; individuals, companies and churches. It’s been a good year,” Burchett said. “We appreciate all of our donors, not only our product donors, but our cash donors.”

In its 32-year existence, Operation Sharing has received and distributed over $1.7 billion worth of donated items. The program has partnerships with more than 1,500 non-profit organizations, community-based agencies and churches throughout the region.

Burchett said the number of donations is up this year by 127.

“That’s a tremendous increase in one year’s time,” he said. “This has been a busy year.”

It also receives significant contributions from corporate partners.

Adams and Burchett both personally thanked Forcht Group of Kentucky Chairman and CEO Terry Forcht, and his wife Marion, for their generous support of the program over the years. Adams also thanked Mike and Vicky Phipps for their support of CAP.

The open house included a catered meal for visitors and employees, door prizes and games. Forcht Bank donated several cash prizes for employees. La-Z-Boy Logistics donated furniture to be given away as door prizes.

Games of skill were also a part of the open house. Winning individuals and teams received cash prizes.

Operation Sharing has two facilities in Kentucky — the Corbin warehouse and another in Paintsville. It has a third facility in Oneida, Tenn.

Altogether, CAP is the 12th largest charity in the nation. There are roughly 1.1 million registered charities.