Caring Heart is more than a thrift store. Caring Heart’s Teen Pantry supports nearly 200 local teens with food, hygiene products, and tutoring and supports three local nonprofits with its proceeds. Caring Heart is partnering with the SMCEC to launch the LEAD program which will help local teens learn career skills and how to think and act like owners.

The AFC does pay-what-you-can auto repairs how-to auto repair workshops in Montgomery, AL. They describe themselves as “regular, working class people who want to serve the community and make people's lives easier.“

Tawoon, which means “Cooperate” in Arabic, is a cooperative education center that has helped found over 10 farming and artisanal coops in Egypt and North Africa. Founded by Mohammad Hakeem, an educator who holds an MBA in Cooperative Administration, Tawoon works based on cooperative principles to incubate coops and consult with companies to transition to cooperative management. The SMCEC is helping translate some of Mr. Hakeem’s curriculum and plan to incorporate it in our work. Connected to Alabama by an Egyptian Lamplight staffmember, Tawoon is excited to partner with the people of Alabama to develop cooperative training methods that will benefit rural communities around the world.