Northeast Community Credit Union presented a $500 donation to Assistance and Resource Ministries

(ARM) as part of their annual partnership with the non-profit agency.

ARM relies on community donations to provide assistance to 700 to 950 people each month. ARM provides meals, monthly food boxes, clothing, baby supplies, vouchers for additional household needs, referrals to other agencies, employment counseling and much more.

ARM Executive Director Faye Ingram said the donation will be used to help fill in the gaps where clients need it most.

“This is one of the tougher times of the year,” Ingram said. “There is a lot of need in the community, and this donation will help out tremendously.”

NCCU has a long-standing relationship with ARM and has supported the agency throughout the years with fundraisers, volunteer hours and collection efforts.

“ARM diligently works to benefit the needy in Carter County and helps with necessities for people who often slip through the cracks in the system,” NCCU President/CEO Teresa Arnold said. “We are thankful for a chance to help and support their cause.”

To donate to ARM or for more information, call 423-542-0919 or visit http://www.armfoodpantry.com.

Northeast Community Credit Union donated a new high-capacity popcorn popper to the historic Bonnie Kate Theater.

The theater had been using a smaller popcorn popper which made it difficult to meet demand during events. The new machine will make it easier for the Bonnie Kate to serve its customers.

“It will definitely help,” Bonnie Kate Restoration Board Member John Huber said. “There are times when it was hard to keep up because the old machine would make such small amounts.”

The restoration committee has been working to bring Bonnie Kate back to its former glory. The group has hosted several events at the Theater as fundraisers for the restoration projects.

The next event at the Bonnie Kate will be the Cans Film Festival on Saturday, December 14. This is a joint fundraiser for Bonnie Kate and Assistance Resource Ministry. The festival begins at 1 p.m. and features three movies: The Muppet Christmas Carol at 1 p.m.; A Christmas Carol at 4 p.m.; and Scrooged at 7 p.m. Donations of canned foods will be collected for ARM and a $3 donation for the Bonnie Kate Restoration Project is the suggested ticket admission.

The Bonnie Kate Theater is located at 115 S. Sycamore Street, Elizabethton.

Here’s how it works:

Someone contacts you asking for a donation to their charity. It sounds like a group you’ve heard of, it seems real, and you want to help.

How can you tell what charity is legitimate and what’s a scam? Scammers want your money quickly. Charity scammers often pressure you to donate right away. They might ask for cash, and might even offer to send a courier or ask you to wire the money. Scammers often refuse to send you information about the charity, give you details, or tell you how the money will be used. They might even thank you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

Here what you can do:

1. Take your time. Tell callers to send you information by mail. For requests you get in the mail, do your research. Is this a real group? What percentage of your donation goes to the charity? Is your donation tax deductible? How do they want you to pay? Rule out anyone who asks you to send cash or wire money. Chances are, that’s a scam.
2. Pass this information on to a friend. It’s likely that nearly everyone you know gets charity solicitations. This information could help someone else spot a possible scam.

Please report scams. If you spot a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261. Or, go online at ftc.gov/complaint.

Your complaint can help protect other people. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify scammers and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money. It really makes a difference.