CULLMAN, Ala. – Grab a costume and a candy bucket. The Link of Cullman County is hosting a Trunk or Treat Night this Friday, Oct. 23, from 6-8 p.m. at the Desperation Church Student Center, 202 Elizabeth St. NE in Cullman.
Families can stroll from trunk to trunk collecting candy, and there will be plenty of treats for grown-ups too. Food vendors scheduled for the evening include:
- Betos Tacos
- Devil Dawgs
- Holders & Beans Coffee Truck
- A Little Something Extra Ice Cream
For The Link, a night like this is about more than candy. It’s a chance to do what the organization has been doing for more than a decade: bring neighbors together.
Born from a calling
When Dawn Owens moved to Cullman, she knew no one outside her husband’s family. But as she settled into her new hometown, she couldn’t shake the needs she saw around her.
“God made me really uncomfortable,” Owens told The Tribune in 2017.
That restlessness became a calling. In 2010, guided by the scripture to love God and love your neighbor, Owens envisioned a central hub where families in need could find support all in one place. She began meeting with local people, churches and groups to share the idea.
“Little by little, people started to come on board with me,” she said.
Churches opened their doors to help. St. John’s Church provided The Link’s first home on Third Avenue, and The Link officially opened March 1, 2012. In 2017, Cullman Church of Christ provided a larger home: a converted church building at 708 Ninth St. SE.
More than a decade later, that same faith still anchors everything The Link does.
Neighbors, not clients
Today, The Link describes itself as a faith-based nonprofit working to break the cycle of poverty in Cullman County through encouragement, education and employability training. Its guiding belief is simple: “All people are valued and loved by God, and it is our joy to serve them and our God.”
That belief shows in how staff talk about the people who walk through their doors. Rather than “clients,” The Link calls them neighbors, and the organization says it measures success by the quality of life of those neighbors.
Over the years, that has meant help in many forms: the Master’s Hand Food Pantry; literacy and tutoring programs; kindergarten readiness and summer enrichment camps; parenting and life-skills classes through Renew U; supervised visitations at its Nurturing Place; community meals; and even a warming shelter during freezing weather.
The Link’s work continues to grow. In May, the organization received $1 million in state funding, secured by Sen. Garlan Gudger Jr. and local state representatives, to expand tutoring, parental and financial education and summer enrichment camps for local students. Executive Director Melissa Betts called it “an incredible opportunity to continue strengthening programs” for local children and families. Last month, The Link celebrated its accreditation and membership in the Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers.
Join the fun
Trunk or Treat Night is set for Friday, Oct. 23, from 6-8 p.m. at the Desperation Church Student Center, 202 Elizabeth St. NE.
To learn more about The Link of Cullman County, volunteer or give, visit linkingcullman.org or stop by The Link at 708 Ninth St. SE.
