International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. One way to celebrate this day is to give back to female-focused nonprofits. Here are some ideas for local and national organization that could use your support today!

 

1. Domestic Violence Agencies

There are a number of agencies in the Kansas City Metro that aim to eliminate domestic violence and support victims. Here are just a few:

Safehome

Rose Brooks

Hope House

New House

Check out the links above to learn more about donating or volunteering!

2. Dress for Success

The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Donate gently used clothes, money, or your time! Click here to learn more.

3. Bra Couture KC

Bra Couture KC raises funds for uninsured/underinsured cancer patients in the greater Kansas City area who cannot pay for their cancer supplies such as cancer medication, transportation to treatment, prosthetics, wigs, surgical supplies, lymphedema services and garments, and their basic life expenses during treatment.

4. Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization “inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.” They promote healthy living and positive body image; academic enrichment and guidance; and assistance building overall life skills “that increase confidence and resilience, enabling them to set and achieve their goals and lead productive, independent, and fulfilling lives.”

5. Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech. They help girls in primary and secondary school learn coding from beginner to advanced levels in a supportive and fun environment built on sisterhood, encouraging girls “to see themselves as computer scientists.”

6. She Should Run

 She Should Run is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization working to dramatically increase the number of women considering a run for public office. She Should Run not only encourages women from all backgrounds to run for office, they help make it happen. Additionally, they teach young girls about women’s ongoing barriers to political office and how to overcome them.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy New Year and welcome back Cavs! With the new school year comes new opportunities to give back to our community.

Here’s one opportunity to start the year off right:

Happy giving!

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.  Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a way to encourage people to do good. It is now an independent nonprofit focused on inspiring others to do good whether that means donating to charities or helping out a neighbor! Learn more about #GivingTuesday on their website.

Here are some local organizations you might consider donating to today:

Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas

• Goodwill empowers people to discover their potential and adapt for the future through the power of work.
• Help Goodwill accomplish their mission by donating to Goodwill’s Holiday of Giving Campaign!

 

Freedom Hoops

• Creating disciples on and off the court. 
• Freedom Hoops is looking for donations to help raise $7,500 to cover all costs for 15 young men to go to summer camp!
• Donate Here!

 

 

Rise Against Hunger

• Rise Against Hunger is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives, and responding to emergencies.
• This Giving Tuesday you can help by donating money to Rise Against Hunger and provide meals to those in need! Donate here.
  • $250 provides 700 emergency meals
  • $120 provides treatment to a child facing malnutrition 
  • $75 provides a child a year of meals
  • $60 provides a food basket for an at-risk family

Happy #GivingTuesday!

Attention JCCC staff and faculty! This popular JCCC tradition is looking a little different this year. Although you won’t be able to drink tea and wrap presents together this year, JCCC will still be collecting your holiday donations! All you have to do is view the various wish lists down below, make your purchases, and bring your new and unwrapped items to campus!

JCCC’s Holiday Giving Tea committee will be hosting an on-campus, drive-through, collection event.

Location: Regnier Center Parking Garage

Date & Time: Tue. Dec. 1st | 1-3pm

Can’t make this date? You can leave your donations in a bin in CC 115 – Campus Police. Now through Dec. 1st!

Online Wish Lists:

Care Beyond the Boulevard (homeless outreach)

• Greatest Needs: Antibiotic ointment, AA or AAA batteries, blankets, cold medicine (any kind), hand and foot warmers, ibuprofen and protein snacks

JCCC Cav Cupboard (food pantry/hygiene products/school supplies)

• Greatest Needs: Baby food, diapers, hats, gloves, scarves, canned meat/fish and boxed meals

Kansas City VA Medical Center

• Greatest Needs: Denture cleaner, disposable razors, large cans of regular coffee, men’s coats sizes XL to XXXXL, restaurant gift cards, $10 Walmart® or QuikTrip® gift cards

JCCC Gives (holiday help for students/faculty/staff) Wish Lists and Donations

• In-person monetary donations to JCCC Gives can be made Dec. 1 at the collection event or in COM 309. Mail checks to Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., c/o Box 7, Overland Park, KS 66210.

Have questions? Contact Michele Clark at mclark31@jccc.edu. 

Sponsored by the JCCC Foundation.

Happy Holidays!

Protests have erupted across the United States this past weekend after the death of George Floyd. People from Seattle to New York have gathered to stand against police brutality – Kansas City, Topeka, and Lawrence included.

If you are wanting to support the protestors and the fight against police brutality, you can help by donating to or getting involved with the groups below:

George Floyd Memorial Fund– “This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George.  A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.”

 Minnesota Freedom Fund–  “The Minnesota Freedom Fund pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.”

Black Lives Matter-“Join the Movement to fight for Freedom, Liberation and Justice by signing up for updates, supporting our work, checking out our resources, following us on social media, or wearing our dope, official gear.”

Kansas City Community Bail Fund– “Our mission is to give those who cannot afford bail a fighting chance at getting a positive outcome in their case rather than be persuaded to plead out through the use of a revolving fund.”

National Police Accountability Project– Brought to you by the National Lawyers Guild, NPAP “is a non-profit dedicated to ending law enforcement abuse through legal action and educational programming.”

Campaign Zero– “The comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.”

Here are two petitions to be aware of as well:

• Civil rights group Color of Change launched a petition asking that all the officers involved in Floyd’s death are brought to justice. Find it here.
• The “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org already has 11.5 million supporters. That sends a big message. Find it here.

Today is Giving Tuesday!

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world through acts of giving. In light of COVID-19, our communities are in need of generosity and unity now more than ever.

Below are some organizations in Kansas City we encourage you to check out and consider supporting!

Guadalupe Centers

Help raise funds to support COVID-19 efforts, including housing and utility assistance, food pantry, meal deliveries for seniors, and virtual learning support for the charter school student body for Latino families in our community.

Donate here!

Cultivate KC

Help families who are struggling to secure food during COVID-19, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, by donating to Cultivate KC. This organization provides local produce grown with care to food pantries in order to help nurture our community.

Donate here!

Shepherd’s Center of KC Central

Support seniors in the community. Shepherd’s Center addresses emotional and physical needs, such as loneliness and hunger, and helps care for one of the most vulnerable populations during COVID-19

Donate here.

Community LINC

Help families experiencing homelessness in our community re-house, stabilize, and become empowered. Community LINC seeks to end homelessness and support families in need, especially those severely impacted by COVID-19

Donate here.

 

Your kindness and generosity will help countless individuals and families struggling in our community! We are stronger together. Please consider giving today!

Calling all JCCC students and employees! Check out the JCCC Kindness Challenge below! If you are not formally connected with JCCC, I hope you’ll still be inspired by this challenge and maybe start one of your own.

JCCC Kindness Challenge

The staff, faculty, and students of JCCC have already done amazing things to give back to their communities during this crisis. Kindness is so important to keeping our community strong during this time of need. Let’s keep it up!

Honors and Community-Based Learning has teamed up with the JCCC Kindness Club to propose a challenge. How many acts of kindness can JCCC do by the end of the (current) Kansas City stay-at-home order – May 15^th? Let’s reach 100 acts!

Below is a list of ideas. We hope many of these acts are already integrated in your routine; if not, here is an incentive to spread kindness in your community in small ways. If you do any act of kindness from the list or beyond, send me an email (tkaraim@jccc.edu)! I will keep track of all of our good deeds and reveal the final tally after the deadline! Feel free to send me pictures as well or post on Social Media (#JCCCKidnessChallenge). Follow Community-Based Learning for updates on the challenge on Instagram – @jccc_cbl.

Please only do the tasks that are safe, healthy, and feasible for YOU.

Ideas:

• Send a letter to someone in need
• Safehome – Notes of encouragement for clients and direct service staff at Safehome can help spread some love! Letters can be mailed to Safehome, PO Box 4563, Overland Park, KS 66204-0563.
• Santa Marta – Become a pen pal to a senior citizen. Reach out to Rachel Schuckman for more information: rschuckman@santamartaretirement.com
• Make masks to give to friends, neighbors, or local hospitals
  • Click here for instructions on how to make your own mask
• Send food to medical, emergency, or any essential workers
• Call your grandparents!
• Give blood
  • Two agencies to give blood at in Kansas City are the Red Cross or Community Blood Centers
• Donate to local organizations
  • Here’s a great list of organizations making a difference in KC right now
• Volunteer at a food pantry
  • Harvesters is a great place to start. Here’s a link to their list of food pantries.
• Volunteer remotely
  • Subscribe to this blog and keep checking back for new ideas!
• Leave notes or treats for delivery drivers
• Write encouraging messages with sidewalk chalk
• Advocate for an agency on social media
• Support local businesses by buying gift cards
• Buy groceries for a family in need 
• Leave a nice tip at a local restaurant 
• Send/leave a kind note to a neighbor 
• Go for a walk and pick up trash along the way 
• Create an appreciation post for someone

Let Tara Karaim know if you have questions at tkaraim@jccc.edu. Let’s do this!

Many of the churches in Kansas City have hosted food drives over the past few weeks since the shelter in place order was issued. Over that time, the need at local pantries has grown exponentially.

On Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00 AM -12:00 PM, metro-area churches will collaborate for a major food and resource drive benefiting food pantries who are experiencing unprecedented demand due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This metro-wide resource drive will benefit these local Community Partners: · Avenue of Life, Kansas City, KS · Mission Southside, Olathe, KS · Shawnee Community Services, Shawnee, KS · Freedom Fire, Kansas City, MO · Calvary Community Network, Kansas City, MO · Feed Northland Kids, Liberty, MO · Raytown United Food Ministry, Raytown, MO

Drop off your items at any of the following locations closest to you (there is no need to package items, simply take them directly from store to site if you want).

DROP OFF Locations:

• Kansas City, MO · Colonial Presbyterian Church, 9500 Wornall Road
• Liberty, MO · Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, 1600 N. State Route 291
• Raytown, MO · Connection Point Church, 10500 East 350 Hwy
• Kansas City, KS · Westside Family Church, 3001 N. 115th Street
• Lenexa, KS · Foundry Church, 8835 Lackman Road · Westside Family Church, 8500 Woodsonia Drive
• Olathe, KS · Journey Bible Church 13700 W. 151st Street · Christ Community Church, 21835 College Blvd · Olathe Christian Church, 1115 South Ridgeview Road
• Overland Park, KS · Life.Church, 9800 West 135th Street · OP Church of Christ, 13400 West 119th Street
• Shawnee, KS · Community Life Church, 6424 Vista Drive

ITEMS LIST:

FOOD STAPLES

· Bread
· Tortillas
· Instant Oatmeal
· Peanut Butter & Jelly
· Ramen Noodles
· Rice
· Pasta & Sauce
· Macaroni & Cheese
· Vegetable Cooking Oil
· Sugar Cane/Brown Sugar
· Dried Beans
· Applesauce
· Granola Bars
· Bags of Chips
· Potatoes, Onions
· Fruit (Apples & Oranges are best)
· Canned Goods
· Beans (Black/Refried)
· Chile Sauces
· Stew/Soup
· Meat (Tuna, Chicken, etc.)
· Vegetables

LAUNDRY SUPPLIES

CLEANING SUPPLIES

PAPER PRODUCTS

· Toilet Paper
· Paper Towels
· Diapers/Pull-ups
· Wipes

PERSONAL HYGIENE

· Feminine Hygiene Items
· Toothbrush
· Toothpaste
· Shampoo
· Conditioner
· Lotion
· Deodorant
· Hand Soap / Bar Soap
· Hand Sanitizer

For more info, visit this webpage. As always, stay healthy and safe!