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Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday or #givingtuesday is a movement that was started in 2011 in hopes of creating a national day of charitable giving. Fighting against the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to give back during the holidays. There are so many amazing nonprofits that deserve your donation, but here are just a few to consider:

Freedom Hoops

Freedom Hoops uses basketball to mentor and transform urban youth in Kansas City. Their numbers continue to grow, and they need a 15-passenger van to help transport their young men to Freedom Hoops’  basketball, mentoring, and leadership development programs. They are looking to raise $25,000 to purchase the vehicle. Conservatively, this would provide 2,500 rides next year. Click here to donate now!

Safehome

The mission of Safehome is to break the cycle of domestic violence and partner abuse for victims and their children in our community. How your donation makes a difference:

  • $25 can help an individual take the first step to self-sufficiency by paying for transportation to support groups, housing, & legal appointments
  • $75 can provide one therapy session for a survivor in need
  • $250 provides a victim of domestic violence legal representation in obtaining a protection order
  • $1,000 provides an apartment security deposit for a family leaving the shelter

Click here to donate now!

Cultivate KC

As you eat well this holiday season, don’t forget to be thankful for the people that make those meals possible: farmers. Local farmers grow the produce that will be showcased on many tables across the metro this Thanksgiving. But they also work tirelessly to ensure that our community has access to fresh, healthy produce year-round.

Farmers like husband and wife Swa Dit (above) and Mee Nge of Ra Mat Dar Farm, who learned to grow food and operate a farm business at Cultivate KC’s Juniper Gardens Training Farm. Since graduating from the training program, Swa Dit and Mee Nge have opened a restaurant, Sone Ze Ya, in the Historic Northeast area where they serve traditional Burmese cuisine using many ingredients they grow themselves.

Give today and help grow and support more farmers and farm families like those of Swa Dit and Me Ngee, who are dedicated to growing food  and strengthening Kansas City’s food community and food system.

Happy Giving!

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3 Reasons to Give Back this Holiday Season

The holidays are upon us! Celebrations, spending time with family and friends, and closely followed traditions are faithfully upheld. It is a season of joy for many. For others, this time of year is a shrewd reminder of how thrashing life can be. Whatever the holiday season means to you, it is normally a period of heightened sentiments. Whether you are looking to share or receive the holiday spirit, volunteering is an excellent way to utilize these feelings and make a difference in the lives of others. Here are 3 reasons why you should give back this holiday season.

Reduce Stress. Besides the apparent assistance to others that accompanies volunteering, it can also help reduce stress. The holiday season can be one of the most stressful times of the year. With shopping to do, meals to cook, houses to decorate, and family to visit, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. But there is good news! A study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University has found that volunteering can help in reducing levels of stress and can improve your physical and mental health.

Live Happier. If you struggle to find meaning in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, volunteering can give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Those who volunteer regularly experience greater life satisfaction, as revealed in a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Additionally, research by the University of Exeter also shows that those who volunteer are better able to live longer, happier lives.

Enrich Your Community. The most important reason to give back this holiday season is the impact it has on those in your community. Non-profit organizations and other institutions that serve the community rely on volunteers to help shape the community into one that is vibrant, healthy, and safe. There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing you have made a positive difference in enriching your community through volunteering.

There are plentiful opportunities to volunteer during the holidays. Below are several organizations in the Kansas City metro where you can get involved and give back this holiday season.

Johnson County Christmas Bureau

A grassroots volunteer-driven charity hosts a Holiday Shop program to provide warmth and support to low-income neighbors during the holiday season. Visit their website for details on how to volunteer.

Shelter KC

Serve homeless individuals this holiday season by providing warm meals to those in need. For information on how to get involved click here.

Harvesters

Give food and hope for the holidays to those in need. Find out how you can help by visiting the Harvesters website.

 

KC Wildlands

The KC WildLands Cedar Tree Event is a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy the outdoors and help in prairie restoration by selecting a native eastern red cedar to take home for your holiday joy! Volunteers are needed to help cut, carry and tie down trees on December 7th from 10am-3pm. Further details are found here.

Happy Volunteering!

Written by Ethan Bilyeu, Community-Based Learning student employee. 

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Guadalupe Centers Thanksgiving Luncheon!

The mission of the Guadalupe Centers is to improve the quality of life for individuals in the Latino communities of Greater Kansas City.  One way you can help them achieve their mission is by volunteering at their Thanksgiving Luncheon on:

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

12:30pm – 2pm

The Guadalupe Centers catering staff and many dedicated volunteers anticipate serving over 2,000 thanksgiving meals to client participants, including their students and their parents as well as senior adults and their social service clients.

This luncheon will also be FREE and open to the community.

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, you can contact Alyx Bartrom at abartrom@guadalupecenters.org or call 816-421-1015.

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Great Plains SPCA

Great Plains SPCA is one of the largest No-Kill animal shelters in Kansas City, offering comprehensive resources for animals that strengthen the relationship between pets and their human companions. Serving nearly 10,000 pets annually, Great Plains SPCA works to save, protect and improve the lives of animals, by providing humane sheltering, adoptions, unparalleled behavior and training.

Want to foster?

The Foster Care Program gives Great Plains SPCA the opportunity to save more pets in the community and is an integral part of what they do. Not all pets they serve are able to stay in the shelter for medical or behavioral reasons, so they turn to dedicated volunteer fosters to open their hearts and their homes while Great Plains SPCA finishes treatment for the pet or search for their “home.”

Some of the most common foster needs are:

  • Pregnant or nursing moms
  • Any pets under eight weeks of age (including bottle babies)
  • Post-operative care or recovering from illness or injury
  • Pets who are shelter stressed or dealing with other behavior issues
  • Pets who need socialization to learn how to trust humans

Some pets just need short term (a few days to a few weeks) foster while others may require longer. Ultimately, it is up to you how long you want or can foster. The Foster Manager will work to match each foster parent with the best fit for their family.

By fostering a pet in your home you are opening another spot in the shelter to save a life. Having a pet in a home also gives the shelter more information to help match them successfully with a future adopter. Fostering is also very rewarding and allows you the chance to impact countless lives!

If you are interested in fostering one of Great Plains SPCA’s pets in need, you can fill out an online application here.

Happy Fostering!

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Shawnee Community Services Holiday Opportunities

Shawnee Community Services is dedicated to providing food, clothing and a body of knowledge to anyone in need. They are a local food pantry and free clothing resource that has been serving the KC metro since 1982. Here are some of their needs and opportunities to give back this holiday season:

  • Food Donations! Food items are currently needed to fill 250 family holiday meal boxes. Suggested items include: Jiffy crust mix, cans of pasta sauce (no jars please), small boxes of white sugar, box mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, and canned carrots. Please have these food items at the pantry by November 11th. (Items not needed: cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, and cream of mushroom soup, as these are already on hand).
  • Adopt a family! Wanted: Families, church groups, individuals, and businesses are wanted to adopt families for Christmas. For more information, including family wishlists, contact Sylvia Terry at 913-268-7746.
  • Save the date: Annual Children’s Christmas Party – Sunday, December 15th at the Shawnee Civic Center. Volunteers (150), board games (350), coloring books (400), and small toys (400) are needed to make this free event happen. Call Sylvia at 913-268-7746 for further details.
  • Come shop! Finally, don’t forget to support Shawnee Mission Services by shopping at their daily indoor garage sale! All proceeds allow them to continue offering free food, free clothes, and free household goods/furnishings for those in need. Check out their website for more info.

Happy Volunteering!

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Phoenix Family Thanksgiving!

Phoenix Family empowers people living in low-income housing communities with the on-site support they need to gain stability and achieve self-sufficiency. The many family and senior communities they serve enjoy gathering for their annual Thanksgiving meals and they need lots of hands to make each meal possible.

Whether you have been a long time volunteer or this is your first Phoenix Family event, you are welcome to join! Families and groups are encouraged to volunteer too. These meals take place throughout the month of November so hopefully you can find a time to volunteer that fits your schedule. Each community truly enjoys taking time to celebrate the season and connect with volunteers and neighbors. Sign up here!

Email Ellen  (egude@Phoenixfamily.org) with any questions about signing up!

Happy Volunteering!

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KC Rakes Needs You!

Roll up your sleeves, grab a rake, gather some of your favorite people and have a great time while making a difference in the lives of older adults in Kansas City. Shepherd’s Center’s goal this year is to help 50+ homeowners, and they need volunteer rake teams to make this happen!

Shepherd’s Center Central will partner with businesses, families, churches, schools, civic groups and individuals to rake yards for older adults who are no longer physically able to rake and can’t afford to hire help. Teams of 4-20 volunteers are assigned a yard (or yards).

Volunteer check in begins at 9 am at 5144 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64112 on November 16th, 2019. Raking generally takes 2-3 hours per team.

You can view the event and signup here.

If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact Bobi at 816-444-1121 ext. 105 or bobi@sccentral.org

Happy Volunteering!

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Goodwill Volunteer Opportunities

Goodwill is a partner with Disability Mentoring Day in KC. Disability Mentoring Day is a national effort coordinated by the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) to promote career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships.

During this day-long event, individual sessions are available for attendees to do mock interviews. Join them from 8:30am-10:30am to offer interview practice and constructive feedback for attendees.

Wednesday October 30th, 2019
8:30am-10:30am
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Conference Center
4801 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO

Click here for more info. Reach out to Brian Ellefson if you’re interested.

Happy Volunteering!

 

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Celebrate Christmas with the Children of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe!

This year, Community-Based Learning is teaming up with the Center for American Indian Studies at JCCC to coordinate a Christmas drive for the children of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.  We are currently seeking new, unopened gifts for children of all ages.  A Wish List can be found on Amazon and is also listed below.

We are accepting unwrapped gifts through Tuesday, December 3rd.  Gifts purchased through Amazon can be shipped directly to the Center for American Indian Studies (12345 College Boulevard box 36, Overland Park KS, 66210).  If you would like to hand deliver your gift, you can do so by dropping it off at the Center for American Indian Studies (CC223) or the Community-Based Learning Office on Campus (COM 201).

We are planning to deliver the gifts the weekend of December 6th – December 8th, weather permitting.  If weather is an issue, as it can be that time of year in South Dakota, we will deliver the gifts the following weekend, December 13th – December 15th.

Questions can be directed to the Center for American Indian Studies at cais@jccc.edu or (913) 469-8500, x. 2919.

Wish list:

Unisex Teenage Gift (13 & Older)

  1. Art Sets (colored pens and colored pencils, sketch books, acrylic paints and brushes, canvases, etc.)
  2. Ear Buds and Headphones
  3. Basketballs/Footballs/Volleyballs (variety of sizes for boys and girls)
  4. Hoodies/Sweatshirts (variety of sizes & colors)
  5. Scarfs/Hats/Gloves (variety of sizes & colors)

Teenage Boys (13 & Older)

  1. Body Spray/Cologne (AXE, Old Spice, Adidas, Curve, etc.)
  2. Wrist Watches
  3. Snapback Hats (professional and collegiate sports teams, American Indian designs and patterns)

Teenage Girls (13 & Older)

  1. Perfume (Charlie, Vera Wang, Bath & Body Works, PINK, etc.)
  2. Self-Care Kits (nail polish, lip gloss, lip balm, etc.)

Unisex Kids (12 and Under)

  1. Art Sets (crayons, colored pencils, washable markers,
  2. Stuffed Animals/Dolls/Action Figures
  3. Basketballs/Footballs/Volleyballs (variety of sizes)
  4. Scarfs/Hats/Gloves (variety of sizes & colors)
  5. Lego building
  6. Magnetic Building Block sets

Infants

  1. Stuffed animals
  2. Block puzzles
  3. Picture books

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KC WildLands Volunteer Opportunities!

Kansas City WildLands is a coalition of resource professionals, private conservation organizations, and conservation-minded citizens established to restore and conserve the remnants of Kansas City’s original landscape by involving people in the stewardship of the land. And they have three volunteer opportunities coming up!

 

KC WildLands Restoration Workday
Saturday, November 2, 9AM to noon
Two sites to choose from

To Battle! Join in on the Annual Honeysuckle Battle to help restore Kansas City’s beautiful wild lands. On Saturday, November 2, Kansas City WildLands will host two public work days–one at Ogg Road Prairie in Shawnee Mission Park and one at the Hidden Valley natural area located north of the river. They will be cutting and stump treating exotic invasive shrub honeysuckle that threatens these remnant wild lands, opening the forest and woodlands up for native plants and wildlife to thrive again. What a beautiful way to spend a fall day!

Register for the Honeysuckle Battle at Ogg Road Prairie

Register for the Honeysuckle Battle at Hidden Valley natural area

Contact Linda, KCWL Program Manager, if you have any questions. linda@bridgingthegap.org

KC WildLands Restoration Workday
Saturday, November 9, 9AM to noon
Jerry Smith Prairie, south Kansas City

Come out and meet the prairie! This is a great day to get out on Jackson County’s only remnant prairie and work to restore its health and resiliency – what a wonderful, beautiful way to enjoy a fall day! Help hand-cut and stump-treat invading woody plants that threaten the beauty and health of this Kansas City remnant wild land, allowing the native grasses, flowers and wildlife to thrive. Training, tools, gloves and supplies will be provided. Plan to wear long pants and sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

Register here for the workday at Jerry Smith prairie

Contact Linda, KCWL Program Manager, if you have any questions. linda@bridgingthegap.org

KC WildLands Annual Cedar Tree Event
Saturday, December 7, several shifts available between 8:30 AM and 4 PM
Mildale Farm, Gardner, KS

They have limited but very important volunteer opportunities for the annual Cedar Tree Event! Volunteers jobs include set up, tree wrangling and helping visitors get oriented.

Click here to learn more about the Cedar Tree event.

Contact Linda, KCWL Program Manager, linda@bridgingthegap.org if you’d like to volunteer or have questions.

Happy Volunteering!