REACH Celebrates Annual Holiday Giving

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that started in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. It has since grown into a movement that motivates people to give, serve, collaborate and celebrate generosity.

The REACH Foundation encourages a culture of giving by making annual holiday financial gifts to nonprofit groups to enable them extend an extra helping hand during the holidays. We made our first holiday gift to Giving the Basics in 2012; since then, REACH has given 53 holiday discretionary grants totaling $143,200.

This year, six organizations have been awarded $5,000 gifts:

• Bright Futures Harrisonville — Helps students achieve success through partnerships between schools and the community.
• Della Lamb Community Services — Empowers individuals and families to meet the challenges of education, employment and achieving self-sufficiency through early education, social services and refugee resettlement services.
• Giving the Basics, Inc. — Provides the necessities of life not covered by government assistance programs, including personal care products.
• Helping Hands of Odessa — Operates a volunteer food pantry in Odessa that helps people secure food, personal hygiene, and cleaning and other household materials.
• Iola Area Ministerial Association — Works as a network of pastors and congregations that provide food and address other household assistance needs.
• Safehome Inc. — Aims to end domestic violence by providing shelter, individual and group counseling, legal support, and community education and engagement.

Beyond our annual holiday giving, REACH supports employee giving throughout the year — providing a dollar for dollar match of employee contributions. REACH staff also are encouraged to share their talents and passions with groups that need assistance. Over the years, we’ve had fun packing food baskets, painting and decorating local agencies, collecting socks and coats, and helping to serve meals.

Our deepest thanks to our region’s nonprofit organizations that give generously of their own time, energy and financial resources to their communities, and also to the many hundreds of volunteers who work tirelessly to activate giving throughout the year!