With the holiday gifting season officially underway, Giving Tuesday provides a chance to press pause on shopping and offer some help to local nonprofit organizations.
This years, Giving Tuesday is on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
WILS operates in Warrensburg, Sedalia, and Warsaw, serving the counties of Benton, Henry, Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis and Saline.
WILS assists those with disabilities in establishing independent living solutions.
For more information, visit W-ILS.org and click the green “donate now’ button on the top right to donate.
The West Central Missouri Veterans Assistance League is the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides quality-of-life programs to those who live at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg.
It is hosting its Tree of Stars program. Every $50 raised will allow VAL to purchase a Christmas present for one of the veterans who live there. Individuals, businesses and organizations may sponsor a dog tag that includes a message of inspiration. All of the dog tags will be placed on the Tree of Stars in the front lobby. Sponsorships range from $25 to $200.
Cash or checks made payable to the Veterans Assistance League will be accepted. For more information, email Latisha.Koetting@mvc.dps.mo.gov.
Toys for Tots Region 7 helps children in need in Johnson, Pettis, Henry, Lafayette, and Benton counties. The primary goal of Marine Toys for Tots is to help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America's less fortunate children.
Appreciated forms of support are monetary donations, volunteering, gas gift cards and meal vouchers for the volunteers, services, waivers and discounts, warehouse and office supplies, advertisements, and other forms of support and services as needed.
Visit www.warrensburg-mo.toysfortots.org to donate online, volunteer, request a toy, or become a toy drop-off location. To discuss other forms of donations, call local coordinator Jerome Coleman at 773-683-4744.
Birthday Blessings partners with Children’s Divisions and other agencies to support kids in care. Their programs target the physical and emotional needs of the children. Meeting a child’s basic needs allows them to focus on important tasks like getting an education or improving social skills.
Locally, the organization has a volunteer group that meets monthly at LifePointe Church in Sedalia. Volunteers prep birthday parties and other resources for delivery to kids in care.
Donations can be made at www.birthday-blessings.org or by mailing checks to Birthday Blessings, 808 Westwood Drive, Sedalia, MO 65301.
Birthday Blessings also has a Amazon Wishlist available at bit.ly/4f3yxHc.
For more information, call 660-619-1250.
Supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri can donate to its Whatever It Takes Fund, which allocates monies to literally whatever it takes to ensure our members are on the path to a successful future.
During the year, BGC provides afterschool and summer programs to more than 1,600 children at 12 Club Sites in seven communities.
Boys and Girls Club expects to break ground on the Boys & Girls Club PROENERGY Teen Center, a 30,000 square foot facility focussing on junior high and high school students, in Spring 2025.
Donations may be made by sending a check to Boys & Girls Club, 3100 Aaron Ave. in Sedalia, or online at bgckids.com.
The Pettis County Community Partnership is using Giving Tuesday to raise funds for its Extra Curricular Assistance Program, which provides the chance for students to participate in ports, SSTEM, dance music and more.
Donate directly to the cause at bit.ly/49jCGpg.
For more information, visit www.pettiscountycommunitypartnership.com or call 660-827-0560.
Citizens Against Spouse Abuse is inviting supporters to provide items that CASA is always in need of for the shelter. Those items include toilet paper, paper towels, bath towels and washcloths, paper plates and cutlery, pillows, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, lotion, new hair brushes/combs, elastic hair ties, Q-Tips cleaning supplies, 13-gallon trash bags, 1- or 2-gallon storage bags, tampons, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, disposable razors, baby lotion, baby wash/shampoo, size 4/5 diapers, dish soap and aluminum foil.
Any donations of $100 or more are eligible for a 70% tax credit on your Missouri taxes and can be made at www.casa-sedalia.org/donate.
For more information, visit www.casa-sedalia.org or the CASA Facebook page, call the shelter at 660-827-5559 and ask for Sara or email sara@casa-sedalia.org.
This Giving Tuesday, Retrieving Freedom invites local businesses, organization and skilled individuals to help with service projects that will make a difference with its facilities.
Projects at its Sedalia facility include gutter cleaning, power washing the facility's exterior, landscape updates, replacing the large lug in the clients common area and adding a dock box and small table and chairs to the fishing dock for client use.
Retrieving freedom is also in need of a 48-inch zero-turn mower and a power washer.
For more information, visit https://www.retrievingfreedom.org/ or call 660-586-2055.
The Bothwell Foundation helps provide the latest medical equipment and facilities for the best patient diagnosis and treatment, disease prevention and health education for community health-care needs, recruiting and retaining the best medical staff for this area, and ensuring Bothwell Regional Health Center is locally managed and community-owned health care. Community support is the only other source of revenue for the health center. Through generous gifts from the community, the Foundation is able to fund health projects that meet a variety of needs.
This year, the Bothwell Foundation is raising funds for patient room remodeling.
To donate, visit brhc.org/foundation-giving/donate or contact the Bothwell Foundation office at 660-829-7786 or LThiel@brhc.org.
Child Safe, a Child Advocacy Center, has a mission to respond to and prevent child abuse, help families heal and restore childhood hope.
Child Safe is committed to serving children who are alleged victims of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, exploitation and other traumatic events that involve a crime. The nonprofit provides advocacy for the child and their non-offending family members free of charge to the following counties: Pettis, Morgan, Henry, Saline, Chariton, Lafayette, Linn, Carroll, Johnson, Moniteau and Benton.
Child Safe of Central Missouri is a 501(c)3 and offers Champion for Children Tax Credits for donations over $100 per year. Visit childsafehouse.org and click the “Be a Hero” button to sign up for monthly or one-time giving.
The Open Door organization offers many types of assistance for Pettis County residents. The Service Center helps with clothing vouchers, prescription costs, heat assistance, transportation to safe shelters, and other basic human needs. An average of 2,770 individuals eat each month at the kitchen and the food pantry serves about 120 families daily.
During the holiday season, Open Door needs monetary donations, plus items like shelf-stable foods, meat and produce, coats and gloves. Donations are also needed at the Thrift Shop, which sells items to raise money for Open Door’s services.
For more information, visit opendoorservicecenter.org or call 660-827-1613.
The Sedalia Animal Shelter is inviting supporters to provide items the shelter is always in need of, including bleach, paper towels, magic erasers, Purina Kitten Chow, Dawn dish soap, Rugged tough dog toys, and cleaning supplies. For more information, visit the shelter at 2420 S. New York Ave. from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, call 660-826-5816 or email rbattson@sedalia.com.
Show-Me serves Pettis and Johnson counties with homes in La Monte and Knob Noster. Significant, positive memories build the resilience these kids need to overcome their unfortunate pasts and prepare for a healthy future.
Donors can help create memories that last a lifetime by giving gift cards or passes to special events, such as movies, bowling, sporting games, and other fun activities. Or stuff the kids' stockings with gift cards of $5 or $10 to allow each child to pick out a favorite treat.
Also, a variety of items to gift the families is available on Show-Me's Amazon Wish List at http://l.ead.me/ShowMeList, or find the latest needs at ShowMeHelpingKids.com. For more information, call 660-347-5982.
The Sedalia Salvation Army is seeking volunteers to ring bells this Christmas season. Visit www.registertoring.com or call 660-826-1525. The Salvation Army is also in need of coats, hats and gloves to distribute for free at the Service Center. Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1200 E. Broadway Blvd.
Cancer Perks helps provide simple, practical needs to people with cancer at Bothwell Regional Health Center, Fitzgibbon Hospital and Western Missouri Medical Center. Help includes gas mileage reimbursements for people traveling for radiation treatments, resources for people who need to get their lawns mowed, small bills paid or meals provided, and care packages for people undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.
Cancer Perks is hosting its annual Virtual Angel Tree on Facebook as part of its 12 Needs of Christmas campaign. Visit facebook.com/CancerPerks to learn more.
The nonprofit also provides Christmas dinners to all patients receiving chemo on Christmas Eve at all three cancer centers, and donations are needed.
The United Way of Pettis County brings together people and resources to improve the lives of everyone in the community.
To donate, visit spcuw.org.
