Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—Twelve nonprofits in the Meramec Region are participating in Give Meramec, a 24-hour online day of giving, set for May 9.

Give Meramec is a one-day, online fundraising event for agency partners of Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO). Using the power of Cause Momentum crowd funding website, nonprofits from across southern Missouri will have the chance to raise funds, compete for matches and prizes, and be a part of a one-day surge in generosity across southern Missouri.

Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) is supporting its partnering agencies that are taking part in this region-wide effort. Nonprofits participating in this event are ABLE Commission, Assistance Association of Missouri Veterans Cemetery, CASA of South Central Missouri, The Community Partnership, The Kaleidoscope Discovery Center, Missouri Rock Island Trail, Ozark Actors Theatre, Pulaski County Route 66 Preservation, Riverways Pregnancy Resource Center, Rolla Nutrition Site, S.A.V.E. New Rolla Animal Shelter and Washington County Community Partnership.

These nonprofit agencies will work to raise online donations from midnight to midnight on May 9 at GiveMeramec.GiveOzarks.org. Donations will benefit a variety of needs to improve services and opportunities for residents and causes within these counties. These groups also will be eligible for a number of prizes based on their fund-raising success and also the overall number of supporters who make online donations on May 9.

The twelve organizations have dedicated their Give Meramec proceeds for specific purposes and needs.

•  ABLE Senior Center was established over 40 years ago to provide Rolla senior citizens an opportunity to attend educational and social activities. The group relies on community donations to provide the day-to-day activities for Rolla’s seniors and will use Give Ozarks proceeds to cover those costs along with upkeep of the Holloway House. ABLE Senior Center provides tax assistance and health-related services for seniors. Several day trips are also organized throughout the year for seniors.
• Assistance Association of Missouri Veterans Cemetery is raising funds to enhance the entryway to the cemetery at Fort Leonard Wood. The entrance is being called a “Hero’s Salute,” and the group plans to add military flags to flank the entry sign.
• The Community Partnership, located on Hauck Drive in Rolla, serves children and families via a variety of programs. As part of its $20 for 20 Years campaign, the Community Partnership is asking individuals to donate in honor of its 20th anniversary.
• Ozark Actors Theatre, located in Rolla and owner of the Cedar Street Playhouse, is one of only two professional summer stock theatres in out-state Missouri. For Give Ozarks, OAT is launching its “Historical Preservation and Operation of OAT” campaign to raise funds to tuck point and seal the exterior of the playhouse as well as purchase new seats for the theatre. The Cedar Street Playhouse, a beautiful converted historic church in downtown Rolla, is in use year round by not only the OAT company, but also Fine Linen Drama, Stop Making Sense Improv and other area groups for a variety of events.
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of South Central Missouri helps ensure that abused and neglected children have a safe and permanent home by providing a voice for them in the court system. The Rolla-based office serves Phelps and Texas counties with plans to expand to Pulaski and Maries counties. A child is paired with a trained, court-appointed volunteer who meets with the child and provides information to the judge for consideration when ruling on the case involving the child. CASA has established a goal of $5,000 for its Give Meramec campaign to allow it to provide advocacy for five more children.
• The Kaleidoscope Discovery Center, located on Pine Street in Rolla, will use Give Meramec Day to raise funds to build a workshop suitable for exhibit construction and maintenance operations. The discovery center currently provides opportunities for students from the ages of 6-18 through workshops, merit badges, summer camps and support of the US FIRST robotics teams including FIRST Lego League Junior, FIRST Lego League and the FIRST Tech Challenge.
•  The Rolla Nutrition provides approximately 52,000 home delivered meals annually to senior citizens in Phelps County.  The Nutrition Site also provides roughly 7,200 hot cafeteria meals annually. Due to decreased funding from charitable donations and increased food costs, funds are needed to maintain the quality and quantity of the services provided. The group hopes that the Give Ozarks effort will help cover some of the funding shortfall. Volunteers spend roughly 120 hours a month delivering meals to the home bound, which enables seniors to live independently.
•  S.A.V.E. New Rolla Animal Shelter is seeking funds to build a new facility due to increasingly deteriorating conditions at its current facility. The new facility will be located at Lions Club Drive and Highway 72 on land owned by the city. The $1.5 million goal will support the future needs of the growing community’s animal control services.
•  The Missouri Rock Island Trail is developing 144 miles of trail to connect to the 47 miles that opened in December of 2016. The trail, formerly the Rock Island railroad, will benefit 24 communities through which it passes by and will connect to the Katy Trail, creating a 400 plus mile loop that will attract visitors from all over the world. In the Meramec Region, the Missouri Rock Island Trail runs through Gasconade, Maries and Osage counties.
•  The Pulaski County Route 66 Preservation will purchase and repair vintage Route 66 neon signs to be displayed in the Route 66 Neon Park development, which will be located within the George M. Reed Roadside Park on Route 66 in Saint Robert, Mo.
•  Riverways Pregnancy and Family Resource Center, located in Salem, hopes to raise $2,000 to provide quality programs and resources that make a difference to at-risk families. Parents actively participating in the Riverways program earn needed baby items. A gift of $20 provides diapers, a gift of $60 provides a stroller or car seat and a give of $80 provides a pack n play.
•  The Washington County Community Partnership is sponsoring the Ten Six Art Gallery.  Funds from Give Meramec will be used for plumbing needs within the building at 106 N. Missouri in Potosi. The gallery will be a place where people are welcome to learn, sell, teach or just hang out in a safe, welcoming and creative environment.

Making a secure donation will be simple. Beginning at 12 a.m. on May 9, donors can log onto givemeramec.giveozarks.org and search for these local nonprofits to complete a basic credit-card donation. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS.

Give Meramec coincides with Give Local America Day when community foundations across the country will be holding similar online fundraising events to boost resources for their local nonprofits, encourage new donors and raise awareness of philanthropy in general. Online giving days, a growing movement in the philanthropy field, have raised millions of dollars for nonprofits organizations over the past several years.

MRCF, chaired by Vicki Nelson a Belle banker, is hosting Give Meramec with presenting sponsor BKD Wealth Advisors and platinum sponsors, including The Musgrave Foundation, The Commerce Trust Co./Coover Charitable Foundation and Ron and Janice Penney. CFO is a regional public charitable foundation, founded in 1973, which includes 49 affiliate foundations and nearly 600 nonprofits partners and schools.

Many of the Phelps County organizations will participate in a live event held at the Cedar Street Playhouse in Rolla from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 9 to celebrate Give Meramec day. Electronic giving stations will be available for those in attendance. The free event will offer family friendly entertainment including music, dance, improv and more.

For more information about the organizations participating or how to donate, please visit givemeramec.giveozarks.org or call Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) Maria Bancroft at 573-265-2993. MRPC formed MRCF in 2011 and continues to provide staff support and day-to-day operation.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 25, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.