Posts by category: Volunteers
October 19th, 2010 | Birthdays, Giving, Holidays, Kids, Volunteers
Jamie Dylkowski learned about Cheerful Givers at a Volunteer Expo at the Mall of America two years ago. She brought the project idea to the Missions Commission at Linwood Covenant Church in Wyoming, MN and got the green light to host a Birthday Bag Bash. Jamie made a presentation to the congregation requesting donations and volunteers. The first event was a success so the Missions Commission asked her to make it an on-going mission.
Early in September Jamie made another presentation to the congregation including pictures from the first event and then received donations from the congregation and local community. On Oct. 15th, Jamie hosted a Reverse Birthday Party in the youth room at Linwood Covenant. The event was open to all ages. Six youth and ten adults participated. They “ assembled 50 gift bags, played party games, ate birthday cake, and prayed over the gift bags.” Their next event will be early in the spring.
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August 8th, 2010 | Volunteers
By James Kwee
Shannon Thompson, a Cheerful Givers board member, first discovered the organization in 2008 when she came across an ad seeking board members. It successfully piqued her curiosity, and she took it upon herself to learn more about the charity. “I had been interested in getting more consistently involved in volunteering, and this seemed like a great opportunity to share some of my skills on behalf of an organization that was doing meaningful work,” explains Shannon. Not too long after, she joined the board.
“I love the simple and straightforward mission and the focus on fulfilling one specific need – birthday gifts for families who are struggling and cannot afford gifts for their children. I like the many ways people can give their time to Cheerful Givers – whether it is by filling bags with family or friends for a local food shelf, volunteering at an event, or joining the birthday club,” says Shannon. Continue reading »
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July 19th, 2010 | Giving, News, Press, Volunteers
228 less fortunate children will have Happy Birthdays thanks to the great support of the Minnesota Twins Wives and players who filled birthday bags following their winning game on July 18th. Special thanks to Claudia and Michael Cuddyer for helping to organize this fun event.
Watch for some great autographed Minnesota Twins items to be auctioned off during our Social Summer Online Fundraiser throughout August.
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July 14th, 2010 | Volunteers
Scoop It Forward, a summer-long promotion, invites people to discover volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.org. Once signed up for an opportunity, you will receive coupons for free, service-themed ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. The two special flavors, Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder are available exclusively at Target stores throughout the nation.
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July 9th, 2010 | Children, Family, Giving, Kids, Volunteers
Two year-olds through kindergarten age children who participate in the Sunday School program at Maple Grove Evangelical Free Church earned their own money by doing chores, sacrificing a trip to McDonalds and saving their allowance to purchase birthday gifts which filled 62 birthday bags. One young girl even used her own birthday money. Bre Pilon, who organized the event, said “The response is amazing even at such a young age. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to teach our children to think beyond themselves…”
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June 2nd, 2010 | Birthdays, Children, Donations, Kids, News, Volunteers
Cheerful Givers is proud to be one of 154 nonprofits qualified for the Top-Rated Women’s Empowerment Nonprofits List and during the coming weeks will be promoted as a top-rated organization on GreatNonprofits, Guidestar, and beyond.
Supporters and volunteers submitted reviews to earn this honor. Here are a few examples of what they said or you can read them all.
“I’ve seen the results of this organization in… Kids get to receive a gift on their birthday, which wouldn’t necessarily be a given without Cheerful Givers. Parents get to experience the joy of being able to provide a gift to their children. Volunteers of all ages get to learn that giving can be fun!”
“In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are… helping people understand that the emotions of a child are just as important as keeping them healthy and well fed.”
“If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could… give gifts to every kid in the US and make such a difference in their lives!”
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May 26th, 2010 | Birthdays, Children, Giving, News, Press, Volunteers
Thanks to donations from local businesses and the school’s own fundraising, more than 30 students were able to make 50 birthday bags, the third year in a row the Skyline High School Key Club in Washington has contributed to our cause.
And not content with their successes, the Clubbers are planning on reaching out to their peers at Eastlake High School to stage a bigger event in the near future.
Read article about them in today’s Sammamish Reporter.
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May 7th, 2010 | Birthdays, Giving, Press, Volunteers
GreatNonprofits is a local community website which allows nonprofit organizations to harness all the goodwill of people who know us best – volunteers and supporters.
In partnership with GuideStar, Kiva, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, MADRE, Wider Opportunities for Women, Dress for Success, Women’s Media Center, Women’s News Network, and Women’s Philanthropy—Women’s Issues, this campaign is identifying the top-rated women’s nonprofits
You can read what others have said about us and add your review here.
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May 6th, 2010 | Giving, Volunteers
By Tammi Holtorf
It all started less than 10 years ago, with a local farmer and a 50-lb. sack of potatoes. One Sunday, the farmer approached his pastor after church services and asked if some folks in the congregation might be able to use the extra food. The pastor knew of some families in need, and soon more potatoes and other food began to be dropped off at the church. Recognizing both a need for food among families in the community as well as an organized way to distribute it, members of the congregation formed a Board of Directors, and the Cannon Falls Food Shelf (CFFS) was born. Continue reading »
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May 6th, 2010 | Giving, Volunteers
Here’s what a few people who recently filled birthday bags had to say about their experience.
Natalie Rumble wanted to do something for her 52nd birthday that allowed her to give back. “The level of generosity from my friends and family who participated was overwhelming and heart warming. It truly is more fun to give than to receive – one of the best birthday’s ever.”
Shannon Thompson, Cheerful Givers board member, said “My children have so much, and others don’t, so it seemed like a great way to celebrate my son’s 2-year birthday by asking my family to bring gifts to make gift bags for Cheerful Givers. Delivering the bags to the food shelf was the best part. The volunteers were so excited about the beautiful gift bags and it was great knowing that people who needed something extra would be able to have them.” Continue reading »
