12 OUTSTANDING CHARITIES – 12 DAYS OF GIVING – ONE AMAZING TRADITION
Giving: it’s the best part of the holiday season! As part of Members Cooperative Credit Union’s annual 12 Days of Giving initiative, each branch manager from our 12 locations selected a local nonprofit and presented them with a gift of $2,500. The funds will be used to support the basic needs and essential services of those who benefit from their programming.
Day One: Thanksgiving Day Buffet, Duluth (BlueStone)
For 34 years, the annual Twin Ports Thanksgiving Buffet has provided a free holiday dinner for residents of the region. In addition to an on-site option, home meal delivery is provided for homebound individuals in Duluth, Superior, and Two Harbors. The event helps ensure that no one has to go without a holiday dinner at Thanksgiving. Visit the Twin Ports Thanksgiving Buffet website to donate.
Day Two: Grand Itasca Foundation, Grand Rapids
Founded in 1986, Grand Itasca Foundation is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of raising awareness and funds to better serve the healthcare needs of the community. They believe in harnessing the collective giving power of the community, and in being responsible stewards of that generosity. Most of all, they believe in delivering the highest quality of care for their patients.
Day Three: Sandstone Food Shelf, Sandstone
The Sandstone Food Shelf is provided through Family Pathways which works to correct disparities to ensure all people have what they need to achieve and maintain health, well-being, and prosperity. Visitors can access items their families will use and eat; perishable and non-perishable food items, household products, and personal hygiene products.
Day Four: HOPE (Healing Opportunity Provided Equally), Aitkin
HOPE works to end domestic violence in the community by providing direct services, education, and advocacy. They offer safe housing for individuals and families experiencing domestic violence. As part of Members’ 12 Days of Giving, we’re supporting HOPE. To learn more, visit: https://www.aitkinhope.org.
Day Five: National Fitness Court, Moose Lake
As a collective force, Moose Lake Township and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) are working together to forge a partnership that will improve the quality of life for children, residents, seasonal visitors, and the greater Moose Lake Township community for many years to come. This partnership provides an integrated community wellness initiative, based around the NFC’s Fitness Court®, the world’s best outdoor gym.
Day Six: Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, Duluth (Miller Hill)
Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank provides nutritious food to our Northland neighbors in need, supporting their healthy lives and our healthy communities. Each year they distribute over seven million pounds of food, or enough food for 5.6 million meals, for our Northland neighbors in need. Their distribution occurs through a network of regional agency partners and their own direct service programs including their: food shelf, Mobile Food Pantry, Nutrition for Seniors (CSFP) and BackPack Program.
Day Seven: Lakes Area Restorative Justice Program (LARJP), Baxter
The core program of LARJP is Restorative Group Conferencing, a forum for juvenile wrongdoers and their families, those victimized by the harm, and their supporters, to meet in a safe and respectful environment to discuss the incident. The process enables those victimized to express their feelings about the impact of the harmful behavior and to get answers to their questions. It helps offenders understand the true impact of their actions and holds them accountable for the harm they have caused, by completing a contract on how the harm will be repaired, designed by them and the victim.
Day Eight: Forgotten Heroes Ranges and Retreat, McGregor
Forgotten Heroes Ranges and Retreat is dedicated to empowering disabled veterans and individuals who are no longer able to actively participate in outdoor activities due to their limitations. This includes archery and marksmanship via rifle and pistol shooting. They support all those who are disabled by providing a venue specifically designed to accommodate the individuals, at no cost to them.
Day Nine: Cambridge Surplus Food Distribution, Isanti
The Cambridge Surplus Food Distribution (CSFD) aims to end hunger in the community by distributing surplus food, such as overstocked, close-dated, or bulk items, to individuals and families who are in crisis or whose income does not exceed federal poverty guidelines.
Day Ten: Northwood Children’s Home Society, Duluth (Spirit Valley)
Located in Duluth, Northwood Children’s Services provides holistic and professional care, education, and treatment for children with severe emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Their mission is to provide brighter futures for the children and families they serve. They operate a full continuum of quality mental health treatment programs developed by passionate, professional, and highly trained staff.
Day Eleven: Safe Haven Foster Shoppe (North Branch)
It’s common for foster families to take in foster children during the middle of the night, and sometimes they arrive with only the clothes on their back. Safe Haven fills the gap by providing backpacks with basic necessities and a few things they can call their own, like backpacks, socks, underwear, clothing, pajamas, shoes, jackets, toiletries, blankets, school supplies, and entertainment items.
Day Twelve: Family Pathways, Cloquet
Family Pathways works alongside people to enhance lives through a continuum of essential services and—together with the community—champions positive social change. Their support services provide healthy food access, domestic and sexual violence prevention and victim services, supervised visitation, and services for older adults and caregivers.
