#GiveTLH 2022: Ready, set, vote for favorite Tallahassee grass-roots nonprofit

Heather Fuselier
·5 min read
Safe Families for Children advocates for vulnerable children and socially isolated families who are dealing with crises such as homelessness and unemployment.
Safe Families for Children advocates for vulnerable children and socially isolated families who are dealing with crises such as homelessness and unemployment.

Black Friday shopping may kick off before the turkey leftovers are in the fridge, but there is one part of Thanksgiving that is yet to come: Giving Tuesday.

Now a staple in the post-Thanksgiving shopping lineup of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a day that raises awareness of the many nonprofit and social organizations that need our help during the holidays and all year round.

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Originally created in 2012 by the YMCA’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City, GivingTuesday is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

And in Tallahassee, it begins in September, when the GiveTLH campaign shines the spotlight on nine local organizations who are doing big things with tiny budgets. Now in its fifth year, GiveTLH has awarded over $100,000 to dozens of grass-roots philanthropy efforts, funded by Rick Kearney and the Beatitude Foundation. “We as community-minded people need to increase our efforts to serve at the lowest point in the economic spectrum,” Kearney encourages us.

Each of this year’s featured organizations have been awarded a $1,000 grant and a 12-month membership to United Partners for Human Services. Each has been featured in a sponsored profile story in the Tallahassee Democrat and on givetlh.com.

Now it is time for readers to cast their votes online for which organization should receive additional grant funding. Voting begins at 8:30 a.m. on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, and will end at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 9.

After voting concludes, the top three organizations will also receive grants in the amounts of $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000, respectively and a free registration and exhibitor booth space for the United Partners for Human Services Annual Conference. The first place winning organization will also receive $5,000 in services from BowStern Marketing.

Get to know this year’s participants, and head online to vote today.

Teenpreneur executive director Jennifer Donald with Belle Blends Lemonade teen entrepreneurs.
Teenpreneur executive director Jennifer Donald with Belle Blends Lemonade teen entrepreneurs.

Teenprenuer, Inc

Teenpreneur Foundation, Inc. helps teens create their own business from concept to final product or service. Many teens of all ages have business ideas, however they lack the support and resources needed to implement them. Teenpreneur Foundation, Inc. offers guidance in developing the perfect business plan, website creation, marketing, managing time, and managing finances.

Women Empowering Each Other

Women Empowering Each Other is a volunteer-based, community organization that provides resources and workshops increasing awareness of mental health issues and substance abuse for young mothers and other women.

Safe Families for Children advocates for vulnerable children and socially isolated families who are dealing with crises such as homelessness and unemployment.
Safe Families for Children advocates for vulnerable children and socially isolated families who are dealing with crises such as homelessness and unemployment.

Safe Families

Safe Families for Children - North Florida advocates for vulnerable children and socially isolated families who are dealing with crises such as homelessness and unemployment by providing for tangible needs, offering parenting coaching and support, and providing short term hosting for their children.

Joseph House is a community home, where meals are prepared by both residents and volunteers or staff.
Joseph House is a community home, where meals are prepared by both residents and volunteers or staff.

Joseph House

Joseph House is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and offers housing, employment assistance, counseling, and other resources for men coming out of prison to reintegrate back into the community.

Mission Possible Enrichment Center was created in 2016 by Bishop Stewart of A.L.A.R.M. International Church to provide educational, rehabilitative, developmental, and other enrichment services to the local and regional community.
Mission Possible Enrichment Center was created in 2016 by Bishop Stewart of A.L.A.R.M. International Church to provide educational, rehabilitative, developmental, and other enrichment services to the local and regional community.

Mission Possible Enrichment Center

Mission Possible is a ministry of A.L.A.R.M. International Church founded to provide educational, rehabilitative, developmental, and other enrichment services to the local and regional community through food pantries, community meals, summertime breakfasts and lunches for kids, and more.

SportsAbility provides programming for people of all abilities.
SportsAbility provides programming for people of all abilities.

SportsAbility Alliance

SportsAbility Alliance works to enrich lives by ensuring that there are opportunities for accessible and inclusive active leisure for everyone who wants improved physical, vocational, and emotional wellness.

Through their Feeding Families Program, Carter's Corner partners with Farm Share to distribute food to the community.
Through their Feeding Families Program, Carter's Corner partners with Farm Share to distribute food to the community.

Carter’s Corner

Carter’s Corner connects with and supports underserved youth and families with wraparound care including teaching life skills, providing food and other resources, and engaging youth in sports to prepare them for future careers.

STAC Volunteer and STAC Executive Director Robin Thompson. STAC serves as a referral agency for the National Human Trafficking Hotline and is a direct service provider to their clients.
STAC Volunteer and STAC Executive Director Robin Thompson. STAC serves as a referral agency for the National Human Trafficking Hotline and is a direct service provider to their clients.

Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center

Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center (STAC) works to serve and protect survivors of human trafficking of all ages in the Big Bend. Their mission is to disrupt child, sex, and labor trafficking by building awareness through training businesses, workplaces, and employees.

Divine Revelations Ministries

The Geeks and Gramps program at Divine Revelations Ministries.
The Geeks and Gramps program at Divine Revelations Ministries.

Divine Revelations Ministry enriches the lives of others who are at risk through coaching, mentoring, and counseling for recovery from addiction and substance abuse, annual giveaways of food and clothing, life coaching, and more.

Readers can now vote for which organization should receive additional funding towards their mission.

Kearney hopes that GiveTLH will inspire other businesses to challenge themselves to reach further into the community and make a difference, knowing that there is more that connects us than separates us. “When you see people on the street holding a sign, it’s easy to think, ‘oh, I am not like them.’” Kearney shared at the onset of this year’s program. “But we are; we’re just separated by a couple of turns that life took, some of which are out of our control.”

None of us are in control of how life unfolds, but we can be in charge of how we support others through it. Visit givetlh.com to make a difference in Tallahassee today.

About #GiveTLH

#GiveTLH, underwritten by the Beatitude Foundation and Rick Kearney, is a look at nine nonprofits in our community and how you can help them in their life-changing work. At the conclusion of this series, Kearney will award grants to the nonprofit that gets the most votes in an online poll. For more profiles, visit give.tallahassee.com. 

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: GiveTLH 2022: Voting begins for 9 nonprofits vying for grant