Red Cross seeks help for 'emergency' blood shortage, Conception Abbey celebrates 150 years
4-H clubs feed kids with grants
Twenty-four Missouri 4-H clubs, including those in Republic and Fordland, have been awarded 2024 Drive to Feed Kids grants through the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation.
This is the fourth year the foundation has provided the grants for Missouri 4-H clubs to fund local food security efforts through 4-H Feeding Missouri.
Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids and 4-H Feeding Missouri join forces annually to raise resources and awareness addressing needs faced by food insecure families. During the spring effort, Missouri 4-H clubs compete in a friendly competition by having food drives, collecting monetary donations, and volunteering their time in local food pantries. The partnership helps combat hunger in our state and allows youth the opportunity to pledge their service to their communities.
The 4-H Feeding Missouri Drive to Feed Kids $250 matching grants are available to 4-H clubs which host service-learning projects focused on the 4-H Feeding Missouri and Drive to Feed Kids mission. The projects raise matching funds or make in-kind contributions between Jan. 1 and April 30.
Red Cross faces blood shortage
The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold. Over the past 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products — among the most transfused blood types — to hospitals.
January blood donation opportunities include weekdays at the Springfield Blood Donation Center, 313 E. Battlefield Road; 1-5 p.m. Jan 23 at Baptist Bible College, 628 E. Kearney St.; 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Council of Churches of the Ozarks, 3055 E. Division St.; 1:30-5:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints YSA Ward, 904 S. Kimbrough Ave.; and 2-6 p.m. Jan. 31 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Orchard Hills Ward, 320 W. Jackson St., Willard.
Conception Abbey marks 150 years
Conception Abbey near Ava celebrated its 150th anniversary on Dec. 8. On that day, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the monks celebrated 150 years of monastic life.
Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded from the Swiss monastery Engelberg Abbey in 1873.
According to its website, the abbey operates Conception Seminary College for the education of future diocesan priests, welcomes guests at the Abbey Guest Center, and distributes religious literature and artwork from the Printery House. Many of the monks also serve as parish priests, hospital and prison chaplains as well as chaplains for women’s religious communities, and are involved in campus ministry at local colleges.
Battle of Badges waged Jan. 19
The American Red Cross is once again teaming up with the City of Branson fire and police departments for a lifesaving event — Battle of the Badges — to see who can recruit the most blood donors in their community to donate blood.
Eligible donors can take part in this friendly competition by responding to the call to donate blood 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 19 at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church Parish Center, 202 Vaughan Dr. in Branson.
Each blood donor will help decide which agency wins bragging rights. First responders help to save lives on a daily basis and The Battle of the Badges is another way to do that, by providing blood when patients need it most.
To extend a special thank-you to donors for helping address the need for blood, platelets and plasma during the critical post-holiday time, those who come to give Jan. 1-31, 2024, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.
Undie Rundie set for April 6
FosterAdopt Connect will again sponsor its Sock and Undie Rundie to meet the biggest needs for socks, underwear and hygiene items for youth in foster, adoptive and kinship care.
On April 6, there will be a 5K, 10K and half marathon levels for varying levels of runners at Rutledge Wilson Farm Park.
Anyone interested in sponsoring or learning about other ways you can get involved can contactEryn Pruitt, development specialist, at eryn.pruitt@fosteradopt.org or 417-799-7623.
Vibrant Communities grants available
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is accepting applications for the Coover Regional Vibrant Communities Grant Program. The CFO is administering this program on behalf of the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, a private foundation managed by Commerce Trust Company.
With a total of $220,000 available, the program’s goal is to address the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation by creating meaningful ways to connect people with their communities. Possible projects would connect neighbors, promote participation in social and community groups, help K-12 students establish social skills, or generate community-building opportunities for high-risk populations.
Eligible organizations outside of Springfield and Greene County, but within the CFO service area, are encouraged to apply. This includes rural Missouri south of the Missouri River and outside the metro areas of St. Louis and Kansas City. Agencies can find more information and begin the application process at cfozarks.org/applyforgrants. Applications must be submitted by 11:45 p.m. Feb. 22.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 54 regional affiliate foundations with assets totaling $427 million as of June 30, 2023. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.
Neighbor2Neighbor comes to Elevate Branson
Elevate Branson is partnering with Christian Action Ministries as one of its Neighbor2Neighbor mobile distribution sites.
The first Wednesday of each month, CAM will be on the Elevate Branson campus providing groceries and connecting with neighbors. The campus is located at 310 Gretna Road in Branson.
To learn more, contact Hannah Witcher at Hannah.Witcher@ElevateBranson.org or 417-239-7818.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: People Are Awesome: Red Cross blood shortage, grants available
