The Community Cares Day of Giving – Taking It to the Streets, the central fundraising day in the fall campaign that the Lebanon Area Foundation organized for its grant program on Sept. 25, raised $55,421 this year.
LAF Administrator and Community Cares Executive Director Melinda Fries reflected on the campaign as it wound down, noting the fundraising efforts of the community and the amount fundraised for the grant program.
This year, Fries said fundraising efforts had included new additions such as the $1 paper hearts at local business as well as coloring sheets that people could pick up at the Lebanon-Laclede County Library or local businesses.
Fries said a significant reason for partnering with the library on the sheets was to help educate families on Community Cares.
Though payroll deductions from the previous October to the current October remain a significant contributor to fundraising efforts (this year’s deductions contributed just over $85,000), Fries said the deductions were decreasing over time.
Lebanon R-3 and Joel E. Barber Schools’ participation in the Power of Change Penny Drive raised $6,448.59 this year, according to Fries.
“I will say I’m just so grateful that our schools and their families showed up in all the big and small ways. Those pennies added up so well. And it was really fun presenting the kiddos with the trophies. There’s just something so magical about a trophy,” she said.
She also thanked the City of Lebanon for allowing volunteers to set up at various intersections.
While the period for payroll deductions has ended, Fries said there is another fashion show fundraiser in a couple of weeks, and people have until the end of October to contribute to this year’s Community Cares Funding.
Fries said that LAF’s finance and distribution committees will then work to determine the funds available and the allocation of said funds to area nonprofits respectively. A press release on the Day of Giving noted that LAF will announce the individual grant awards in December.
