Earlier this month, Saline Journal reported on a great opportunity to significantly increase the impact of every dollar donated to Saline Area Social Service. [1,2]
- Make those monetary donations on a specific date: November 27, 2018 — “Giving Tuesday” [3]
- Make those monetary donations through a specific organization: The Reinhart Charitable Foundation — in the City of Saline, that’s through Elke VanDyke at the East Michigan Avenue office in The Oaks plaza (next to Subway). [5]
By doing so, up to $12,500 will be matched one-to-one by the foundation.
The mission of Saline Area Social Service is to provide support for members of this community during their times of need, through short-term or long-term aid and referrals.
In 2017, the impact of donations such as those being solicited for Giving Tuesday can be accounted for by the following hard metrics.
- Discrete food items were distributed 3,463 times
- A total of 3,264 meals were delivered to homebound seniors at Mill Pond Manor apartments [6]
- Approximately 27,704 meals were distributed (above and beyond notations above)
- Assistance with utility bills was provided to 35 homes
- Assistance was provided to 47 people in paying for 372 prescription medications
- Sponsorship was provided to twelve students for enrichment activities [7]
- Emergency rent assistance was provided six times
- Financial assistance was provided 104 times for transportation to non-emergency medical appointments or work
- Two individuals were provided with funds to purchase prescription eye glasses
The goal is not to simply meet a single target of $12,500 dollars on a single day; it is to exceed it, by as great an amount as practical. The goal is not for Saline Area Social Service to be positioned for stability-targeted planning into 2019; rather, it is to equip the organization to reliably develop and implement five-year plans and visioning that looks to even longer horizons.
Simply put, the goal is for no need that Saline Area Social Service now addresses, or might come to need to address in the future, goes unmet. Ever.
That is the spirit of Giving Tuesday.
References
- “If You’re A Business Or Individual Doing Better Than ‘Making Ends Meet,’ Consider Adding A Calendar Entry For November 27” Dell Deaton (November 15, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Saline Area Social Service (home page).
- “#GivingTuesday for Saline Area Social Service” Saline Area Social Service.
- Reinhart Charitable Foundation (Facebook Page).
- “Elke VanDyke” Reinhart.
- “Mill Pond Manor” EHM Senior Solutions.
- “Participation in student activities linked to academic success” Annemarie Mannion (March 18, 2016) Chicago Tribune.
