Area Organizations Benefit From Twice Blessed Fundraiser
INSPIRITUS Community Health Foundation distributed checks from their 8th Annual Twice Blessed Program last week. The Twice Blessed program is a matching gift program to double contributions given between November 15 to December 31 to pre-determined grant approved organizations.
Gifts were up 27% this year with a grant total reaching $1,365,556.70. Grants were distributed for projects that impact the mental, physical, spiritual and/or emotional well-being of people in Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Rolette, Sheridan, Ward and Wells Counties. Another $181,365.60 was donated to a variety of agency endowments within the Foundation.
Contributors went to the twiceblessednd.com website to read about the missions and goals of each of the area organizations participating in the program. They donated through the website or sent contributions directly to the Foundation or to the participating organizations. No gift was too small and gifts were matched accordingly by predetermined amounts up to a grant match total of $469,500.00 provided by INSPIRITUS Community Health Foundation.
Area hospitals and senior center needs, inclusivity improvements, fire department equipment, university scholarships for students of nursing, social work and communication disorders, mental health programs, food pantries, summer camp opportunities, dental mobile care for children, outdoor recreation activities for veterans, advocacy and homeless programs, and much more were impacted by the grants given. Participating food pantries in the region received a combined total of $178,464.71.
Area organizations receiving funding included: Berthold Food Pantry, $4,275 for a food pantry initiative; Berthold Zion Food Pantry, $2,150 for a backpack program; Bowbells Ambulance Service, $21,994.46 for a new ambulance; Community Food Pantry in Makoti, $3,850 for a food pantry initiative and $5,685 for pantry safety upgrades and transportation; Mountrail Community Food Pantry, $9,150 for a food pantry initiative; Powers Lake Food Pantry, $5,100 for a food pantry initiative; Society of St. Stephens Food Pantry, Bowbells, $2,000 for a food pantry initiative; and Stanley Area Cares for Kids, $34,963.30 for the SACK program.