GoodGiving begins Tuesday

Published 9:55 am Monday, November 27, 2017

Clark County nonprofits will have just more than a month beginning Tuesday to garner donations through the annual GoodGiving Guide Challenge.

This year, 18 local nonprofits will participate in the online giving campaign designed to engage nonprofits and their community to make charitable giving easy around the holidays.

Now in its seventh year, the challenge is a partnership between Blue Grass Community Foundation and Smiley Pete Publishing.

Email newsletter signup

The challenge begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday and will run until 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31.

Donations are accepted online at bggives.org, where nonprofit profiles are available and donations are tracked throughout the challenge.

The following Clark County nonprofits are participating in this year’s challenge:

— Bluegrass Community and Technical College Winchester-Clark County campus

— Partners in Education

— Rowland Arts Center

— Habitat for Humanity of Madison and Clark Counties

— STRIDE

— St. Agatha Academy

— Clark County Community Services

— Holly Rood

— Winchester-Clark County Farmers’ Market

— Clark County Homeless Coalition

— New Beginnings of Winchester

— Leeds Center for the Arts

— Hospice East

— Rose Mary C. Brooks Place

— L.I.F.E. for Pets

— Friends of Hemp

— Bluegrass Heritage Museum

— Winchester Youth Soccer League.

Last year, Clark County nonprofits raised more than $215,000 collectively through the challenge, approximately $60,000 more than was raised in 2015. A dozen local organizations participated in the 2016 challenge.

Last year’s top five earners were St. Agatha Academy, STRIDE, Clark County Homeless Coalition, Leeds Center for the Arts and New Beginnings of Winchester, respectively, which were awarded prize money funded by an anonymous $100,000 to the BGCF for Clark County charities.

At a ceremony in January, the foundation awarded $450,000, including donations garnered through the challenge and matching grants.

This year, the Clark County Community Foundation will once again provide a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,000 for each participating nonprofit.

Since 2011, the GoodGiving Challenge has raised more than $7 million for area charities, and this year, 121 nonprofits are participating.

The 2016 GoodGiving Challenge raised more than $1.6 million in partnership with 118 participating nonprofits in Central and Appalachia Kentucky.

In addition to receiving contributions from donors, nonprofits will also have the opportunity to compete for $5,000 endowment prizes made possible by BGCF and other donors.

Clark County nonprofits will kickoff the challenge with the second annual GoodGiving Challenge Chili Cook-off presented by the Clark County Community Foundation.

The cook-off will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Clark County Extension Office. It is free for visitors, who also receive $1 to donate to the nonprofit of their choice.

Nonprofits will be paired with local restaurants to prepare chili, which will be voted on by guests. First-, second- and third-place nonprofits will win prizes of $250, $100 and $50, respectively. For more information about the cook-off, contact Halee Cunningham at halee@bgcf.org.

To learn about area nonprofits or donate, visit bggives.org.

2017 GoodGiving nonprofits

— BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE WINCHESTER-CLARK COUNTY CAMPUS: As a regional campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College, the Winchester-Clark County Campus provides academic and technical coursework, workforce training and GED programs. Students take high school dual-enrollment classes, complete workforce certificates, diplomas and associate degrees, and/or transfer on to a four-year college or university. For more information, email bruce.manley@kctcs.edu or visit bluegrass.kctcs.edu.

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: PIE’s mission is to enhance the quality of instructional services provided to students through the use of school volunteers and business partners. PIE offers opportunities for businesses, organizations and individuals to be involved in various ways with students and staff, thus providing human and fiscal resources to schools and

students. PIE partners with the Kiwanis Club for BUG (Bringing Up Grades) for third graders, providing encouragement to more than 400 students. The newest program is Experts for Education, with guest volunteers who speak to classes about their occupation or hobby about which they are passionate. For more information, email greg.yates@clark.kyschools.us or visit teach.clarkschools.net/depts/partnersineducation/.

ROWLAND ARTS CENTER: The RAC’s goal is to to encourage the young people in the community to “dream big” and prepare them for success in their middle and high school years. Staff invests time and energy as mentors, seeking first to offer an environment of safety and trust, then working intentionally to have meaningful conversations with the students. Mentors identify areas of need for the students — physical, emotional, academic — and work to develop plans and programs to help meet these needs. For more information, email joseph@rowlandartscenter.com or visit rowlandartscenter.com.

— HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF MADISON AND CLARK COUNTIES: Habitat for Humanity of Madison and Clark Counties partners with homeowners to build or improve a place they call home. Habitat homeowners work alongside community volunteers to build a safe, decent, affordable home that is energy efficient. Habitat also performs exterior home repairs to help low-income neighbors maintain housing stability. Many homeowners don’t have the necessary resources to perform critical repairs. These repairs restore a good, overall quality of life. For more information, email jennifer@habitatmadisonclark.org or visit habitatmadisonclark.org.

— STRIDE: Stride works with children and adults with disabilities and developmental delays and their families. The program offers therapy service, a day-training program, one-on-one community living supports, respite, summer camps, Special Olympics and more. The goal is to improve the lives of the children and adults who participate. For more information, email kystride@aol.com or visit strideky.org.

— ST. AGATHA ACADEMY: St. Agatha Academy is a Catholic learning community anchored in Christ. SAA is catholic school within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington offering a classical liberal arts education program beginning with Montessori preschool, Montessori kindergarten, elementary program (grades 1-5) and a middle school program (grades 6-8). For more information, email jpica@cdlex.org or visit sainagathaacademy.org.

— CLARK COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES: The mission of Clark County Community Services is to provide a central location where people can receive assistance in time of crises with their basic needs of food, clothing, housing and utilities. For more information, email kristyweckwert@clarkcountycommunityservices.com or visit clarkcountycommunityservices.org.

— HOLLY ROOD: Holly Rood is a 200-year-old house which belongs to the people of Clark County and Kentucky. It was built as a home for James and Susan Clark with construction beginning in 1812 and completed in 1814. James later became the governor of Kentucky. The house has seen the Civil War, two World Wars, the sinking of the Titanic and rock ’n roll, and has survived it all. Holly Rood is used to promote the understanding of local history, while being actively involved in the present. For more information, email debbiebarnesflowers@gmail.com or visit hollyroodevents.com.

WINCHESTER-CLARK COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET: The Winchester-Clark County Farmers’ Market is the only Kentucky Proud farmers’ market serving the community. The market offers locally-grown produce, meats, honey, baked good, jams, jellies, sauces, flowers and crafts from local growers and artisans. The market also sponsors various events, including Kid’s Bucks Day, the Vegetable Festival and BBQ Festival, and administers the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and SNAP. For more information, email myfathersgarden@hotmail.com or visit the market’s Facebook page.

— CLARK COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION: CCHC empowers the homeless through crisis housing, comprehensive case management, professional counseling, life skills, employment skills and housing assistance. Each year CCHC serves more than 225 homeless men, women and families providing the skills and encouragement to achieve and maintain stable housing. The Recovery Support Program also helps those in recovery to rebuild their lives. CCHC provides support that continues long after the homeless are housed to ensure they remain housed. For more information, email terry@cchc.org or visit cchcky.org.

— NEW BEGINNINGS OF WINCHESTER: New Beginnings’ mission is to equip women and men to make life-affirming choices regarding sexual integrity, pregnancy and parenting to age three. The staff and volunteers value unborn human life and are one of the first resources for women facing untimely pregnancies and parenting challenges in Clark and surrounding counties. By sharing the Gospel and love of Christ, New Beginnings gives clients hope even in difficult situations. For more information, email becki@newbeginningsofwinchester.org or visit newbeginningsofwinchester.org.

— LEEDS CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Leeds Center for the Arts has been used by the community in Clark County for more than 90 years. What started as a movie theater was converted to a community arts venue in the 1980s. In recent years it has seen a dramatic resurgence of interest and attendance in arts events. While serving all of Central Kentucky, Leeds has a passion to improve the quality of life for the residents in Clark County and was able to raise more than $12,000 dollars for other nonprofits in Winchester this past year. For more information, email contact@leedscenter.org or visit leedscenter.org.

— HOSPICE EAST: Hospice East is a nonprofit community-based organization dedicated to serving terminally-ill patients and their families in Clark and Powell counties. Staff provides physical, social, psychological and spiritual care, and bereavement counseling that is open to anyone in the community. Palliative Care Partners and community palliative programs offer services to chronically-ill patients who may otherwise fall through the cracks of the health care system. For more information, visit hospiceeast.com.

— ROSE MARY C. BROOKS PLACE: Brooks Place provides independent and assisted living to seniors in Clark County and surrounding areas. Brooks Place provides a safe, comfortable community for independent seniors who do not require assistance with daily living and assisted living for those who require assistance with activities of daily living. For more information, email kimschweitzer@brooksplace.org or visit brooksplace.org.

L.I.F.E FOR PETS: L.I.F.E. for Pets works in the Central Kentucky area to eliminate the need for euthanasia of adoptable cats and dogs and feral cats. This is done through low-cost spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return programs. Volunteers also work to educate the public on the importance of spay/neuter of their pets and how this helps to prevent countless litters of unwanted kittens and puppies from ending up in the shelters each year. For more information, email lifeforpets@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/lifeforpets.

— FRIENDS OF HEMP: Friends of Hemp is advancing the U.S. industrial hemp industry through education and opportunity. The group works to improve access to education, producer grants and small-business grants. Formerly Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation, Friends of Hemp collaborates with local and national organizations to enhance market development of the re-emerging hemp industry. For more information, email wearefriendsofhempa@gmail.com or visit friendsofhemp.org.

BLUEGRASS HERITAGE MUSEUM: The Bluegrass Heritage Museum brings the history of the area to life by collecting, preserving, interpreting and exhibiting objects valuable to the history of Winchester, Clark County and the region. The museum offers three floors filled with continually-evolving galleries focusing on agriculture, Civil War and other military history, instrument-maker Homer Ledford and more. Fore more information, email bgheritage@bellsouth.net or visit bgheritage.com.

— WINCHESTER YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE: WYSL is a recreational sports program that allows children to learn and grow physically, mentally and socially while playing soccer. The goal is to provide a safe and healthy atmosphere for children of all backgrounds and abilities. Each child plays at least half of their game during a fall and spring season to help keep children active and interested in this ever-growing sport. For more information, email gregherringshaw@hotmail.com or visit winchesterysl.com.