MINOT – Businesses around town have been participating in a campaign that helps those in need.
The campaign, the Twice Blessed giving program, is put on by St. Joseph’s Community Health Foundation who will match businesses’ donations to several charities by the end of 2022.
Aspire Credit Union recently donated $2,500 to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center which will be matched. The credit union also donated several hundred dollars worth of food and several dozen Christmas gifts for ages 0-18+.
Rianne Kuhn, Aspire marketing communications coordinator, said the credit union takes a different approach to helping non-profits in the community.
“For the last several months we’ve been working with the DVCC and we were able to do some things to lead up to our donation,” Kuhn explained. “It’s important for us to be involved in the community because our members are our community members, so we want to do our best to give back.”
Kuhn said there were several people who were not members of the credit union that showed up to donate items.
“It’s very heartwarming to see how the community can show up when things need to get done,” said Kuhn.
The DVCC helps over 1,000 people each year of all ages who have been a victim of domestic and sexual violence. The center provides a holiday giving program that includes a gift basket full of food items.
“The parents get to shop for their kiddos to find the items that their kiddos might want for Christmas because we know when you have that trauma that's impacting you, sometimes things tend to fall through the cracks, especially through the holidays,” said Jill McDonald, DVCC executive director.
Some of those issues that tend to fall through the cracks may include taking a while to acquire employment, says McDonald.
“We try to help fill those gaps, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without amazing partners like the folks here at Aspire,” said McDonald.
Both monetary and item donations help in their own ways, McDonald said, with monetary providing the flexibility to purchase what the DVCC needs to respond to a crisis, while other donations bypass the stress of the financial side.
“Without all of it, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do either,” said McDonald.
“We’re just overwhelmed every single time with how well our community does in coming together to provide the needs of the people that we serve every day,” said Cabree Smith, public relations specialist for the DVCC.
