#PottawattamieGives: Support Rural! One Day Only!

Wednesday, May 22nd is a big day for area nonprofits!  You’ve all heard the slogan about OmahaGives but now there’s a #PottawattamieGives, too!  Yes, you can help out some of the rural nonprofits quietly doing good things for our region.  Maybe you don’t know who to give to or which organizations are benefitting and that’s why WIDA is here to help you get the full range of information!

I don’t know about you but it’s pretty easy to just forget to send that donation or when you do think about it at Christmas time, you just don’t have the money.  Just think:  for the cost of 2 Starbucks coffees, you can help out local organizations who put rural Iowa first. 

No matter what your passion, there’s an organization you will feel good about helping!  Here’s the list of who I know works with rural Pottawattamie County families.  Any of them would be grateful for your donation!:

Avoca Public Library (You can never go wrong by giving money to a library.  Just sayin’.)

Crescent Food Pantry (Blessed to have plenty?  Help someone else have a little.)

East Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation District (My dad is a commissioner.  They do good work!)

Family, Inc. (They have an office in Avoca and do a lot of family-oriented events in rural Pott. Co.)

Golden Hills RC&D (I’m bias because my office is in their building, but they do amazing work that nobody realizes they do – like setting up the byways and organizing the Southwest Iowa Arts Tour)

Macedonia Hamilton Development Corporation (They make Macedonia and the Riverside area fabulous.  Money goes towards the grandstand area this year (it’s one of only 2 covered grandstands left in Iowa!)

Pottawattamie County Trails Association (The new trail going in next to Underwood is partly their doing!)

SWIEF – Southwest Iowa Education Foundation (Yes, these scholarships go to rural kids, too.  I have at least 3 nieces that got them!)

Tri-Center Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (Help other kids go to college.)

Underwood Dollars for Scholars (Another great way to encourage kids to get good grades!)

Vision Treynor (They are working to improve Treynor.  This year’s funds go to a sprinkler system for 2 little league fields!)

Walnut Community Center (The old high school has been revamped into a great facility for events, fitness, and fellowship.  A lot of good people working to make this something great!)

West Pottawattamie County 4-H (My love of 4-H runs deep.  4-H kids rule the world.)

Seriously, it doesn’t matter which organization you pick, you won’t be sorry.  Any Pott. County nonprofit is deserving.  You can’t go wrong.

As a person new to the nonprofit sector, I can tell you that people helping with these organizations typically donate many additional hours of their time to good causes and they don’t make near the amount of money they deserve if they do get paid.  They are all working to make rural Pott. Co. the best it can be.  I often think of that Mr. Rogers quote about how times may be tough but when things are bad, look for the helpers.  All these organizations are the helpers. 
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Please give.