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In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Missouri Employers Mutual announced today it has donated $67,000 to 22 Missouri nonprofits that serve children and families.

“Taking care of people is at the heart of what we do, and the uncertainty of this pandemic hasn’t deterred us from delivering on our core value of caring,” MEM President and CEO Jim Owen said. “We’re grateful for our policyholders and agents who do business with us and trust in our mission, so we can give back to the communities we serve to help people be healthier, safer and more confident.”

MEM supports organizations across Missouri that are making an impact in the areas of safety, health and wellness and education and skills development. In 2020, MEM’s corporate gifts, combined with more than $76,000 from employees, benefited more than 100 organizations throughout Missouri. On average, more than 60 percent of MEM employees donate 2000-plus hours of volunteer time annually.

Moving families and children forward

From birth to post-secondary education, a portion of MEM’s funding will impact educational services for children and their families as data suggests that COVID-19 associated schooling presented stressors to parents and children. MEM is also supporting domestic violence organizations to serve families who might have experienced an increased need for safety and stable housing.

Hear Dr. Janice Dawson-Threat, founder of Grade-A Plus, share why the funding is needed:

Charitable giving recipients by region

Columbia

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri
• Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association
• Coyote Hill
• Grade A Plus Inc.
• Job Point
• Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation
• SEED Success
• True North of Columbia Inc.
• Voluntary Action Center

Kansas City

• Community Services League of Independence
• Harvesters Community Food Network
• Kansas City Foster Adopt Connect
• Newhouse

St. Louis

• Annie Malone Children and Family Services
• Nurses for Newborns
• Ready Readers
• Safe Connections
• Louis Area Food Bank

Springfield

• Harmony House
• Ozarks Food Harvest
• Ozarks Literacy Council, Springfield, Missouri
• Springfield Dream Center

Feedback from recipients

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri is extremely appreciative of the support given to us by Missouri Employers Mutual! Their generosity will enable us to help more youth in our community discover and achieve their full potential through the power of one-to-one mentoring. They are truly helping us change the lives of our youth.”
– Ann Merrifield, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri

“We are so grateful to Missouri Employers Mutual for their generous support to provide shelter and support services to victims of domestic abuse in our community. This gift will support 114 safe nights of shelter here at Harmony House and will absolutely change the lives of our clients.”
– Jared Alexander, Philanthropy Director, Harmony House, Springfield, Missouri.

Meeting the basic needs of the brave survivors in our shelter is essential to their healing. When we can eliminate the worry and stress of providing hygiene items, clothing, food, and medication, we create the pathway to healing for our residents. We know that when a person is worried about how they will get their basic needs met, it’s nearly impossible for them to have the mental or physical energy to do much else. Removing that barrier gets them on the path more quickly to achieve whole-person healing.”
– Courtney Thomas, CEO, Newhouse KC

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.