A Note from Cyndi
One day last week, I picked up my phone to hear a heartfelt message from a new client.
“This is Barbara _____. I picked up food today at your place, and I want to thank you. There are not enough words…I just really felt a relief, like something heavy just came off my back…thank you, thank you so much. God bless you all.”
What an affirming message. That this individual, with all that she’s juggling, with all her concerns…she took the time to say, in essence “thank you – you made a difference for me. I feel hopeful now.”
The Covid-19 Pandemic has delivered a year like no other. We cannot know now the long-lasting impact of lost loved ones, forced (but necessary) isolation and distancing, remote schooling, missed milestones and shuttered businesses. We cannot possibly know the trauma that so many healthcare workers have endured. While there is much to be grateful for, there is much uncertainty. When will this end?
The federal relief dollars, in the form of stimulus payments and enhanced unemployment support, seemed to have helped those most affected by the economic shut down. While we had a spike in the numbers of clients seeking support in March, — April, May and June showed a leveling off. Now, as those federal benefits taper off, and yet more companies furlough or fold, our numbers are beginning to increase.
Your support – especially during this time – is so very appreciated. Because you give food and funds to support our work, Barbara and others like her can feel the weight lifted – they can get the help they need. You bring help and hope to our friends and neighbors. Together, we will get through this difficult time. My best wishes for your safety and continued good health!
Gratefully,
Cyndi Miller
August 2020 E-news:
Why Avoiding Eviction is So Important
A home is a safe haven. It’s a comfort zone where families can snuggle up together, enjoy laughs and make memories. It’s a stable foundation on which to build a future.
While a home is important, it is also the largest single expenditure for most households, especially with housing costs on the rise. When financial burdens such as job loss, illness or disability occur, paying a mortgage or rent is often impossible while trying to cover basic needs such as food, transportation, and childcare. An unexpected crisis can lead to eviction; and that can be an overwhelming challenge to overcome.
The Lasting Effects of Losing a Home
For families, eviction can have traumatic impact on mental and financial well-being. The instability of sleeping in shelters or motels can make it difficult for children to concentrate in school, and parents can have an extremely hard time getting ready for work or preparing for job interviews while living out of a suitcase. Homelessness is also known to cause depression, as both parents and children struggle to cope with the guilt and shame often associated with losing a home. And because eviction stays on a credit report for seven years, it’s often hard to find housing again after regaining financial stability. Even beyond seven years, some landlords refuse to rent to anyone who has ever had an eviction. It’s a vicious circle that many in unfortunate situations go through.
Circle of Concern Works to Prevent Eviction
When clients come to our food pantry, they are often just weeks away from being unable to pay for other necessities beyond food. First, it may be a car payment, then a utility bill, and rent and mortgage funds are not far behind. Through generous donations from individuals and businesses in our community, we are able to offer emergency financial assistance to help qualifying clients pay utility bills, stay in their homes, and address other short-term immediate needs. We also offer financial mentoring and guidance to help clients avoid eviction. Whether it’s securing a second job, accessing other resources, down-sizing to a smaller apartment or home or negotiating with creditors, our case workers can help our client families to strategize the best course of action. Keeping families in safe, secure housing is critical.
How You Can Help
Short-term financial assistance for our clients is only available as funds allow. If you would like to help us keep families in their own homes, please know that eighty-four cents of every dollar you donate directly supports client programs and services. To make a donation, click here or mail a check to:
Circle of Concern
112 St. Louis Avenue
P.O. Box 444
Valley Park, MO 63088
Open for Business
Following a brief closing in early April to shore up our volunteer efforts and further safety measures, we were thrilled to re-open our doors to clients on April 13. We are now serving through curbside delivery on Wednesdays and Fridays. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays are busy prepping food and packing many grocery bags.
We are currently serving approximately 200 families per week! Thanks to our amazing volunteers and those in the community who continue to donate funds and grocery items, we have been able to handle the increased demand, however the need continues to grow as more and more families experience financial hardship due the pandemic.
You can help! We will accept food donations on Mondays and Tuesdays, 9 am – 3 pm. Our current critical needs list follows:
- Spaghetti Sauce & Pasta
- Dinner Helpers
- Dry potatoes/beans/rice
- Snack items
- Hand Sanitizers/Wipes
- Laundry Detergent
- Body Wash
You can also always make a cash donation here »
May 2020 E-News:
Special Events take a back seat to COVID caution
Our first priority is always to assure the health and safety of all our friends, and to that end, we are following CDC guidelines that limit the size of public gatherings in the coming months.
The tournament and trivia night are the two major fundraising events Circle conducts each year. If either are the opportunity by which you normally support Circle, we invite you to still contribute by donating here, and then access the Missouri Food Pantry Tax Credit for the full value of your gift. We welcome your support and look forward to bringing these events back in 2021!
May 2020 E-News:
Veteran Volunteer
Dennis R. began his volunteer career at Circle of Concern in 2011, but his commitment to service predates Circle’s launch in 1967. For him, 1966 was the year he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, motivated to guard the people of South Vietnam from the encroachment of communism from the north. While in-country near the border of North Vietnam, Dennis experienced the hell of war first-hand many times. “It was bad over there,” he says, and he has the stories to prove it.
He witnessed explosions and gunfire, destruction and deaths of comrades-in-arms. On one fateful day, he and others in his unit were laying low when shrapnel from the firefight wounded his leg, an injury he still feels today, along with Parkinson’s disease that resulted from exposure to Agent Orange and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dennis relies on support and comradeship he’s gotten from the Veteran’s Administration and the group, Disabled American Veterans.
For some, what Dennis has experienced would narrow life’s options. For him, though, there’s more he wants to do. Since retiring several years ago, for example, Dennis has taken up such social experiences as swing and line dancing lessons. As he says, “With Parkinson’s, you have to keep moving, and even if I dance one song and sit out two because I get unsteady on my feet, it’s fun and keeps me going.”
At Circle, Dennis is a steady intake volunteer, meeting with our clients one-on-one to address their needs and offer help. He’s known to take his time to listen to their troubles, as he, himself, has known trouble. He’s also demonstrated that there’s hope. We are proud that this man of service chose Circle to extend his more than 50 years of service to his community and his country. Please join us in celebrating Dennis!
January 2020 E-News:
A Letter from Cyndi Miller
Dear Friends,
At this writing, just weeks into a new decade, the hustle and bustle of the holidays is long behind us. Having now reviewed a snapshot of the 2019 year-end financials, our Board of Directors will soon approve our 2020 budget, allowing for, among other things, increases to both our Scholarship and Summer Opportunities programs.
These efforts support area youngsters and young adults in their journey toward independence, self-reliance and – adulthood. We think that every young person should experience the joy of summer camp, and the challenge of college or trade courses to discover their strengths and abilities, and, ultimately, their place in the world.
Your gifts make these wrap-around programs—and others—possible! With every contribution, you provide sustenance, possibility, and hope for our neighbors in need. For more information about our programs, visit https://www.circleofconcern.org/programs-services/. We truly thank you for making this work possible.
Sincerely,
Cyndi Miller
January 2020 E-News:
Mark Your Calendar for Circle of Concern Golf Tournament & Trivia Night 2020
Mark your calendars! The dates are set for Circle’s two biggest fundraisers of the year, and we want you to attend.
Join us on the links for Circle’s annual golf tournament at Aberdeen Golf Club on May 18th. Then, come out again in the Fall for a Harvest Moon Trivia Night on September 18th at Andre’s West in Fenton.
Both events are a great deal of fun, but more importantly they help us raise funds that support our food pantry and various programs. Monies raised from these events go directly to services that benefit our clients.
There are a number of ways you can support our events. First and foremost, make a reservation to attend and join in on the fun. Secondly, invite friends and family to join you. As they say, the more the merrier! Lastly, we’ll be offering a number of sponsorship opportunities for individuals and businesses, such as hole sponsors at the golf tournament, auction/raffle donors, and underwriting sponsors. For information about becoming an event sponsor, contact Cyndi Miller at (636) 861-2623.
January 2020 E-News:
The Greatest Gift!
A stockpot, a log-splitter, an eyeglass repair kit, a warm blanket – these are just a few of the items on the wish lists that client-families have submitted to Circle of Concern’s Holiday Adoption program. In each case—and in many more—friends in the community have responded with great generosity, and we hope this year we can once again count on your support as we embark on another season of giving.
Last year, 538 families were adopted through Circle’s holiday adoption program. This year, we will have even more. Will you (or your business, church, club or group) consider adopting one or more households? It’s a simple commitment – anyone adopting a family agrees to adopt each family member, not just the children. We suggest an expenditure of $50 per person.
Click here to sign up to be an adopting sponsor by October 26. We will begin matching up families by November 15.
For more information about this program, contact circle@circleofconcern.org and we’ll get right back to you to help you enhance the holiday season for grateful families!
October 2019 E-News:
Thanks for Giving!
In addition to the regular groceries we provide to our client families each month, Circle of Concern provides a Thanksgiving Basket to all of our clients and their families for Thanksgiving dinner. Your gifts of food and funds help us offer Thanksgiving dinner to 550 families plus share food with nearly 2,000 people each month.
Thanksgiving Items: Your Cash Donation helps us purchase turkeys!
- Cornbread Mix
- Boxed/Bagged Stuffing
- Cranberry Sauce
- Canned Fruit and Canned Pumpkin
- Jello Gelatin
- Turkey gravy (Canned)
- Chicken/Turkey Broth
- Canned Vegetables (peas, carrots, mixed veggies)
- Yams/Canned
- Sweet Potatoes
- Canned Milk (evaporated or sweetened condensed)
Is your group looking for a project?
We need Baking Bags! Each bag should contain a minimum of the following (estimated cost $15) – Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract, and at Least One Baking Spice (i.e. cinnamon)
All Thanksgiving items can be dropped at Circle by Wednesday, November 20, 3 p.m., 112 St. Louis Avenue in Valley Park.
October 2019 E-News:
Give and Get in Return
Time is quickly running out as Missouri’s Food Pantry Tax Credit is set to expire December 31, 2019. Read more about how you to still qualify for a tax credit on your donation to Circle.
Gifts of cash or food to food pantries given through 2019 will qualify for tax credits. A “50 percent” tax credit program, credits of up to $2,500 for single filers or $5,000 for joint filers are available. Call us to complete a tax credit form to verify your contributions. We will return it to you to be attached to your Missouri state income tax form April 15th. Call us at 636.861.2623 for more information about this valuable tax credit program.
Consult with your tax advisor as needed for more information about the variety of giving vehicles available.
