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.
October 2019 E-News:
That’s a lotta pasta!
We recently put out an SOS call on Facebook upon reaching critically low supplies of pasta sauce and pasta, and our friends in the community stepped up in a way we could never have imagined. Our pantry director Michelle Lepak was thrilled upon receiving approximately 2,500 pounds of donations – more than $4,000 worth of groceries that directly benefit Circle clients! Thank you to everyone who helped support this effort. Information about food and in-kind giving and our specific needs is available on our website: https://www.circleofconcern.org/ways-to-help/food-in-kind-giving/.
October 2019 E-News:
Shine On, Harvest Moon!
Farm stands and the full harvest moon are markers of the turn of the year. Fold in a Friday the 13th, and you’ve got magic! That’s exactly what you’ll find at Circle’s Harvest Moon Trivia Night on Friday, September 13!
Registration is now open for this popular event. Besides ten rounds of challenging trivia, a couple of features are new this year. First, we’ve moved! This year’s event will take place at Andre’s West in Fenton (211 S. Old Highway 141), giving your team plenty of space to play.
Other big news is that your admission price of $30 includes an OPEN BAR! Choose a favorite beer, wine, well drink or soft drink to compliment your own trivia table snacks! Bring your sharpest cronies to fly through rounds of easy and not-so-easy trivia questions on topics as far ranging as fruits of the harvest to superstitions to local lore and so much more!
Plan to join us on Friday, September 13 for Harvest Moon Trivia. All proceeds benefit Circle’s food pantry. Register yourself, a table or a sponsorship (each of which includes a table for 10!) by CLICKING HERE.
