First, I wanted to start off by updating you on where past charity funds are going. Our donations are based on what we make each month so we do lag a little behind getting a full report on that information. This month our December and January checks will be going out. December was our Client’s Choice month, so we have quite a few checks to send out. Here is a list of those charities. We did send them only to local not-for-profits. January donations went to The Senior Nutrition Council. We made a $500 sponsorship donation for the Granny Basketball Fundraiser and we will present them with an additional check for $2,000 this month. I will keep you posted on future donations as they are made.

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This month, our charity of choice is the Heart of Missouri Red Cross. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement. Its mission is to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Military families also have a long standing relationship with the Red Cross. When emergencies happen at home the Red Cross is the organization that locates our overseas soldiers in combat and assists them to get home if needed. Red Cross also helps keep our community trained in the case of cardiac events. Having CPR-trained community members is a benefit to all. They even offer a babysitting class which prepares our teens for taking care of the youngsters in our community. Their help is vast and far-reaching. I will be meeting with Red Cross Executive Director Dave Griffith next week to see how best our donation can be used. I’ll keep you posted. And, as always, thank you for supporting us, which in turn allows us to pass on this support to our community. Without you none of this would be possible.

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