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About Us
Who We Are
Kare & Serve is a charitable 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, providing assistance to people in our
surrounding communities, and more specifically, K-12 students in Tuscola County, Michigan.
In 2015 a group of friends formed Kare & Serve because they wanted to put their faith into action. Each of our members has a heart for serving others, with four out of our seven teammates having careers in education, social services, healthcare, and public safety.
Our vision and faith remains open to any opportunity we’re presented with to help students and families who are in need of support.
Donations made to Kare & Serve go directly to recipients seeking help through our five annual programs.
Your financial contributions and/or volunteer hours are truly making a difference as we continue
our goal of building communities centered around faith, hope, and stability.
Mission
Our mission is to share the power of faith with people in our surrounding communities through acts of service.
We are focused on providing basic, everyday necessities to under-resourced K-12 students, primarily in Tuscola County, MI.
We Kare
Starting with $0.00 funds, four determined women believed in the power of small acts creating change. Our results clearly show the impact of willing hearts with a vision.
Our Annual Programs
Everyday Essentials (Personal Hygiene Items)
We want to give each student the opportunity for a dignified day in class, and that begins with showing up to school all sparkly clean and tidy. We purchase personal hygiene items, filling individual bags with full-size soap, shampoo, toothpaste, brushes & dental floss, razors, feminine items, deodorant, and such...then give the lot to our student liaison who distributes them to individual kids.
Snack Packs (Weekend Meals)
We want kids to focus on their studies and not worry about food or feeling hungry.
Much like the 'Boomerang Backpack' food programs, we provide supplemental, non-perishable food to students, up to three separate weekends per school year, usually in April, October, and December.
Happy Feet (Athletic Shoe Giveaway)
This program was developed to send kids back to school with some brand new kicks!
We purchase new athletic shoes for students and in mid-August we hold an event to distribute all the great new shoes we have for them!
W.A.R.M. (Cold Weather Outerwear)
W.A.R.M. stands for Warm Apparel Readiness Movement. This is our winter outerwear clothing program to keep children warm throughout the colder months. Brand new coats, gloves, hats, scarves, snow pants and boots are distributed to kiddos at our Happy Feet event in mid-August.
Kare Fare (Transportation Fees)
Transportation is hard in rural communities...there's a real lack of public transit, and walking to a destination sometimes just won't cut it due to distance and weather. We also need students and parents to show up at school events and meetings to be engaged. Our Kare Fare program will use cash funds to purchase public transportation passes for families. We're also aware of the high cost of driver's education, so we will assist in paying for driver's training programs for students as funding allows, by way of scholarships.
Acts of Service & Testimonials
Back to School Supplies
Winter Outerwear Clothing
Winter Outerwear Clothing
In 2015 and 2016 we raised enough funds and donations to fill over 1,650 backpacks with school supplies! We delivered them to students in 7 different school districts covering Saginaw and Tuscola counties.
Bridgeport High School Principal, John LaGalo, was thrilled with the Back to School Supplies Drive results..."Hundreds of our families benefited directly from the generosity shown. So many students got a great start to their school year by receiving the supplies," he explained.
Winter Outerwear Clothing
Winter Outerwear Clothing
Winter Outerwear Clothing
What a blessing to successfully collect and distribute items for our Winter Outerwear Clothing Drive! A total of 108 coats were donated, as well as 59 pairs of gloves, 58 hats, 12 scarves, 14 pairs of snowpants, 35 pairs of socks, and 8 pairs of boots!
With help from Dr. Desmon R. Daniel and volunteers from Mt. Olive Institutional Missionary Baptist Church, nearly all the items were given away within 40 minutes! The remaining clothes went to those in need at Arthur Eddy Elementary School.
Pajama Drive
Winter Outerwear Clothing
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
In December 2016, Kare & Serve partnered with a local church to seek donations for sleepwear for Saginaw's Underground Railroad.
With help from the ladies of FBC Women's Group through Frankenmuth Bible Church, 71 pairs of pajamas, 72 pairs of socks, and 3 pairs of slippers were donated to clients at this emergency shelter.
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
"I am so thankful that I was able to join the ladies of Kare & Serve tonight to deliver the stockings, cards and gift cards. I keep thinking about the story shared at the women's dinner about the young man that said it was the first time he was seen. I pray that these women felt like they were seen tonight, that they felt loved and appreciated and that they were blessed not just by the ladies but more so by Christ. I pray that they received hope and encouragement through the love put into these stocking and the kind words in each of the cards. Thank you Kare & Serve and all those that helped make this giving possible. Beyond Blessed and Thankful!" –A.S.
Meals Provided for ROKC Family Nights
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
Meals Provided for ROKC Family Nights
Throughout the 2016/17 school year, Kare & Serve helped out the Reach Out Kid's Club (ROKC) in Saginaw with this event!
"Dear Kare & Serve,
Thank you once again for the food, time and care you gave to Reach Out Kid's Club in providing and serving the food for our fourth and final family night. We had our best yet turnout of 50 people, with 10 of the 14 ROKC families represented. Your partnership with & service to us this year has been invaluable and we are so appreciative." -- Jacy Steinfort, ROKC Director
Snack Packs Program
Filled Christmas Stockings for the YWCA of Greater Flint
Meals Provided for ROKC Family Nights
In April 2018, we kicked off our Snack Packs program! We had the privilege of partnering with Frankenmuth Bible Church during one of their congregational, serve others days. Members of the church helped us collect and pack food donations and wow did they come through! Our initial goal was to pack up 60 bags of weekend meals for school age kids in Tuscola County...yet they donated enough food to make up 112! What a blessing!
Click on the link below to see the Tuscola County Advertiser article about this!
http://www.tuscolatoday.com/index.php/2018/04/25/kare-serve-does-just-that-for-tuscola-county-kids/
