Welcome to Kare & Serve, Inc.
About Us
Who We Are
Kare & Serve is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing assistance to people in our surrounding communities through various charitable service projects.
Kare & Serve formed in January 2015 as a group of area educators and citizens who felt a calling to put their faith into action. Founding members, Kara Showerman and Ellenore Pringle were joined by Dr. Lori Malochleb and Lindsey Galvas-Mohr to make up the core team.
Kare & Serve's projects are varied, like the needs of the community. Our vision remains open to many possibilities and our organization is growing. Every dollar donated to Kare & Serve goes directly to service projects and recipients. Your donation and/or volunteer hours truly are making a difference as we continue our goal of building communities centered around faith, hope, and stability.
Mission
Our mission is to share our faith with the community through acts of service and create opportunities to empower individuals and families in need.
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, and these well-received service projects are fueling us towards future goals.
Our Annual Programs
These programs have been developed to assist Tuscola County students.
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. This is usually a cash funded program whereby we purchase personal hygiene products for students. We'll fill individual bags with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, brushes & floss, razors, feminine items, deodorant, and such...then deliver the lot in February to our homeless student liaison who will distribute them to individual kids.
Check out our Facebook page (Kare & Serve) for updates and notifications about this program!
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 will provide supplemental food to students up to 3 separate weekends per school year, usually in April, October, and December.
Check out our Facebook page (Kare & Serve) for updates and notifications about this program!
Happy Feet (Athletic Shoe Giveaway)
This program was developed to send kids back to school with some great kicks that are in good condition and fit well. We will purchase and collect new and gently used athletic shoes (and some casual and dress shoes) for students of all ages throughout the summer. In mid-August we will hold an event to distribute all the sweet shoes we'll have for them!
Check out our Facebook page (Kare & Serve) for updates and notifications about this program!
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. Cash donations will be used to purchase new coats, gloves, hats, scarves, snow pants and boots for kiddos. Distribution will be held at the Tuscola County Human Services Community Expo at the beginning of October.
Check out our Facebook page (Kare & Serve) for updates and notifications about this program!
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 Drives & Events
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 Drive
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
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
"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
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
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/
