Ozark Federal Credit Union presented donations of $300 each to area nonprofits Thursday with help from special guests Linda Kush of Triple R Ranch and her dogs Riley, Roxie and Reka. The recipients were Haven House, Recycling Grace, UCAN, Northside Community Center, Crossroads Ministries, Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff and Animal Welfare Alliance.
Davine Conover, OFCU business development specialist, presented the checks. She has a long history of community involvement and explained donations of every size help nonprofits cover everything from individual needs to unplanned operating costs.
“$300, it could be two families’ Christmases or a week’s worth of groceries for the nonprofit ... it makes a huge difference just to meet that little need, those unexpected expenses that come up,” she said.
Northside Community Center board member Annie Hinton said their check could go in part towards NCC’s Breakfast With Santa event for children on Dec. 18.
Haven House director Amber Tinker noted the announcement of the donation was so sudden, they had not had time to formally allocate it, but likely directions are groceries and Christmas presents for families.
“Right now we’re just trying to meet the needs of the families we’re serving,” she said.
Melody Chailland of UCAN said, “Ours is going to go to direct financial support for cancer patients locally.”
Boys and Girls Club executive director Chris Rushin explained the donations will help them continue enriching the lives of area students through prevention and education programs, adding, “And how special is it to be presented a check by three gorgeous dogs?”
Conover asked Kush and her dogs, who frequently perform at medical facilities and charity functions, to help make the presentation even more memorable. Each dog held checks in their mouths and posed in their angel costumes for photos. Kush noted this was their first event of this kind.
“We’ve done lots of other stuff, but this is the first check presentation,” she said.
The donations were organized in partnership with a giving campaign by Fox Radio.
“They were doing the giving campaign for people and I asked if we could do it for nonprofits as well,” explained Conover.
Fox Radio director Steven Fuchs commented that the chance to help support the community this way was a blessing.