First annual Jefferson County Gives fundraiser goes live this Thursday
Donations can be made in person at one of three locations, or online all throughout the day Thursday
JEFFERSON COUNTY — A new community-wide fund-raising effort called Jefferson County Gives will unite area residents for a 24-hour day of giving this Thursday, March 19. Officially launched in October, this event invites supporters across Jefferson County to donate to their favorite local charities and help stretch their dollars even further.
Organizers say the goal is to match the generosity of Jefferson County residents with nonprofit organizations already making a difference in the community.
“We want as many organizations and people participating as possible,” said Ben Schwartz with Blue Valley Community Action, one of the organizers behind the effort. “There’s a lot of generous people here in Jefferson County, and there’s a lot of worthy causes. Jefferson County Gives is going to be a 24-hour giving period that brings those two things together.”
A total of 40 local organizations, representing a wide range of impactful small community efforts, have signed up as potential beneficiaries for the first year of this event. Donations can be made in person at one of three locations on Thursday: On the Bricks in Fairbury from 9 AM to 6 PM; the Diller Fire and Rescue Hall from 9 AM to 6 PM; and the Plymouth Community Center from 3 PM to 5 PM.
Donations can also be made online at the Jefferson County Gives website all day Thursday, from 12 AM to 11:59 PM, but only during that timeframe.
In February, organizers held an orientation session, anchored by some of their more seasoned fundraisers, to prepare to launch this first-time operation. While the initiative is new to Jefferson County, Schwartz said inspiration came from similar community giving days in surrounding areas.
“We’ve been in communication with and drawn inspiration from communities in Kansas, from Beatrice and Gage County, Seward, and Thayer County,” said Schwartz, who says one of the things that they have learned is that it's helpful to have a coordinator for the event. “Those that have a dedicated person to run it are pretty successful, so one of our goals is to get enough sponsorship money to hire a part-time coordinator to help pull this event off.”
Organizers hope the first-year effort will unite donors, volunteers, and local organizations around a shared goal — strengthening the future of Jefferson County through collective giving.
For more information, to get involved, and to read fuller information about each of the local organizations participating in this year's event, visit jeffersoncountygives.com.
The full list of participating organizations is as follows:
Beatrice Humane Society - The Big Fix Cat TVNR Clinic
Blue Rivers Area Agency on Aging
CASA of Gage County - Thrive Mentoring Service
Diller Community Foundation Fund Endowment
Diller Volunteer Fire Department
Fairbury Public Library Foundation
First Baptist Church of Fairbury
Hope for the Future - A Sip of Eden
Jefferson Community Health and Life
Jefferson County Historical Society
Jeffs Gone MAD (Making a Difference)
Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling
Plymouth American Legion Auxiliary Unit 243
Plymouth Improvement Association
Southeast Community College Educational Foundation
Steele City - Endicott Rural Firemen