The Great Give event raised money for local nonprofits. Courtesy | Facebook 

Hillsdale County participated in #GivingTuesday with The Great Give, which took place for the ninth time Nov. 28 at the Hillsdale United Brethren Church Activity Center.

The Hillsdale County Community Foundation hosts The Great Give, in which 15 nonprofit organizations in Hillsdale County participate.

HCCF Program Director Melinda S. Eggleston said there were three ways to donate to The Great Give: drop off, mail, and online. 

Eggleston said the HCCF gifted extra funds from a bonus pool to the participating nonprofit organizations during the event.

The Great Give is the day of the year with the largest show of generosity in Hillsdale county, Eggleston said.

Director of Hillsdale CASA Inc. Heather Upton said Hillsdale CASA was excited to participate in the 2023 Great Give. 

Upton said Hillsdale CASA is a nonprofit organization of court-appointed special advocates who work with children in foster care and advocate for them in court. 

“2024 will be our tenth year in Hillsdale, so we are running a campaign called 10k for ten years,” Upton said. “The goal is to raise $10,000 on giving day to kickstart our fundraising efforts in our tenth year.”

Great Start Collaborative Director Stefanie Rathburn said nearly all the initiatives of the GSC include a literacy component. 

“The GSC is tasked with working on early childhood outcomes ranging from prenatal care all the way through third grade reading,” Rathburn said. “The GSC aims to improve book access for children, promote early exposure and reading to books in families, and encourage a love of reading in children.” 

Rathburn said the GSC provided over 3,000 books to children in Hillsdale County last year.

“Funds raised through the Great Give help support continuation of these types of efforts in the county,” Rathburn said.

Executive Director of St. Peter’s Free Clinic Jamie Bauerly said she is thankful for the HCCF in bringing us all together on this day of giving.