Local food pantries, youth services and scholarships are poised to benefit from a variety of fundraisers taking place in the coming weeks. A highlight of spring activities will be the return of the Foothills Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show, a popular event that was sidetracked for two years due to the pandemic. For a fun evening to celebrate the talents of our local youth, I recommend attending one of the “Got Talent” shows. You will be impressed by what you experience.
Spa Leads Food Drive for Neighbors in Need
Tall Grass Spa continues its philanthropic initiatives by sponsoring its third annual food drive to benefit the Mountain Resource Center’s Food Share Pantry. Donations for the Food Is Love drive are being accepted at Tall Grass through March 31. With the rising cost of groceries, food insecurity continues to grow among our mountain families.
“The need is enormous right now,” says Shellie McKeown, community health coordinator at the MRC’s Pantry. “We are feeding an average of 243 families a week and we are seeing a lot more people without homes.”
There are certain types of food and packaging that work best for those who visit the pantry for their food supplies. Pouches, cans with pull tops, and meals that can be safely shelved as well as microwaved are the most convenient. Popular pantry items are single serve or small containers of peanut butter and jelly, pop top containers of hearty stews with protein, canned fruit and vegetables, pouches of tuna and chicken, and jerky. Personal care products are also in demand, including small packets of body wipes, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, nail clippers, small bottles of liquid soap and sanitizer, Band-Aids, plastic bags, washcloths, and individual Kleenex packs.
Donated items may be dropped off at Tall Grass, 997 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen, during regular business hours. For more details, go to tallgrassspa.com. To learn more about the Mountain Resource Center and its food pantry, go to mrcco.org.
Young Performers Take the Spotlight in “Got Talent” Contests
Bands, musicians and singers who are 18 years and younger are encouraged to enter their acts in the 2023 Evergreen’s Got Talent competition. Deadline for submissions is March 31, with the formal performances taking place on April 29 from 6-9 pm at Center for the Arts Evergreen. Event proceeds will benefit Resilience1220, a nonprofit that provides free counseling to youth aged 12-20 who are managing emotional and mental challenges.
Contest winners will be named as opening acts for the Evergreen Park & Recreation District 2023 Summer Concert Series. Competition details are available at evergreensgottalent.com.
The popularity and strong response to last year’s competition has spawned an additional production, “Conifer’s Got Talent,” which will be presented on March 31 at Conifer High School from 6-9 pm. For more information, go to conifersgottalent.com. The event benefits the Conifer Lobos.
Foothills Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show Returns April 1-2
The Foothills Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show returns after a hiatus due to the pandemic. The Show runs Saturday, April 1 from 10 am-5 pm and Sunday, April 2 from 10 am-3 pm at Evergreen High School, 29300 Buffalo Park Road. Attendees will be pleased to discover that there is no admission fee for this year’s show. Instead, participants are asked to bring donations for the Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO) Food Pantry and the Mountain Backpacks Program.
The Show is hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Conifer and Evergreen along with presenting sponsor Lifetime Windows & Siding. It is a volunteer-run event with all proceeds redistributed to support charitable causes through the Rotary clubs’ foundations.
Organizers report that more than 80 vendors representing home improvement, garden and landscape, fine art, leisure, health and cooking enterprises will be exhibiting alongside local artisans and nonprofits. Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza will have its truck in the school’s parking lot.
More than $300,000 has been raised for local charities since the show began in 2005. For more information and a list of suggested food donations, go to foothillshomeshow.com. To learn more about the sponsoring Rotary Clubs, visit rotaryconifer.org or evergreenrotary.org.
Bootstraps Invites Diners to April 4 Fundraiser
Since 1945, Bootstraps, Inc. has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships and interest-free loans to more than 2,000 mountain area students. This robust scholarship program has given area students the educational opportunities they otherwise may not have realized. Funding for the scholarship initiative relies heavily on community donations. One easy way to help the organization is by attending its fundraising dinner at Troutdale Tavern on April 4 from 4 pm-7:30 pm.
To reserve a table, go to bit.ly/4268Vo3. For more information about the Bootstraps scholarship program, visit bootstrapsinc.org.
