Staff and individuals share the Thanksgiving meal with the community.
Staff offer a cookie decorating station at the Families Helping Families event.
REM Iowa Staff and Individuals Served Give Back This Holiday Season
January 7, 2019
As in past years, The MENTOR Network and its partners are celebrated the holidays by giving back to their communities. Programs across the country reached to people in need to provide food, gifts and a helping hand to make the season brighter.
“Our employees and the individuals we support have an extraordinary spirit of giving. Their passion for service at this time of year enables people in need to feel supported and included in the holiday season. Thanks to all who have given their time and energy to serve others this year,” said Bruce Nardella, President and CEO of The MENTOR Network.
For the third holiday season in a row, staff and individuals served by REM Iowa participated in a community Thanksgiving dinner held by Victory Center Rescue Mission, a nonprofit organization in Clinton, Iowa that provides shelter and other services for people experiencing homelessness. This year, individuals from programs operated by REM Iowa created decorative centerpieces for the tables and helped serve the meal to the community.
Staff in the Mount Pleasant office organized a gift tree and also collected food donations for an individual in need in the community.
On December 15, staff provided cookies and supplies and worked a cookie decorating station at the Winter Wonderland celebration held by Families Helping Families of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. The event provided children in foster care with gifts, a visit from Santa, as well as activities and holiday refreshments.
In recent years, Families Helping Families of Iowa has received Community Partner grants from The MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation.
“It’s inspiring to see staff and the individuals we support giving of themselves in this way, especially during the holidays. We are all one community, and simple acts of kindness such as serving a meal to someone in need helps to make that community a better place for everyone,” said Lisa Pakkebier, Executive Director of REM Iowa.
Learn more about how The MENTOR Network and its partners give back to our communities through volunteer work and philanthropy.