Editor's note: Giving Thanks is published annually on Thanksgiving Day by The Montana Standard. The listings are free. If you would like your nonprofit organization added to this list for next year and online, email information to editor@mtstandard.com or call 406-496-5510.

A

Action Inc.

Description of services: Action Inc. provides support to poor and low-income families and individuals through programs such as Head Start, Weatherization Assistance, Low Income Energy Assistance, Energy Share, rapid rehousing and homeless prevention, affordable housing, Section 8 rental assistance, Youth Employment & Training, support for foster care transition and Mining City Christmas, which are listed separately.

All programs are offered in Butte-Silver Bow County. The programs, with the exception of Head Start and Mining City Christmas, also are offered in Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Granite, Powell and Madison counties.

Action Inc. Head Start

Description of services: Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive child development program sponsored by Action Inc., serving children ages 3-5 in Butte-Silver Bow County. The overall goal of the program is to increase social competence of young children in low-income families through family and community partnerships.

Head Start services are family centered and offer individual services in the areas of education, child development, medical, dental, mental health, nutrition and parent involvement.

Advocacy Program of Southwest Montana

Contact: Carolyn Sanders, director

Mission: Protect the rights, health and safety of adults with, developmental disabilities, offer opportunities to become more community integrated and provide activities that will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Advocacy Program is a community based, nonprofit organization with 501(c) (3) status since April 1987. The programs purpose is to recruit, train and match a volunteer advocate with a developmentally disabled adult (protg) and provide ongoing support of those matches. Our objective is to maintain current matches and strive to match people on the waiting list.

The program operates solely on grants, memorials, in-kind donations of goods and services and other fundraising activities.

Donations may be sent to the address listed above.

Alberts Angel Fund

Description of services: The fund is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit. It gives adoptable Butte shelter animals a chance at life by providing them with life-saving, life-changing medical care and the comforts that are needed to help them adjust to shelter life until they can go to their forever home. The fund was created when a young golden retriever cross was hit by a car; no owner came forward to claim him. He became the property of the county shelter; however, the county only pays for necessary medical expenses such as shots, and neutering, so he was to be euthanized.

Donations started coming in to help with his surgery, and that was the beginning of a healthy life for Trip and Alberts Angel Fund. One-hundred percent of all donations go directly to help the animals.

AWARE Inc.

944 S. Wyoming St. (main office)

237 E. Mercury St. (Center for Early Childhood)

205 E. Park Ave. (administration)

Description of services: AWARE is a statewide nonprofit organization that helps adults, children, and families live quality, independent lives according to their own standards.

Services AWARE offers in the Anaconda and/or Butte communities include early childhood services; family support; specialized schooling for children with disabilities; support in the natural home environment; residential services for adults and children with mental and/or developmental disabilities; employment and training for people with disabilities; psychiatric services; and adult and youth case management.

Needs: Donations, childrens recreational equipment, and school supplies.

Anaconda Community Foundation

118 E. Seventh St., Suite 3F

Telephone: 406-563-5259

Contact: Gloria O'Rourke

Description of services: ACF Mission: To build a permanent financial legacy for Anaconda through the generosity of its citizens and friends in order to develop and maintain a thriving community forever.

Anaconda Disabled American Veterans-Memorial Chapter 13

Contact: Lee Burt, commander

Description of services: We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high quality lives with respect and dignity.

The DAV accomplishes this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of Americas injured heroes and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

The DAV motto: Fulfilling Our Promises to the Men and Women Who Served. At its core, the DAV is about disabled veterans taking care of one another and working to ensure that our nation honors its promises and commitments to those injured in defense of our freedom.

Our annual fundraising focuses on purchasing vans for the free DAV Van Transportation Program in Montana. The chapter is the sponsor of the remodeled military uniform display case in the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Courthouse; the uniform is replaced every three months with a professional ceremony for the recipients. We host and maintain the Yellow Ribbon tribute at the Kennedy Commons in Anaconda.

Needs: People to join our organization and serve as a chapter officer, and cash donations.

Anaconda Family Resource Center/Community Youth Center

Description of services: In 1982, the Anaconda Family Resource Center opened its doors to address the high incidence of child abuse and neglect in the Southwest Montana rural area of Deer Lodge County. The initial focus for programs and services was intervention. But need for additional services became obvious and the center was expanded to include preventative services. In October of 2004, after school services began to provide a safe place for youth to go while not in school. These preventative services for youth are provided through the Community Youth Center.

Our mission is to assure all families receive the basic skills, education, support, and encouragement necessary for the development of healthy families. All programs offered through the center are designed around this premise.

Home visits are done on a regular basis throughout the duration of services.

Parenting Classes: Common Sense Parenting by Active Parenting (geared toward toddlers and preschoolers) is the curriculum used for parenting classes. The classes teach effective discipline skills while helping parents develop more positive communication between them and their children.

CASA/GAL Program: When a child is removed from their home, they need to have representation in the court system. The CASA/GAL volunteer role is to provide advocacy services (in the court system) for abused, neglected and/or abandoned children. CASA/GAL volunteers are pro bono and their role includes investigating the case, attending meetings pertinent to the children, and providing input to and monitoring of the parents treatment plan.

The center offers Stress and Anger Management Classes twice weekly. Classes consist of 20 sessions dealing with five triggers. The primary purpose of the classes is to assist people in changing patterns of behavior that are inappropriate, counter-productive, and/or dangerous to themselves or others.

Summer Feeding Program: During summer months, the center provides breakfast and lunch at schools and low-income areas throughout the community. Each summer, up to 11,000 meals are served at these sites.

Community Youth Center: CYC is open three hours a day, five days a week. Lead staff makes every attempt to coordinate their efforts with teachers and administration from local schools to ensure that every childs educational needs are cared for. Progress is monitored through communications with t
eachers and/or obtaining copies of the students report cards and progress reports.

Needs: Cash donations may be dropped off at the Anaconda office. Also needed are new and used books.

Anaconda Rotary Club

Sharing is Caring Project

Telephone: 406-560-0189 or 563-2031

Contact: Dottie Zimmerman or Maureen Watt

Description of services: The Anaconda Rotary Club Sharing is Caring Project provides gifts for children. Other activities include providing scholarships to high school students, sponsor Anaconda High School students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp south of Livingston and the ATV Fun Run. We meet weekly at noon on Tuesday at the Donivan's in Anaconda. New members are always welcome.

Needs: Unwrapped gifts for children 0-18 or monetary donations to provide gifts for children.

B

Bagdad Shrine Center

Description of services: The national organization operates 22 Shriners hospitals committed to the treatment of orthopedic, burn and scar problems. These include treatment of curvature of the spine, brittle bone disease, hand problems, back problems, limb deficiencies, spina bifida, club foot and dislocated hip, leg length discrepancies, Legg Perthes disease, rickets, spinal column injuries and maxillofacial work. The hospitals do not accept state or federal funds. All services rendered at the hospital are at no cost to the family. Locally, Bagdad Shrine provides transportation and lodging assistance to families from all over Southwest Montana. The Northern California Shriners Hospital in Sacramento now provides services which formerly were only available in more distant locations.

Needs: Information on children who need medical attention for orthopedic or burn problems and monetary donations to help with transportation and lodging costs.

Bannack Association

Purpose: Support Bannack State Park preservation with volunteers, educational programming, and fundraising.

Beaverhead County Museum

Purpose: Operate museum and Old Depot complex, help with historical research, care for displays and historic artifacts pertaining to Beaverhead County; operate the Old Depot Theatre which houses a stage and auditorium for live performances of plays, concerts, debates and other public events.

Beaverhead County (ACEs) Task Force

Description of services: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term given to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences that occur to individuals under the age of 18. The Beaverhead County (ACEs) Task Force focuses on educating southwest Montanans about the relationships between these experiences during childhood and reduced health and well-being in later life. Sadly, ACEs are all too common and nearly 70% of all children have experienced one or more trauma growing up. The Beaverhead County ACEs Task Force meets monthly, sponsors parent and community support programs, and raises awareness in order to reduce the occurrence of ACEs. Strong communities raise strong kids!

Needs: To volunteer, get more information or donate in support of the ACE Task Force, contact Melainya Ryan, Task Force Chair at 406-683-6106, or melainya@cscofswmt.org, or mail donations to: P.O. Box 888, Dillon, Montana 59725.

Beaverhead County Mental Health Local Advisory Council

Description of services: The Beaverhead County Mental Health Local Advisory Council focus is on strengthening public mental health services in Beaverhead County. LAC members represent all different segments within the community including: consumers; elementary, high school, and post-secondary education; business; medical providers; behavioral health therapists; advocates; government; social service agencies; families; etc. The LAC works closely with task forces and subcommittees targeting Adverse Childhood Experiences, Criminal Justice, Crisis Response, Universal Screening, Suicide Prevention, etc. The Beaverhead County LAC meets monthly and welcomes anyone interested.

Needs: To volunteer, get more information, or donate in support the Beaverhead County Mental Health Local Advisory Council, contact Jamie Flynn at jflynn@beaverheadcounty.org, or mail donations to her attention to: 2 S Pacific, Dillon, Montana 59725.

Belmont Senior Citizen Center

Description of services: The center helps senior citizens with in-home services and on-site activities. Programs include lunches served at the center, meals delivered to shut-ins, Belmont Home Helpers and transportation services, legal clinic, payee services, S.H.I.P. counseling, memory screening, notary public, Sneakers on the Go, Caregivers Support Group, nursing clinic, foot clinic, bingo, Pinochle, ceramics and more.

Needs: The holiday season is a wonderful time for people to donate money to pay for meals for those who cannot afford to pay the full price.

Be the Change 406 Coalition

Contact: Kim Martinell, 406-596-1284

Description of services: Be The Change 406 Coalition works to develop and coordinate substance abuse prevention strategies to meet community needs based on local prevention needs assessment data. The coalition collaborates with schools, law enforcement, medical providers, local service organizations and other agencies to provide evidence-based prevention strategies and programs to Beaverhead and Madison County residents.

Needs: People can make donations by supporting efforts to reduce substance use among our youth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butte-Silver Bow

65 E. Broadway St. Ste. 503

Mailing address: P.O. Box 62, Butte, Montana 59703

Description of services: Our vision is that all children achieve success in life. Our mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving: 1) Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships. 2) Avoidance of risky behaviors. 3) Educational success.

Needs: Volunteer as a mentor, fundraising, donations, and help at events.

Big Hole River Foundation

Description of services: The Big Hole River Foundation is a science-based organization that works to conserve, enhance, and protect the free-flowing character of the Big Hole River, its unique culture, fisheries, and wildlife by sponsoring and supporting conservation, education, outreach, and research programs and projects. The Big Hole River Foundation was established in 1988 and is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Needs: Donations can be made through our website, at http://www.bhrf.org, or by calling Brittany at 406-560-7089.

Big Hole Watershed Committee

Description of services: The Big Hole Watershed Committee (BHWC), established in 1995, is a watershed group and a central hub of diverse viewpoints on resource and community concerns. We are a consensus-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation of the Big Hole River and surrounding watershed. Our work is comprehensive, spanning floodplains, communities, wildlife, water, and fisheries. We provide education, facilitate conversations and planning for issues in our area, and put meaningful restoration work on the ground. For details, visit bhwc.org.

Needs: We are taking on big conservation work through a consistent and stable organization. But we need your help. Your contributions give us the support we need to continue our work. Grant funds dont cover what your dollars support. Donations can be made by check via U.S. mail or online at http://www.bhwc.org.

Big Sky Chapter of American Society of Safety Professionals

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Description of services: Every worker expects to come home from work in the same condition he started. Yet, each year about 6,000 workers are killed on the job in the U.S. Many more are injured or develop chronic illnesses due to workplace conditions. Our goal is to enable workplaces to provide safe conditions and work practices. We promote training, education, information, and networking to safety practitioners, workers, managers, owners, and anyone interested in cultivating a positive workplace safety and health culture. We have formed alliances with other safety minded groups, including OSHA, and Montana Safety Services Conference and work together to achieve mutual goals namely, a safe and healthful workplace.

Needs: Sponsors, vendors, and donors for our conferences and volunteers to help with special projects.

Boulevard Volunteer Fire Department

Contact: Ed Fisher, chief

Description of services: The Boulevard is a non-profit and serves the community every day for no pay as do other volunteer fire departments.

Needs: Help in financing safety equipment. New pavement is also needed in front of the fire station.

BSW Inc.

Description of services: BSW Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing services for developmentally disabled adultsgroup home placement, supported living, day-work placement, supported employment, job development and placement and community placement. BSW Inc. also operates the BSW Thrift Store in Butte.

Needs: Donations and memorials.

Butte America Foundation

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Giving Thanks A & B - Montana Standard