Students at the Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City are aware of the sacrifices people make on their behalf.
On Tuesday, the students "flipped the script" a little bit by giving back to the donors who support their club, said Wade Middaugh, the club's chief executive officer.
"The kids are well aware that without donors and supporters and the community organizations that support the club, a lot of these kids wouldn't be able to come here," Middaugh said. "While donors give to the club to keep our doors open, it's good to have the kids giving back."
Students at the club love their art projects, he added. So staff gave them cards and letters so they could write notes recognizing their supporters. The handwritten cards and letters are to be distributed among donors, Middaugh said. Some will be hand delivered. Others will be mailed out.
It's a random holiday card, he added.
"If they support us, we'll support them," he said. "All throughout COVID, we have seen incredible support from donors stepping up."
They have gone the extra mile, he said. In fact, donors provided more funding than the club asked for.
"A lot of our grants are tied to how many kids we serve. With COVID, our capacities are lowered, which poses funding problems," he said. "But, as always, our donors are there for us. They stepped up, and we've been able to close any funding gaps that we've had."
Donors have been so generous the club was able to put some money away for a rainy day. It's in the best financial shape it has been in, he said.
"Hopefully soon, we'll be able to get back to full capacity," Middaugh said. "We're starting to see some of that - loosening some of the restrictions so we can get back to full capacity. We want to serve every kid we can in this community."