Social Services

By Leah Rainwater The Noyes Home for Children hosted its annual holiday open house on Tuesday. Visitors enjoyed refreshments, music and activities including gingerbread house decorating, ornament making and Christmas stories narrated by Will Stuck. Santa was also in attendance and community members were able to tour the Noyes Home and also see the “Help

By Ashley Luthans This is the last week for people to apply for assistance from the Adopt-A-Family program. Those seeking to be adopted through the AFL-CIO program must have children ages 18 or younger in the home, be over the age of 63 or be actively receiving disability assistance. Applications are due by 5 p.m.

By Jazmine Knight It’s Giving Tuesday and many St. Joseph organizations are encouraging the community to support generosity by giving back to local nonprofits. Giving Tuesday is a worldwide mission to support and spread generosity in the community. According to Mellissa Birdsell, executive director of Voices of Courage, the idea originated as a response to

By Charles Christian One St. Joseph agency’s program is helping combat the recidivism rate by helping ex-prisoners re-enter society. Though The Crossing may be best known for its food distribution center, which reaches more than 1,500 people per month, its re-entry program, which houses around a dozen men at a time, is providing a new

By Leah Rainwater Crafts, Christmas stories and a visit from Santa are part of an annual holiday celebration set for next week. The Noyes Home for Children will be hosting its Holiday Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 801 N. Noyes Blvd. There will be gingerbread house and ornament

By Nicole Scott The St. Joseph YWCA is asking community members to think of area nonprofits and those in need this holiday season Giving Tuesday, which falls on Dec. 3, is a nationwide annual initiative for community members to donate to area organizations. YWCA Executive Director Danielle Brown said her agency is happy to receive

By Jazmine Knight The Bartlett Center is set to host its first annual Holiday Mart fundraiser. Guests can support kids who use the facility and local businesses from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, at the center, 409 S. 18th St. The mart will feature an array of vendors including a permanent jeweler,

By Ashley Luthans Registration for Second Harvest Community Food Bank’s Holiday Express food distribution will be on Thursday, Dec. 5. Second Harvest distributes free hams, holiday boxes, and produce through this program. Registration begins at 2 p.m. and will last until 7 or supplies run out. If anyone arrives before noon, they will be asked

By NewsPress Now If you’re looking to help those in need this holiday season with donations of money, items or just your time, the United Way can point you in the right direction. The agency has compiled a guide of holiday-specific opportunities in the 2024 United Way Holiday Volunteer and Giving Guide. Whether you want

By NewsPress Now With a delay leading to a donation shortfall, officials with the Adopt-A-Family program are asking the community for help. Due to an issue with a local printer, the holiday edition of AFL-CIO Community Services’ newsletter did not hit mailboxes until this weekend, which is three weeks behind schedule. The newsletters are one

By Charles Christian Cold weather is here and community shelters are spending time and money to provide a safe place for the homeless community. Major Ron Key of the Salvation Army said winter presents safety challenges for those without homes, and his agency does its best to meet their needs. “We have nine apartments and

By Kendra Simpson St. Joseph residents can help bring holiday cheer to those in need by donating to the 2nd annual “Miracle on 8th Street” donation drive. The YWCA has asked for help from the community in providing new gifts for their shelter residents and other program participants. “I think that a lot of people

By Ashley Luthans A wheelchair drive is happening in St. Joseph on Friday, Nov. 22, asking people to donate wheelchairs, walkers and canes. Spine and Sport Physical Therapy is hosting the drive for “Wheels for the World” which is part of the Joni and Friends organization. The drive aims to bring mobility devices to people

By NewsPress Now The New Nodaway Humane Society, a “no-kill” shelter in Maryville, Missouri, is hosting a “Home 4 the Holidays” pet adoption event. The shelter is located at 829 S Depot St. and is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. All

By Ashley Luthans Cars lined Grand Avenue on Thursday morning as residents claimed boxes filled with all the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner. Volunteers assisted at Second Harvest Community Food Bank with the 14th annual free annual Turkey Day distribution. Vouchers were given out to qualifying community members last week, inviting them to pick up food for

By By: Nicole Scott The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office is accepting donations for its “Officers with Kids” Christmas program. Each year, community members donate money to the sheriff’s office so deputies can take area children and families shopping for the holiday. Donations can be dropped off at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, which also accepts

By Leah Rainwater Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and some community organizations are working to make sure everyone has a turkey on the table. On Wednesday, InterServ handed out turkeys and sides to families in need for the holiday. “We gave 100 vouchers, so we have 100 turkeys and 100 bags of sides that

By Chris Fortune Red Kettle campaigns are well underway nationally, but fewer bells are ringing at St. Joseph storefronts this year. The local Salvation Army at 602 Messanie St. has four paid bell ringers instead of the usual six or seven, but support from volunteers is helping set a Red Kettle goal of $100,000. Bell

By Kirsten Stokes Those who enjoy reading and have an hour a week to spare are being asked to join the United Way on an adventure. Volunteers with the United Way Reading Adventure program visit local elementary schools once a week to read to children to help develop their skills. Jodi Flurry, director of community

By Leah Rainwater As the holiday season approached, the Noyes Home for Children shared their plans to fundraise throughout the season. In the past, donations, monetary or otherwise that were collected during the holiday season typically went toward helping with operational costs, food and the needs of families. “We have our annual Holiday Open House

By Jazmine Knight A collection effort next week will help make Christmas brighter for children all around the world. Operation Christmas Child is sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse and is a program where people take a simple shoe box and turn it into a gift for kids all around the world. “Anyone can pack a box,”

By Leah Rainwater Preparing your wallet for the holidays is never an easy task, but there are some community programs that are able to help prepare your pantry. The Second Harvest Community Food Bank and InterServ are services that usually help with food assistance in St. Joseph during the holidays. Alchemy Tea Co. is also

By Ashley Luthans The St. Joseph Youth Alliance is hosting its annual Superstars for Kids event on Thursday, Nov. 14. The evening celebrates those who have given back to youth in the community. There will also be recognition given to 11- to 18-year-olds who received the Presidential Volunteer Service award. The event begins at 6

By Ashley Luthans Several local businesses and organizations are hosting food drives to support those in need in St. Joseph for Thanksgiving. Alchemy Tea Co. is hosting a Thanksgiving food drive that also benefits the donors. The company is taking nonperishable food items worth $5, and in return the donator gets a free $5 boba

By Ashley Luthans The Salvation Army is now accepting applications for its Christmas assistance program. Eligible families and seniors ages 65 and older can get an application at the Salvation Army office, located at 602 Messanie St. Applications can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those who qualify for Christmas assistance

By Kendra Simpson The United Way of Greater St. Joseph will announce the results of its annual fundraising drive at a celebration Thursday evening at the Trail Theatre. The agency began its Better Days Made by You campaign in September. Funds raised through the campaign help provide resources to the United Way network of Partner

By Jenna Wilson The city of St. Joseph and Community Action Partnership are continuing to address the rising homeless population with the addition of a tiny home village coming to the South Side. The property that sits at 2101 S. Eighth St. will be used as a housing development with 10 small homes on the

By Kendra Simpson A simple walk set for Friday afternoon aims to help make a world of a difference for those facing homelessness. The 13th annual Walk for the Homeless begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday next to the Downtown Health Center, 503 S. Sixth St. The walk is free to join, but participants can register and

By Leah Rainwater One St. Joseph man is advocating for ways to enhance a national resource. Tracy Gillespie, a mental health and homeless advocate in St. Joseph, encountered an issue when he was trying to use the 988 hotline for a personal mental health issue. “I needed some help,” Gillespie said. “My phone was deactivated because,

By Kendra Simpson For over four decades, the AFL-CIO has helped disadvantaged families in the region with the Adopt-a-Family program, but because of its past success, the program now has new guidelines to qualify for assistance. The Adopt-a-Family program started in 1983 when radio DJs got tired of the Cabbage Patch Kid craze. Rather than