KIDS Center encourages drive-by donations on Giving Tuesday
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Nov. 28, KIDS Center will make it easy for Central Oregonians to give back and help end child abuse on this national day of giving. Staff and volunteers will be outside KIDS Center on Giving Tuesday, encouraging passersby to drive up and donate to support the nonprofit's child abuse prevention program.
Every person who donates on Giving Tuesday will help protect children from abuse. Donations will support child safety trainings for adults in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. "Training adults to spot and prevent abuse makes our communities safer for kids," explains Rachel Visser, KIDS Center's Prevention Education Manager. The nonprofit offers free trainings in body safety, internet safety, and preventing child sexual abuse. To date, more than 15,000 Central Oregonians have taken a child safety training. Increasing the number of trained adults is a priority for KIDS Center in its efforts to end child abuse in the region.
Giving Tuesday started in 2012 with the simple goal to do good. After the shopping frenzy of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday focuses our collective attention on making a difference.
"We love meeting all of the generous people who are inspired to stop and donate on Giving Tuesday," says Ginger Theis-Stevens, KIDS Center's Director of Development and Marketing. Staff and volunteers will be in the KIDS Center parking lot from 10 am to 4 pm, with Venmo QR codes and credit card swipers in hand, so drivers can easily make a donation without leaving their vehicle. "To show our gratitude, we'll be offering stickers and cookies to everyone who stops by," says Theis-Stevens. Pacific Perks Coffee will be onsite and their "perkoligists" will whip up a complimentary coffee drink for every person who makes a donation.
KIDS Center is located on Bend's westside at 1375 NW Kingston Ave, Bend OR 97703.
If your route doesn't take you by KIDS Center on Giving Tuesday, you can also donate online by visiting www.kidscenter.org or sending a donation through Venmo to @kidscenter.
About KIDS Center: Built by the community in 1994, KIDS Center is a local non-profit leading our region's response to child abuse. KIDS Center is where hope and healing begins for children and families who have experienced abuse. KIDS Center provides independent child abuse evaluations, therapy and family advocacy—at no cost to families. Information about KIDS Center can be found at: kidscenter.org or by calling, (541) 383-5958. Anyone with a concern about a child’s safety can call the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at: 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).
