Education and networking are the backbone of MPI chapters. But the generosity of these communities can sometimes be overlooked. Although chapters help make their communities better places to live and work throughout the year, let’s take a look at some of their particularly impressive efforts to give back this holiday season.
The MPI Connecticut River Valley Chapter requested donations for nonperishable items for a local food pantry.
The MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter continues community service projects throughout the year, changing the focus quarterly. This quarter, they focused their efforts on Santa Boots, which helps military families in need have a great Christmas for their families. In addition, the chapter partnered with IACC for its December education meeting and collected food donations for GRACE Food Pantry.
Since 2000, the MPI Denmark Chapter’s most popular event has been the Christmas Bingo networking event right before the holidays. This year it was hosted on a ferry docked in the harbor in Copenhagen. Members donated hotel stays, spa days, dinners and much more for a fundraiser benefiting the MPI Foundation.
The MPI Greater New York Chapter held a coat drive in conjunction with its holiday party to benefit New York Cares. And a group of 18 members spent a Monday morning at God’s Love We Deliver in Manhattan helping to prepare and pack meals for the organization, which has a mission to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition.
The MPI Heartland Chapter wrapped gifts with the Hope Center for Kids in Omaha, Neb. This is an annual event that allows kids to Christmas shop for their loved ones with fake money. Chapter members assisted the kids with wrapping up their gifts to share with their families.
The MPI Indiana Chapter partnered with ILEA Indiana at its annual luncheon, where members worked on a service project benefiting the USO (United Service Organizations) Indiana. Stockings were stuffed full of items such as granola bars, oatmeal packets and handwritten notes.
Throughout the year, the MPI Kansas City Chapter promotes donations and volunteer opportunities for HopeKids KC, an that organization provides ongoing events, activities and a powerful, unique support community for families who have a child with cancer or other life-threatening medical condition.
The MPI Middle Pennsylvania Chapter raised more than $1,500 for Randi’s House of Angels at its Holiday Luncheon & Program, held at the Hershey Country Club. The mission of Randi’s House of Angels is to provide a healing place for children who are exposed to or are victims of domestic violence.
The MPI Montréal/Québec Chapter encouraged its members to enrich intergenerational ties and build a stronger sense of community with meal prep and packing followed by meal deliveries.
The MPI Northern California Chapter hosted “Holly Days - An MPINCC Hollywood Holiday Story” at San Francisco’s sensational Starlight Room on November 28th. At our annual holiday event, we traditionally share the spirit of the season by sponsoring a gift drive for a designated charity. Integrating with 2018 - 2019 President Lucinda Mendoza, CMP’s theme YOUR STORY. OUR CHAPTER., we selected Books for the Barrios, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in impoverished and conflicted regions of the Philippines, as our partner charity.
“Holly Days” participants brought children’s books, dictionaries, and back issues of National Geographic magazine as gifts for the new library for which Books for the Barrios just received a grant to develop. Co-Founders, Nancy and Dan Harrington, joined us to receive donations and express their immense gratitude to MPINCC.
The MPI Oklahoma Chapter volunteered with Sunbeam Family Services to help set up their holiday store. At the “A Very Giving Christmas” store, hosted by Sunbeam Family Services and Catholic Charities, families are given “Santa Bucks” to spend. Volunteers help set the warm and inviting atmosphere of the store and make the holidays special for more than 600 families in the community who shop in the store.
The MPI Pittsburgh Chapter had a food drive for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank during its holiday party.
The MPI San Diego Chapter’s community service charity was Shelter to Soldier. The organization’s founder and one of the dogs being trained attended the chapter’s holiday party. The event included a “pass the hat,” merchandise was sold and attendees were educated about the charity, which adopts shelter dogs and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans.
The MPI Tampa Bay Chapter hosted a “Friendsgiving” After 5 networking event and food drive at Bulla Gastrobar, collecting 159 food items to donate to Metropolitan Ministries, a local nonprofit that supports homeless and underprivileged families.
The MPI Virginia Chapter offered an official Toys for Tots collection site.
MPI Denmark Chapter
MPI Greater New York Chapter
MPI Heartland Chapter
MPI Kansas City Chapter
MPI Northern California Chapter
MPI Tampa Bay Chapter
Author
Blair Potter
Blair Potter is director of media operations for MPI. He likes toys and collects cats (or is it the other way around?).