WAYS TO HELP

Jan Traughber
Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteering at Kemmerer Village continues to provide support for this mission of helping children and families. Volunteers serve an important purpose in several areas. We invite you to call for information on any of the opportunities listed below. If you are interested in volunteering with Kemmerer Village youth, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Jan Traughber at 217-226-2231 or jan.traughber@kemmerervillage.org

• Mentoring 
  One of the best ways to provide this support is through volunteering as a mentor with Kemmerer Village. Some Kemmerer Village youth in our residential and foster care departments arrive to our programs without any external sources of support. Working with a mentor provides excellent opportunities for our youth to practice the skills they are learning with caring adults outside of KV staff. Mentors receive training in working effectively with Kemmerer Village youth, based on the Mentor’s prior experience and familiarity with young people. Mentor and youth contact is planned individually and contact can occur on or off campus.
• The Kemmerer Village Auxiliary has been in existence since 1972 to serve as a liaison, interpreting the work and mission to the churches, and helping as other needs arise. The Auxiliary has provided for everything from suitcases to cottage parties to alter candles and communion platen and challis. The Auxiliary meets the first Wednesdays of September, November, March, and May.
• Workgroups Between May and September, congregations from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and other states send Workgroups to the Village. These workgroups range in age from junior high through octogenarians. The work performed ranges from pulling weeds and trimming bushes to painting to installing drywall or siding. The age/skill level of the members of the group, the work that needs to be done on campus, and the weather are all considered in selecting the type of work each group performs. Some groups have chosen to put on a concert, conduct a Bible study, or lead informal worship for our residents.
• Individuals, or groups, can also Volunteer in many forms. We would love to discuss any ideas you have as to how you could support our ministry. Current activities include sending birthday and/or holiday greeting cards to the children; making the quilts that we present to each child on his or her first birthday on campus; and, collecting soup labels and cereal box tops. We can also use more volunteers in each of these activities.

The Board of Directors of Kemmerer Village, Inc and Kemmerer Village Foundation, are composed entirely of volunteers. Five members represent the Southeastern Illinois Presbytery and five members represent Great Rivers Presbytery. The Boards meet approximately six times a year. Contact the Executive Directors for more information.

Direct Donation

The Direct Donation Plan is a simple way you can have your donation to Kemmerer Village deducted automatically from your checking or savings account. You won’t have to change your present banking relationship to take advantage of this service and even small donations add up to a huge help. It is easy to sign up for and/or cancel.

If you are interested in learning more about this process, please call the Kemmerer Village Foundation at (217) 226-2130. We will be happy to assist you with any questions.

Gifts of Cash

There is no easier way to garner a charitable deduction for tax purposes – and support us at the same time – than by simply writing a check! If you itemize, your gifts of cash are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes. Our financial advisors are happy to assist with any questions you may have. Please contact 217-

Memorials & Honors

There are occasions of joy and sorrow in the lives of our family and friends that call for a response from us. A Memorial or an Honor Gift to Kemmerer Village is a way to express love and respect.

Memorial Gifts can be given in memory of a deceased friend, family member, or even a beloved pet. Keeping their caring influence alive while also providing a life-changing opportunity for a child at Kemmerer Village. An acknowledgment of the gift will be sent to the family of the deceased, and a remembrance will be listed in the next issue of our newsletter, the Kemmerer Voices. The amount of the gift is not shared.

Living Honor Gifts are a tribute to someone still here to enjoy your love and appreciation through a gift for the children at Kemmerer Village. They may be given to recognize special occasions such as a Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation, Retirement, to express gratitude, or "just because." The individual receiving the tribute will receive a written acknowledgment of the gift, and the occasion will be listed in the next issue of the Kemmerer Voices. The amount of the gift is not shared.

Matching Gifts

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. Check to see if your company participates in this program. The impact of your gift to our children may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

Year-End Gift Ideas

While there are a variety of ways you can help vulnerable children, your tax-deductible gift to Kemmerer Village is one of the easiest ways for you to ensure that these children get the assistance they need and deserve.

You may want to support Kemmerer Village annually with a gift of cash or stock. These gifts are put to work immediately to help ensure the continuation of critically needed programs and services.

We’d like to make it even easier with this information on some of the best ways to save – and give.

Gifts of Stock

Giving long-term appreciated stock offers you a two-fold tax saving. First, you avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in value of your stock. In addition, you receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date of the gift. 

Gifts of Real Estate

If you own a home, vacation home, acreage, or farm, a charitable gift of that real estate can be especially tax-advantageous. The property may have so appreciated in value over the years that its sale would result in a sizeable capital gains tax. If given to Kemmerer Village instead, you avoid the tax and, at the same time, realize a charitable deduction for the full fair-market value of the real estate.

You may also wish to consider a gift of your personal residence or farm, reserving the right to continue to live in the house or farm the property for life.

Gifts of Life Insurance

If you own a life insurance policy that is no longer needed, consider it as the perfect vehicle for a charitable gift! To receive a charitable deduction, name Kemmerer Village as both the owner and beneficiary of the policy. If the policy has a cash value, you can take a charitable deduction approximately equal to the cash value at the time of the gift. In addition, if annual premiums are still to be made and you continue to pay them, those premiums will become tax deductible each year. (It’s easy to contribute a life insurance policy to us. Just check with your life insurance agent for details on which forms to complete.)

Bequests

While you’re considering your income tax savings, this may also be a good time to consider long-term tax savings. The federal estate tax can still take approximately 50% of one’s estate at the time of death. That’s a higher tax bite than the income tax! It definitely pays to do some advance planning with your attorney and other professional advisors.

Giving is, of course, much more than tax brackets and charitable deductions. Philanthropy provides the meaningful difference in what we can do. This information is only a brief introduction to some of the best tax-advantaged methods of giving. We would be pleased to provide you with further information. Also, we urge you to discuss your year-end tax planning with your accountant or other professional advisor.

General Mills® Box Tops for Education 

To date we have accumulated approximately $17,000.00 over 13 years from this program to help with our school budget. Money from this fund is used for the Accelerated Reading Program. Children are learning to read who previously had little or no interest in reading. You can find more information at the General Mill Box Tops for Education web site boxtops4education.com. 

Learn more about our program HERE.

Village Circle

At Kemmerer Village, lasting change comes from steady support. We’re introducing our Village Circle, a donor club for friends who give monthly or quarterly. These recurring gifts help us meet urgent needs and provide consistent care for the children and families we serve. Village Circle members receive Kemmerer Village swag, a monthly insider email, and an invitation to our annual Village Circle Appreciation Day.

To join, contact: Carson.Cole@KemmererVillage.org