connections www.rainbowtel.net 800-892-0163 FALL 2023 • VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1 BUSINESS Lending a Hand Warms Hearts The Business Benefits of Giving Back 3 It’s Better to Give than to Receive 4 How Dollars Make a Difference 6 Jingle Bell Ride is a Beloved Tradition 7
2 Fall 2023 Business Connections is a publication of Rainbow Communications, 608 Main St., Everest, KS 66424. Editorial and Circulation Contact: Jackie Petersen 608 Main St. Everest, KS 66424 800.892.0163 x1105 Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Jackie Petersen 608 Main St. Everest, KS 66424 800.892.0163 x1105 All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright® 2023 by Rainbow Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. Postmaster send changes to: Jackie Petersen PO Box 147 Everest, KS 66424 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER We all have something to give. Depending on the day, it may be the gift of our time and talents or a financial donation to a worthy cause. While the holiday season always brings the topic of giving to the forefront, it’s something our community needs all year long. This issue of Business Connections is a departure from our usual mix of articles that feature a Business Spotlight and a look at Rainbow’s communications services. Instead, we’re shining the spotlight on the benefits of giving—both for the giver and the recipient—and celebrating what can be achieved thanks to our community’s generosity. We explore The Business Benefits of Giving Back on page 3, in case you need addedmotivation to become more philanthropically active. Then on page 4, we explain why It’s Better to Give than to Receive in an article about Rainbow’s Gift of Giving program. Begun in 2010, this program enables our business customers to have Rainbow make a donation in their name to a charity of their choice. How Dollars Make a Difference on pages 5 and 6 continues the Gift of Giving discussion by showing what these donations mean to several of the recipient organizations. How else does our community give back? Jingle Bell Ride is a Beloved Tradition, which you’ll learn more about on page 7. Rainbow believes in giving what we can to enhance local connections.Thank you for supporting us in this important work. Sincerely, Rainbow Business Solutions Department connections BUSINESS From left to right: Angie Kreider, Director of Business Development; Julie Bergman, Senior Business Development Specialist; Jerad Enneking, Business Relations Manager; Jonny Kane, Customer Relation Specialist II; and Deanna Lanter, Customer Relation Specialist II FALL 2023
BUSINESS connections Fall 2023 3 Giving back to the community feels great, and many companies see it as “the right thing to do.” But did you know it can also be a profitable thing to do? Here are just a few of the benefits of volunteering for and donating to local organizations: The Business Benefits of Giving Back • Improved image. Companies that give back are perceived as having integrity and a community spirit. This goodwill can translate into more business. • Stronger employee engagement. Studies have shown that most employees aren’t fully engaged with their jobs. But, the good news is, company giving can contribute to fuller engagement. More engaged employees provide better service, leading to more business for you. • More networking opportunities. Through the process of volunteering or donating, you get to know others in the community. Expanding your network is a great way to spread the word about your company. Companies can help local organizations in multiple ways. Be creative to come up with ideas that work for your company and local organizations. Here are some suggestions to get you started: Donate and/or match employee donations. Organizations that help those in need are always looking for donations. Your company can contribute directly, provide a match when your employees make a donation, or do something fun like throw a party for employees if a certain dollar amount is reached. Volunteer and/or help employees to volunteer. Discuss with organizations you want to assist how your company or team could put in hours as a group to help. For example, your team could spend an afternoon working on a Habitat for Humanity house. Or allow employees to choose their own organizations, and give them time off to volunteer. Offer services. Providing your products for free or at a reduced rate is another great way to contribute to local organizations. Basic services like health care, food, and clothing are especially useful to offer. Serve as a “middle man.” You could make your business a drop-off location for items being collected for a food drive or school supply drive. Or collect financial donations from your customers to benefit your favorite organizations. Use social media. Use your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts to announce fundraising events, suggest donating to a particular organization, or simply tell a wider audience more about what they do. Now is a great time to get involved with local organizations
4 Fall 2023 Angie Kreider, Director of Business Development, recalled, “The Gift of Giving came from the idea that the holidays are more about giving than receiving. We were struggling to come up with a good way to ‘gift’ our business customers in appreciation for their support of Rainbow and to recognize them during the holidays.The concept of Rainbowmaking donations in their name to a local charity of their choice seemed like the perfect solution.” The Gift of Giving program has grown steadily in the past 13 years, and has been enthusiastically embraced by customers and communities. “Our business customers tell us they look forward to receiving the Gift of Giving letter in the mail each November, which includes a reply postcard for them to choose the recipient for the donation in their name. Likewise, the recipient organizations look forward to receiving the donations from Rainbow every year to help them do their important community work,” said Kreider. She added, “Because of the long-standing tradition of the Gift of Giving program, the recipient organizations have come to rely on these donations from Rainbow. It’s wonderful to be able to join with our business customers to help support the giving spirit of Christmas within our communities in northeast Kansas.” Rainbow selected local food pantries and Christmas-driven organizations throughout our service area to be the recipients of the Gift of Giving program. This way, each of our business customers can select an organization close to them to be the recipient of the donation. The organizations currently active in the Gift of Giving Program are as follows: • Atchison County Food Pantry • Atchison County Rural Fire District #5 (Lancaster) • Atchison County Rural Fire District #2 (Effingham) • Trinity Center Food Pantry (North Brown County Food Pantry) • South Brown County Food Pantry • Sabetha Community Food Pantry • Eleanor’s Pantry • Nemaha County Food Pantry • Muscotah Christmas Ministry • Native American Family Services - White Cloud, KS • Jingle Bell Ride-Brown County Christmas Bureau • Nemaha County Christmas Bureau • Doniphan County Christmas Bureau Rainbow has donated a total of $85,179 since the Gift of Giving began in 2010. During each of the past years alone, Rainbow has donated an average total of around $7,000 to local charities. Every dollar has gone toward making the holiday season— and beyond—a little brighter for local families. What could be merrier than that? It’s Better to Give than to Receive Rainbow began the Gift of Giving program in 2010 as a creative way to thank our business customers during the holiday season. It’s been a hit ever since.
Fall 2023 5 BUSINESS connections Atchison County RFD 2 Atchison, KS The Atchison County RFD 2 fights fires and offers other emergency assistance within its Rural Fire District. Fire Chief Adam Housh said, “We ran roughly 100 calls last year and serviced 150 to 350 citizens.” Consistent donations from the Gift of Giving help the Atchison County RFD 2 purchase neededequipment and supplies, and Housh is grateful for this monetary support. He’s also grateful for volunteers. “We host a holiday dinner for our 25 volunteers and their significant others in appreciation for the time they generously give,” said Housh. What can the community do to help the Atchison County RFD 2? He replied, “Please remember that emergency vehicles have the right of way when they’re running with lights and sirens, so pull over for them. Another thing that would help is to promote volunteering for local volunteer fire departments.” Atchison County Food Pantry Atchison, KS The numbers speak volumes for the Atchison County Food Pantry. It spends 98% of donations on food purchases and distributes around 7,000 lbs. of food each month to the Atchison community. The entirely volunteer staff contributes 350 volunteer hours each month. In 2022, the Atchison County Food Pantry served 3,000+ households with a total of 7,500 individuals. Co-Director David Gatewood said, “Our program continues to grow. At the current rate, we’ll serve close to 4,000 households and 9,000 individuals in 2023. Rainbow’s contributions from the Gift of Giving program have helped us pay our food purchase expenses for the past two years.” The community can contribute in other ways to help the Atchison County Food Pantry. Co-Director Lois Reid noted, “People who receive $250 cards from Thrivent every six months can donate them to us. These cards are a great help, as they can be applied directly to our grocery account at Alps or used at Walmart for food purchases. A second way to help is to initiate food drives at your local churches or other community organizations, including businesses.” Eleanor’s Food Pantry Elwood, KS Eleanor’s Food Pantry serves families and individuals in need throughout Doniphan County. Director Jadon LaRue is pleased that Eleanor’s Food Pantry will be a recipient of the Gift of Giving program in 2023. “This is our first year partnering with the Gift of Giving, and I’mexcited about the opportunity it offers,” said LaRue. During the Christmas season, Eleanor’s Food Pantry typically serves about 50 families. Of course, the need is there Each year, Rainbow’s Gift of Giving program donates money to Christmas bureaus, food pantries, and other nonprofits in the counties we serve. To give you an idea of what these dollars mean to the organizations who receive them, check out these examples. $ $ $ $ $ How Dollars Make a Difference Several Gift of Giving recipients share the impact of our program $ Continued on page 6.
6 Fall 2023 $ throughout the year, and donations from the community are always welcome. LaRue notes, “We appreciate donations of food, laundry soap, hand soap, and more, as well as money for us to buy the items we need.” Muscotah United Church Muscotah, KS Muscotah United Church runs the Holiday Food Pantry and Children’s Christmas Gift Program. Members of the church and community work together to help those in need—typically 10-20 families —and the Gift of Giving program provides some funding to purchase food, gifts, and toys. Sandy Handke, Congregation Member of Muscotah United Church, wanted to express gratitude. “Rainbow’s generous yearly donations have aided our effort to provide Christmas gifts to area children who otherwise wouldn’t have any, along with food for the families over the winter school breaks. In addition to toys, we give the children necessities such as coats, hats, gloves, blankets, warm pajamas, socks, and undergarments,” said Handke. Muscotah United Church also helps four area schools by donating t-shirts, sweat pants, hats, and gloves as needed for emergency use. The schools greatly appreciate having these items on hand for sick childrenwhomayneed a change of clothes for the trip home. In addition, warm food and blankets are given by Muscotah United Church to aid elderly shut-ins during intensely cold winter periods. Does Muscotah United Church have any requests for the community? Handke replied, “Many children are without beds and bedding, so gifts of pillows, pillowcases, sheets, and blankets would be helpful.” Nemaha County Food Pantry Bern, KS The Nemaha County Food Pantry is operated by Frieders Church and is totally dependent on contributions of money, food, and personal care items as well as the work of volunteers. Support for the Nemaha County Food Pantry comes from area businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and individuals. Local church volunteers have helped the pantry serve 453 adults, 287 children, and 123 seniors so far in 2023. Its hours are the following: • 1st Wednesday of the month – 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm • 3 rd, 4th, and 5thWednesdays – 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm On the 2nd Wednesday of the month, pantry volunteers work on the Harvester Mobile Pantry at the Community Building parking lot at noon. Rick and Diane Allison are the current coordinators of the Nemaha County Food Pantry and sent this message: “Thanks to all who contribute in any way, including Rainbow for its Gift of Giving donations.” Trinity Center Food Pantry Hiawatha, KS The former North Brown Co. Food Pantry located at the First Baptist Church became the Trinity Center Food Pantry when it moved into the newly established Trinity Center, just east of downtown Hiawatha, early in 2023. It serves hundreds of households in northern Brown County each year. The number varies from year to year depending on economic conditions. Laura Fortmeyer, Trinity Center Food Pantry Manager, said, “We’ve received a significant amount from the Gift of Giving program each of the past several years, and it really helps keep our shelves stocked for families in need. It’s also very affirming that so many local Rainbow customers want to support us.” Fortmeyer noted, “If communitymembers would like to help us, the main ways are to donate funds or food/toiletry items. Providing rides for those without transportation would also be very appreciated.” How Dollars Make a Difference Continued $
BUSINESS connections Fall 2023 7 No child asked to be poor, and every child should receive a Christmas gift. This is the thinking behind the Jingle Bell Ride in Brown County, Kansas, which was held this year on November 12. Jingle Bell Ride is a Beloved Tradition The annual holiday event began in 1996 as One Last Ride, an opportunity for local horse enthusiasts to gather and collect a few toy donations for children in low-income families. The name was later changed to Jingle Bell Ride, and its scope expanded. Riders now come from as far away as Ohio, and hundreds of children in Brown County are each given a special toy to open on Christmas morning. The goal of the Jingle Bell Ride organizers is to see continued growth in the number of children helped each year. In addition, Jingle Bell Ride provides the families of these children with a family bag. Its contents will vary, depending on their needs and the donations received, but may include personal hygiene items, stocking stuffers, and diapers. Patti Merchant of Merchant Farms has been active in Jingle Bell Ride since the beginning. She said, “I’m proud of the way the community has supported the Jingle Bell Ride year after year. Residents generously donate toys and money to buy needed items, and businesses volunteer to be toy drop-off locations prior to the ride.” Each year, those in Hiawatha who prearrange to get on the home pickup list for toy donations can see Santa and his decorated team of horses and wagons come to their address on the day of the Jingle Bell Ride. Many people head outside that afternoon to catch a glimpse of the Christmas canvas that goes from neighborhood to neighborhood around town. The Jingle Bell Ride is a member of the Hiawatha Community Foundation and online donations can be made at any time through the foundation’s website at www.hiawathacf.org. There’s also a Jingle Bell Ride Fund as part of the Give Back to Move Forward program. Qualifying contributions on match day receive a 100%match that can be used for their most crucial needs. Rainbow is proud to be one of the sponsors of Give Back to Move Forward. For 27 years, gifts have been gathered for Brown County children Photo credit for all images: HiawathaWorld
ALL OF US AT RAINBOW APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AS A BUSINESS CUSTOMER. We hope your team enjoys a well-deserved holiday break and starts the new year with renewed enthusiasm and energy. Let us know how we can help! THANKS FOR A MERRY YEAR! Cornerstone Group©2023
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