By ALEXANDRIA

BOURNONVILLE

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — With today being Giving Tuesday, Upper Peninsula organizations hope residents will keep donations local during the global generosity movement.

And just like shopping on a Cyber Monday — when it comes to charitable giving — there seems to be something for everyone.

According to Grow and Lead a U.P. nonprofit dedicated to positive community change, Giving Tuesday inspires people to give back today and every day.

It offers a #Give906 Giving Guide on the organization’s website, glcyd.org.

The site features U.P. organizations that rely on donations to continue activities that make the community a better place to live.

Lake Superior Theatre needs funds for the maintenance, repair and replacement of wireless microphones, which are used during performances.

The Marquette Area Public Schools Education Foundation relies on donations to its scholarships for high school graduates and grants to teachers.

Camp New Day U.P. uses donations to provide a free one-week camp for youth ages 9-14 who have, or have had, an incarcerated parent or family member.

The Marqeutte Regional History Center is seeking enough money to gift free museum field trips to 25 K-12 classes. It would cost an average-sized class approximately $90 to attend.

The Women’s Center in Marquette is the longest continuously operating domestic violence and sexual assault agency in the state of Michigan. Donations are used for programs and services in Marquette and Alger counties that protect, educate, advocate, counsel and empower survivors of domestic or sexual violence.

The Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy is seeking $5,000 to create a trail building at the Dead River Community Forest and make access improvements at the Vielmetti-Peters Reserve.

Donations for Room at the Inn help it provide shelter, a warm meal and resources for people in the community who are without housing.

Marquette Symphony Orchestra’s online donation goal is $2,000. Monetary gifts will support a free concert at Kaufman Auditorium for nearly 1,200 area fourth- and-fifth-graders bused in from their respective schools on April 15.

Hiawatha Music Co-op Board of Directors matched the first $1,000 in donations toward the annual Hiawatha Music Festival.

Marquette’s Habitat for Humanity created a Facebook page for Giving Tuesday. Its goal is to raise $5,000 in funds to help improve the lives of homeowners.

Many Giving Tuesday events are set to occur in person around Marquette County.

Partridge Farm was holding an event at Velodrome Coffee in Ishpeming from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It featured a special soup composed of Partridge Creek Farm vegetables.

All proceeds raised from the Giving Tuesday soup will be used to support the Ishpeming Middle School Healthy Cooking Program which teaches fifth- and sixth-graders about healthy cooking using hands-on experience. PCF’s has a goal of $5,000 to help continue the program.

An open house took place at the Greater Ishpeming Commission on Aging, where the public was encouraged to meet the staff and learn about the services available to area seniors.

The cost to provide homemaking services for one senior for one year is $1,000.

The group hopes to raise $5,000 today to help five additional seniors with homemaking services in 2024.

Trillium House hosted a Giving in Sweet blood drive in partnership with UP Health System Blood Center. Everyone donating is receiving one of Mary’s famous chocolate chip cookies. The goal is to break the record with 40 donations.

The official Giving Tuesday Facebook page notes that “giving your voice is one of the most important and impactful ways you can give back. It brings attention and advocacy raises crucial awareness from some of the most important issues of our time and inspires others to give their voice too … collective voice is a powerful tool for creating change.”

The organization recommends several ways people can give back without donating money.

Residents are encouraged to share information about a favorite nonprofit or community organization, post online about an issue they care about, be loud about policy change, speak your values and educate yourself and others.

There are also countless acts of service that can be performed, including joining or starting a giving circle, writing a review for a local business, or simply helping an elderly neighbor with chores around the house.

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.