The Big Give 2017

May the Fourth Be With You!

The Big Give S.A. is all day today, May 4. For those who may not be familiar, The Big Give S.A. is a 24-hour day of giving. It’s organized by the Texas Nonprofit Council and the San Antonio Area Foundation, with the support of the New Braunfels Community Center and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.

Since 2014, 101,000 donors have given nearly $11 million dollars to over 1,600 nonprofits through the Big Give-making it one of the most successful giving days in the country.

You may remember that last year was challenging — After a series of technical failures, the national Give Local America site went down, and donors across the country had difficulty giving to the nonprofits of their choice. Our community still rallied to raise $4.3 million for 1,055 nonprofits in 2016! You are resilient and generous!

All the nonprofits we have helped in this past year or will help later this year are fundraising extra-hard today! Many are participating in special events all day. Here are their Big Give links. If a particular organization over the last year was special to you, or if one of our upcoming nonprofit partners has a special place in your heart, please give and GIVE BIG!

Elf Louise

San Antonio Food Bank

Family Violence Prevention Services

SAMMinistries

Animal Defense League

San Antonio AIDS Foundation

San Antonio Youth Literacy

Texas Burn Survivor Society

The Rape Crisis Center

Texas Diaper Bank

Alpha Home

Merced Housing Texas

SNIPSA

 

The Big Give 20172017-05-04T10:04:59-06:00

May Nerd Night (2nd Friday) @ Geekdom

The San Antonio Food Bank distributes food to more than 58,000 individuals struggling with food insecurity in Southwest Texas each week. 17.1% of the population of Texas is food insecure, the second highest rate in the country. Food insecurity in Southwest Texas affects one in five adults and one in four children. Join us in supporting the San Antonio Food Bank in the month of May. Donate food at Geekdom and Knight Watch Games from May 3rd – May 30th. Look for the big red barrel!

Most needed items:
Peanut Butter
Cereal
Tuna
Beans
Rice
Macaroni & Cheese
Chili
Canned Stews & Soups
Canned Luncheon Meats
Full Meals in a Can/Box
“Pop-Top” Food Items

May Nerd Night (2nd Friday) @ Geekdom2017-05-03T15:53:43-06:00

Charity Spotlight: The San Antonio Food Bank

The San Antonio Food Bank provides food and grocery products to more than 530 partner agencies in 16 counties throughout Southwest Texas. The mission of the SAFB is to fight hunger in Southwest Texas through food distribution, programs, education, and advocacy.

Food insecurity, or not knowing where your next meal is coming from, is a rampant problem in our wealthy state. Some statistics:

  • One in five adults in Southwest Texas struggles with hunger.
  • One in four children is at risk of food insecurity.
  • Texas ranks 8th nationally in rate of food insecurity.
  • Each week, the San Antonio Food Bank assists 58,000 individuals in sixteen counties through their various programs.
  • 98% of all donated resources go directly to hunger relief.

Some of the San Antonio Food Bank’s programs include:

  • Kid’s Cafe: Neighborhood children can go to one of 28 Kids Cafe sites in the San Antonio area after school for a hot meal and homework help. 1,000 children visit these sites each day.
  • Project HOPE: Provides a 50-lb. bag of shelf-stable, supplemental food items to fixed-income seniors. 7,500 seniors every month are served by Project HOPE.
  • Nutrition Education: The San Antonio Food Bank deploys nearly a dozen bilingual nutrition educators into the San Antonio community every day to teach people how to shop for and prepare healthier meals.
  • Distribution: Mobile Food Pantries and Food Fairs allow the San Antonio Food Bank to distribute 1 million pounds of food weekly to difficult-to-reach individuals in the 16-county area (17,559 square miles) the food bank serves.

In 2015, the San Antonio Food Bank provided nearly 62 million pounds of food. We’re trying to make a very small scratch on the surface of that with our food drive.

So dig into your pockets, go through those cupboards. Find some of these “twelve most wanted” non-perishables and bring them by either Geekdom (main lobby) or Knight Watch Games, or just click here to go to our virtual food drive and make a cash donation. Every $1.00 donated provides seven meals to a hungry Texan.

12 Most Wanted Items:

Peanut Butter
Cereal
Tuna
Beans
Rice
Mac & Cheese
Chili
Canned Stews
Canned Soups
Canned Luncheon Meats
Full Means Can/Box
Pop Top Food Items

Charity Spotlight: The San Antonio Food Bank2016-11-26T19:26:27-06:00

December Nerd Night @ Knight Watch Games

The San Antonio Food Bank distributes food to more than 58,000 individuals struggling with food insecurity in Southwest Texas each week. 17.1% of the population of Texas is food insecure, the second highest rate in the country. Food insecurity in Southwest Texas affects one in five adults and one in four children.

Join us in supporting the San Antonio Food Bank in the month of December. Donate food at Geekdom and Knight Watch Games from Dec 1st – Dec 31st. Look for the big red barrel!

Most needed items:
Peanut Butter
Cereal
Tuna
Beans
Rice
Macaroni & Cheese
Chili
Canned Stews & Soups
Canned Luncheon Meats
Full Meals in a Can/Box
“Pop-Top” Food Items

December Nerd Night @ Knight Watch Games2016-11-26T18:59:46-06:00

The Big Give

Today’s a big day! The Big Give S.A. is all day today, May 3. For those who may not be familiar, The Big Give S.A. is a 24-hour day of giving. It’s organized by the Texas Nonprofit Council and the San Antonio Area Foundation, with the support of the New Braunfels Community Center and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.

The Big Give S.A. launched in 2014 with a goal of raising $1 million in donations for local nonprofits. They exceeded that goal, with $2 million in donations raised.

In 2015, The Big Give S.A. expanded to include the 11 surrounding counties and doubled the goal, increasing it to $4 million. Again, it was exceeded, raising over $4.3 million raised for local nonprofit organizations.

The goal this year is $6 million, and all the nonprofits we have helped in this past year or will help later this year are fundraising extra-hard today! Many are participating in special events all day. Here are their Big Give links. If a particular organization over the last year was special to you, or if one of our upcoming nonprofit partners has a special place in your heart, please give and GIVE BIG!

Elf Louise (November 2015/16)

San Antonio Food Bank (December 2015/16)

Family Violence Prevention Services (January 2016)

SAMMinistries (February 2016/July 2016)

Animal Defense League (March 2016)

San Antonio AIDS Foundation (April 2016)

San Antonio Youth Literacy (May 2016)

Texas Burn Survivor Society (June 2016)

The Rape Crisis Center (August 2016)

Texas Diaper Bank (October 2016)

For any questions about The Big Give S.A., you may reach a Big Give team member at 210.774.GIVE.

The Big Give2016-05-15T09:22:06-06:00

January Nerd Night

Happy New Year, nerds! Time for January Nerd Night. We’ll be gathering once again at Magic Beans Gaming Café and this month we are collecting items for the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter. This facility, run by Family Violence Prevention Services, gives every person seeking help and shelter a safe haven. They run a 24-hour crisis hotline, offer case management, a children’s program, counseling, emergency food and clothing (more on that in a moment), legal advocacy and referral, medical and dental care, parent education, workshops and support groups, and a lot of educational services that help women and their children become self-sufficient.

The shelter is in need of a number of personal and household items that are accepted in new or gently-used condition. I’ll post a complete list in the charity profile later this week, but here are some highlights. All of these things will be collected at Nerd Night on January 8th. If you have a large item or need to donate at another time, give the donation center a call at (210) 733-3536 and Mari will make arrangements.

Baby Items

8-oz. Baby Bottles
Bottle Brushes
Baby Shampoo & Lotion
Diapers: Large sizes, 4, 5 & 6
Pull-ups: Large sizes
Baby Wipes

——
Personal Hygiene

Hand Gel/Soap (full size)
Bat Gel/Soap (full size)
Shampoo & Conditioner (full size)
Toothpaste & Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Hair Brushes & Combs
African-American Hair Products

——
Linens & Bath

Full/Twin Sheets – White only
Blankets & Comforters – White only
Towels & Washcloths
Shower Curtains
Pillows

——
Clothing & Shoes

New children’s underwear (all sizes)
New women’s underwear (Size 6+)
Pajamas
Bras
Socks
House Slippers
School Uniforms (sizes 4-20)

January Nerd Night2016-11-25T10:59:40-06:00

Giving Tuesday: Virtual Food Drive!

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday Food Drive

This is the 4th year for Giving Tuesday, a day to highlight volunteering and charity donations on the day after “Cyber Monday.” In the last four years it has come to symbolize the beginning of the charitable season. I’m all for anything that encourages people to give back! Consider this my official Giving Tuesday post to encourage everyone to take a moment and visit our Virtual Food Drive to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

One of the only complaints I had at our November toy drive was that I didn’t have any way for people to donate using their credit cards. Luckily for me, the San Antonio Food Bank is on top of things and set me up with the virtual food drive for our December event! It’s a cute little flash-based shopping spree, where you drive your shopping cart down virtual shopping aisles and select food items by the case or dollar amounts to donate. It’s easy and fun, and is a secured option provided by the food bank for your peace of mind. No worries about handing over cash to some stranger at a game night!

Anyway. Those of you who can’t make it out to see us at Magic Beans, please consider clicking here and doing some virtual shopping to help feed the hungry and food insecure in Southwest Texas. The food drive will be active throughout the month of December. The food barrel will be at Magic Beans from December 4th – 14th, and December Nerd Night will be Friday, December 11th, starting at 6pm. Clean out those cupboards, put a few extra cans in your cart at the grocery store. Be a part of the solution! The Nerd Nighters and the San Antonio Food Bank thank you. 🙂

Giving Tuesday: Virtual Food Drive!2016-11-25T10:59:39-06:00

Charity Spotlight: The San Antonio Food Bank

For December, we highlight another charity close to my heart: The San Antonio Food Bank.

In 2012, I was laid off from a job and once my SNAP benefits expired, the food bank was my next stop. Time to pay it forward.

It’s impossible to overstate how much this organization relies on donations. It’s also impossible to overstate how desperately it is needed in Southwest Texas. Food insecurity, or not knowing where your next meal is coming from, is a rampant problem in our wealthy state. Some statistics:

  • One in five adults in Southwest Texas struggles with hunger.
  • One in four children is at risk of food insecurity.
  • Texas ranks 8th nationally in rate of food insecurity.
  • Each week, the San Antonio Food Bank assists 58,000 individuals in sixteen counties through their various programs.
  • 98% of all donated resources go directly to hunger relief.

Some of the San Antonio Food Bank’s programs include:

  • Kid’s Cafe: Neighborhood children can go to one of 28 Kids Cafe sites in the San Antonio area after school for a hot meal and homework help. 1,000 children visit these sites each day.
  • Project HOPE: Provides a 50-lb. bag of shelf-stable, supplemental food items to fixed-income seniors. 7,500 seniors every month are served by Project HOPE.
  • Nutrition Education: The San Antonio Food Bank deploys nearly a dozen bilingual nutrition educators into the San Antonio community every day to teach people how to shop for and prepare healthier meals.
  • Distribution: Mobile Food Pantries and Food Fairs allow the San Antonio Food Bank to distribute 1 million pounds of food weekly to difficult-to-reach individuals in the 16-county area (17,559 square miles) the food bank serves.

The San Antonio Food Bank distributes 50 million pounds of food every year. We’re trying to make a very small scratch on the surface of that with our food drive. A single shopping cart = 100 lbs, and we’re trying to fill three.

So dig into your pockets, go through those cupboards. Find some of these “twelve most wanted” non-perishables and bring them by Magic Beans, or just click here to go to our virtual food drive and make a cash donation. Every $1.00 donated provides seven meals to a hungry Texan.

12 Most Wanted Items:

Peanut Butter
Cereal
Tuna
Beans
Rice
Mac & Cheese
Chili
Canned Stews
Canned Soups
Canned Luncheon Meats
Full Means Can/Box
Pop Top Food Items

Join us in supporting the San Antonio Food Bank in the month of December. Donate food at Magic Beans Gaming Cafe from December 4th – December 14th, or donate online here. Mark your calendar for DECEMBER NERD NIGHT on Friday, December 11th starting at 6:00 PM.

Charity Spotlight: The San Antonio Food Bank2016-11-25T10:59:39-06:00
Go to Top