When Barry County residents see a problem charity can solve, they jump into action. Putting our stories and pages together, I have a front row seat to all the good we can do for one another.

An earlier example of a charity campaign done right was the Little Joe Transplant Fund, which raised $250,000 for 6-year-old Joe Starchman’s heart-lung transplant. That fund had now been converted to a trust, supplying four $2,000 scholarships annually, via the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, to graduates from Barry County schools.

Frequently within our pages, we print photos of other donations in lesser amounts, but not lesser impact. The Exeter and Southwest volleyball teams, for example, held Grey Out and Pink Out nights at games this year and donated funds raised to students in their districts facing long-term health challenges.

There are copious examples of donations and people giving money for good in our community, and a larger effort to provide unique assistance for those in need is underway.

With federal funding cuts leading to the September closure of the Barry County Neighborhood Center, facilitated by the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation, there was potential for a tremendous hole in the amount and types of services offered locally.

However, Carrie Beck, former family resource specialist at the Center, was undeterred. Set on continuing unique services at the Center like its clothing room, food pantry, Share Your Christmas facilitation and other offerings, Beck got to work.

Living on unemployment, Beck rallied supporters and formed a new organization called the Generations Project, aimed at keeping all those services that would go by the wayside. The organization is operating currently under the umbrella of another non-profit and is seeking to establish its own 501c3.

It also has moved into the old Barry County jail, as JD Hunter purchased the facility and is acting as landlord, charging the cost of the mortgage as the rent. The building recently received a new moniker, the Andey Hunter Community Resource Center, dedicated to the memory of JD Hunter’s cousin who was stabbed to death in Cassville in June 2023.

While renovations and work days are ongoing to transform the facility from a jail to a resource center, the Generations Project opened its doors to the public on Oct. 27. On that day, in its infancy, the Project impacted 14 households, spanning four generations, through three separate programs.

It was a bright start to an even brighter future for the organization that will no doubt do an incredible amount of good for our friends and neighbors.

The Generations Project is crafting its own fundraisers and seeking grants to reach sustainability, and given the uncertainty of the SNAP program amid the government shutdown, we wanted to help, too.

On Nov. 22, the Troutman Foundation, established in 2024 to support local non-profits, will host the inaugural Barry County Bake Off and Dessert Benefit Auction at the Crowder Community Building in Cassville.

Sheila Harris, our sales executive and reporter, pitched the idea initially as a pie social and auction, and it has taken on a life of its own. The event is now a pie and cake contest, with all creations to be live auctioned by Cassville Auctioneer Donnie Stumpff, and will include a catered meal at a low cost, live music entertainment, a guest speaker and a silent auction.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Generations Project and the Cassville Pantry, with all funds aimed at lessening food insecurity in Barry County.

This is where you come in. To have community support, we have to have community. So far, we have 131 total responses on our Facebook event page, and given the uncertainty of expectations when launching a new event, we are thrilled with that number — and we hope it grows.

Whether you’re wearing pink at a volleyball game and donating $5, donating your time to a non-profit through volunteerism, or in a few weeks bidding on a scrumptious looking pie, any charity on the local level is good charity and is needed.

For more information on the Barry County Bake Off and Dessert Benefit Auction, visit https:// tinyurl.com/46r7pcv3. To volunteer or donate to the Generations Project, people may contact Beck at 417342-9612 or cbeck@genproj.org.

The spirit of giving is in the air. Let’s show our friends and neighbors how much they mean to us!

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023.

He is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner.

He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.