Groups working together

Jump to a partnership

How to use this page

This page is for two local organizations that could do more together. The Mission doesn't have to be one of them; we just help you get started.

Find your pair. The gray label on each card names the two kinds of organizations, like "A food pantry + a school." Or use "Jump to a partnership" above.
Read who does what. "The first group" is the first type in the label; "the second group" is the other.
Press "Start this partnership". Tell us which organization you'd like to work with. Not sure yet? Write "looking for a partner" and we'll help you find one.
Meet, then sign. Our Manager helps set up a first meeting. When you agree, your two organizations sign a short agreement online. The Mission helps; it doesn't sign.

Not sure this is the right page? See all the ways to work with us

Where we need more helpUse this to see what help Grant County is missing, and offer to fill a gap. Partner with the MissionFor nonprofits and public agencies (hospitals, clinics, courts, schools) that serve the same people we do. Businesses, churches and neighborsFor businesses, churches and clubs, and for giving goods like extra stock or clothing. Groups working togetherIdeas for two other organizations to team up. The Mission helps start it. Letters of supportNeed a grant letter from the Mission, or want to write one for us. Grant Partnership BoardFind partners for your own grant, or offer to help another group's.

A food pantry + Another food pantry

Weekend pantry rotation

What the first group does: Open on the first and third Saturday of the month
What the second group does: Open on the second and fourth Saturday of the month
What both gain: Food is available every weekend without any one pantry burning out

Helps fill a gap: Food on weekends

Start this partnership

A restaurant or grocery store + A food pantry or soup kitchen

Food rescue

What the first group does: Set aside safe surplus food on a schedule
What the second group does: Pick it up on time and serve or hand it out quickly
What both gain: Less waste; more people fed

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A records or motor vehicle office + A shelter or re-entry program

ID clinic day

What the first group does: Send staff for a half-day to process ID and records requests
What the second group does: Gather people and papers ahead of time and host the day
What both gain: People get the ID they need for jobs, housing and benefits

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A legal aid group + A re-entry or recovery program

Record-clearing clinics

What the first group does: Hold clinics for record clearing, fines and licenses
What the second group does: Bring participants with papers ready
What both gain: Barriers to work and housing removed

Helps fill a gap: A walk-in public defender office

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An animal shelter or rescue + A homeless shelter or treatment program

Short-term pet fostering

What the first group does: Foster pets for up to 30 days
What the second group does: Refer owners and keep in touch so pets go home
What both gain: People accept shelter or treatment without losing their pets

Helps fill a gap: Shelter that keeps couples, pets and families together

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A transit or ride program + A health clinic

Rides that match appointments

What the first group does: Adjust or add rides to match clinic hours
What the second group does: Schedule appointments around ride times and share the schedule
What both gain: Fewer missed appointments

Helps fill a gap: Rides to the doctor, on weekends and from rural areas

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A volunteer center + Small nonprofits and churches

A shared volunteer pool

What the first group does: List shifts and handle sign-ups and background checks
What the second group does: Post needs and train volunteers on site
What both gain: More volunteers, less paperwork for everyone

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A senior center + A youth program or school club

Generations together

What the first group does: Host young people for visits, games and tech help
What the second group does: Bring students on a regular schedule
What both gain: Seniors less lonely; students gain service hours

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A church or civic hall + A shelter or volunteer group

Hall as a warming center

What the first group does: Open the hall on dangerous weather days
What the second group does: Staff it with trained volunteers and bring cots
What both gain: No one is left outside in dangerous weather

Helps fill a gap: Warming centers that last, and cool places on hot days

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A behavioral health provider + A police or sheriff's department

Counselor rides along

What the first group does: Have a counselor available for crisis calls
What the second group does: Call the counselor in for mental health calls
What both gain: Fewer arrests and ER visits for people in crisis

Helps fill a gap: 24/7 mobile crisis help

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A Head Start or early childhood program + A clothing closet or pantry

Family bundles

What the first group does: Tell families about the bundles and share sizes
What the second group does: Put together clothing and food bundles for families
What both gain: Young children have what they need

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A college nursing or dental program + A free or sliding-scale clinic

Students in clinics

What the first group does: Place students and supervisors at the clinic
What the second group does: Provide patients, space and on-site training
What both gain: More appointments; students learn

Helps fill a gap: Dental care and glasses

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A free tax help (VITA) program + A food pantry or library

Tax help where people already are

What the first group does: Bring trained volunteers during tax season
What the second group does: Host the tables and spread the word
What both gain: Families get refunds and credits they earned

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A recovery program + An employer

Recovery to work

What the first group does: Refer participants who are ready to work
What the second group does: Interview them and offer a steady start
What both gain: People stay in recovery; employers find good workers

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A school or club + A clothing closet or shelter

A shared winter coat drive

What the first group does: Collect coats in October
What the second group does: Sort and hand them out in November
What both gain: Every child and adult has a coat

Helps fill a gap: Warming centers that last, and cool places on hot days

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A community garden or school garden + A food pantry or soup kitchen

Garden to pantry

What the first group does: Grow a row for the pantry
What the second group does: Pick up weekly in season and serve it
What both gain: Fresh food for families; students learn

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A public library + A benefits or records office

Library ID and benefits days

What the first group does: Host the day and computers
What the second group does: Send staff to help with applications
What both gain: More people get the help they qualify for

Helps fill a gap: Help applying for SSI and disability

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A veterinarian + An animal shelter or rescue

Vet care day

What the first group does: Give the care
What the second group does: Organize, bring supplies and do sign-ups
What both gain: Pets of people in need stay healthy

Helps fill a gap: Shelter that keeps couples, pets and families together

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A jail or probation office + A church or mentoring group

Re-entry welcome

What the first group does: Tell people about mentors before release
What the second group does: Meet people on release day with a meal and a ride
What both gain: Fewer people return to jail

Helps fill a gap: Help on the day people leave jail

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A restaurant with a kitchen + A volunteer group or senior center

Senior meal delivery

What the first group does: Cook a few extra senior meals on set days
What the second group does: Deliver them and check on each senior
What both gain: Older neighbors fed and visited

Helps fill a gap: Senior meal delivery and senior help

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A dentist + A school-based or free clinic

Dental day

What the first group does: Give a day of free care a year
What the second group does: Find patients, schedule and handle follow-up
What both gain: Tooth pain relieved for people who could not pay

Helps fill a gap: Dental care and glasses

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A restaurant + A church or civic club

Holiday meal together

What the first group does: Cook the holiday meal
What the second group does: Serve it and invite neighbors who would eat alone
What both gain: No one eats alone on a holiday

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A workforce center + Employers willing to hire

Job fair for second chances

What the first group does: Organize the fair and screen job seekers
What the second group does: Come ready to interview and hire
What both gain: Jobs filled; people working again

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A school or club + A clinic or shelter

Hygiene kit assembly day

What the first group does: Collect supplies and pack kits
What the second group does: Give out the kits where they're needed most
What both gain: Dignity for neighbors; service for students

Helps fill a gap: Diapers, and hygiene supplies that don't run out

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A law office or legal aid group + A public library

Legal help at the library

What the first group does: Give free legal consultations
What the second group does: Host the hours and handle sign-ups
What both gain: Legal problems solved early

Helps fill a gap: A walk-in public defender office

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A transportation provider + A recovery program or treatment center

Rides to treatment

What the first group does: Provide the ride
What the second group does: Hold the bed and schedule the intake
What both gain: People reach treatment while they're ready

Helps fill a gap: Detox beds close to home

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A bank or credit union + A shelter or case management program

Safe storage for papers

What the first group does: Store copies of IDs and papers safely (digital or a small box)
What the second group does: Help people gather and keep their papers
What both gain: No more starting over when papers are lost

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A senior center or adult day program + A church or volunteer group

Respite for caregivers

What the first group does: Provide a safe place and activities
What the second group does: Provide volunteers and spread the word
What both gain: Caregivers get a break; seniors stay safe

Helps fill a gap: Senior meal delivery and senior help

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A school + A food pantry or church

Weekend backpacks for kids

What the first group does: Identify children who go hungry on weekends
What the second group does: Pack and send food home each Friday
What both gain: Children eat on weekends

Helps fill a gap: Food on weekends

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A church + Other churches and civic groups

Weekend meal rotation

What the first group does: Take one weekend a month to serve a hot meal
What the second group does: Take the other weekends, so there's a meal every Saturday and Sunday
What both gain: No weekend without a meal; no group carries it alone

Helps fill a gap: Food on weekends

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A bus or transit company + Churches and civic clubs

A shared fund for bus tickets home

What the first group does: Sell tickets at a discount and hold seats for referrals
What the second group does: Pool money for tickets and confirm someone is waiting at the other end
What both gain: People get home to family; buses fill empty seats

Helps fill a gap: Bus tickets home

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A storage company or business with space + A street outreach program or shelter

Lockers for belongings

What the first group does: Provide a few lockers or a storage unit at low or no cost
What the second group does: Assign the lockers, keep the keys log and check in with users
What both gain: People can go to work and appointments without carrying everything

Helps fill a gap: Lockers, haircuts and more shower days

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A beauty or barber school + A shelter or community center

Haircut training days

What the first group does: Bring students to give free haircuts as part of their training
What the second group does: Host the day and sign people up
What both gain: Students get practice hours; neighbors look and feel ready

Helps fill a gap: Lockers, haircuts and more shower days

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A public library or community center + An emergency management office

Cool rooms on hot days

What the first group does: Keep a cool room open longer on dangerous heat days
What the second group does: Announce the heat alerts and send people there
What both gain: Fewer heat illnesses; people know where to go

Helps fill a gap: Warming centers that last, and cool places on hot days

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A motel + Churches and civic clubs

A motel room fund

What the first group does: Offer a low nightly rate for emergency stays
What the second group does: Pool money and decide together who gets a room
What both gain: Rooms filled in slow seasons; families off the street on the worst nights

Helps fill a gap: Shelter that keeps couples, pets and families together

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A high school building class or trade program + A senior center or home health agency

Ramps and repairs for seniors

What the first group does: Build ramps, grab bars and small repairs as class projects
What the second group does: Find the seniors who need them and arrange the visits
What both gain: Students learn the trade; seniors stay in their homes

Helps fill a gap: Home repairs that keep people housed

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A hospital + A motel, shelter or church with rooms

A place to heal after the hospital

What the first group does: Pay for or arrange a few days of recovery stay, with nurse visits
What the second group does: Provide a clean, quiet room and check in daily
What both gain: Fewer people sent back to the street sick; fewer readmissions

Helps fill a gap: A place to heal after the hospital

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A farmers market + A SNAP or nutrition program

Double the food dollars

What the first group does: Accept SNAP and match it with extra fruit and vegetable dollars
What the second group does: Spread the word and help people sign up for SNAP
What both gain: More customers for farmers; fresh food for families

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An employer + A transit or ride program

Rides to a new job

What the first group does: Help pay for the first month of rides for new hires
What the second group does: Set a route or a ride share that matches work hours
What both gain: New hires show up and keep their jobs

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A tribal office + A health clinic or hospital

Native neighbor navigation

What the first group does: Help members with tribal benefits and IHS paperwork
What the second group does: Name a contact person and hold a clinic day for tribal members
What both gain: Native neighbors get care and benefits they're owed

Helps fill a gap: Help for Native American neighbors

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A pharmacy or public health office + A street outreach or recovery program

Naloxone in every pocket

What the first group does: Supply naloxone (Narcan) and train people to use it
What the second group does: Hand it out to people who use drugs and the people around them
What both gain: Fewer overdose deaths

Helps fill a gap: Detox beds close to home

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A counseling or hospice program + A church or civic group

Grief and support groups in church halls

What the first group does: Lead a free support group for grief, addiction or caregivers
What the second group does: Provide the room, coffee and a friendly welcome
What both gain: More people get support close to home

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Churches and civic clubs + A housing or community action agency

A shared deposit and move-in fund

What the first group does: Put money into one shared fund each year
What the second group does: Check each request, pay landlords directly, and report back on every household helped
What both gain: People move inside faster, and givers see exactly where each dollar went

Helps fill a gap: Money for deposits, back rent and move-in

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A large employer + A child care center

Child care for early shifts

What the first group does: Help pay for a few infant and toddler spots, including early-morning hours
What the second group does: Hold the spots for workers' children and open earlier
What both gain: Parents can take and keep jobs, and employers keep their workers

Helps fill a gap: Child care for babies and toddlers

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Have your own idea for two groups working together? Tell us about it.