Dear friends and supporters of Crescent Montana,
We hope you and your families are doing well and staying safe this holiday season. 2020 has been a big year of growth and expansion for all of us at Crescent, and we are excited to share all that we have accomplished with you:
It goes without saying that our 2020 did not go as planned. Almost immediately after COVID-19 hit Montana, it became clear period poverty was on the rise. With remote learning and limited in-person school time, many students lost access to period products, worsening the impacts of the pandemic. Crescent’s mission has always been to address period poverty in all forms, so in April we created a COVID-19 relief effort that has provided nearly 3,000 free, mail-order period products to Montana students in need. It has been an honor to use our resources to help Montanans in this time of need.
In April, for the first time, Crescent participated in Give Big Gallatin Valley, an
annual fundraiser for non-profits in the Bozeman area. Like everyone, our team was all working remotely from lockdown, so we had no idea what to expect. When the 30th rolled around, to say we were blown away would be an understatement! Crescent was in the top fifty organizations for 2020, and we raised nearly $3,000 to help our efforts providing period products to schools! We feel so grateful to have the support of such a wonderful community. We genuinely could not do it without you and we can’t wait to participate in Give Big 2021!
In September, our schools program got an upgrade with new custom baskets and educational materials. We have already started to roll-out these updated baskets, and we hope to see them in schools across Montana very soon!
In October, we were proud to announce that Crescent Montana was awarded a seed grant from the Montana State University Office of Outreach and Engagement! This significant award will allow us to work in collaboration with the Central Montana Family Planning Clinic to partner with schools in central Montana to provide free period products and reproductive educational materials. Under this grant, our organization has already partnered with four schools in the Lewistown and Moore areas, and our expansion is ongoing!
Finally, in 2020 we were proud to welcome Thea Keene to our board of directors. Originally from Missoula, Montana, Thea is a senior studying studio arts at Montana State University. Thea is a longtime supporter of Crescent and the designer of our basket artwork and educational materials! Welcome, Thea!
As always, our work is ongoing and your support is invaluable. Under the CARES act, all US taxpayers are now eligible to deduct up to $300 in charitable contributions from their income taxes, even if they are not itemizing and taking a standard deduction. If you have not yet taken advantage of this opportunity, we would encourage you to find a charity to support before the year ends on December 31st. Our programs rely on the support of Montanans, and we would be grateful for any help you can give. Donations can be made online at crescentmt.org/donate!
None of this would be possible without your generous support. When we founded Crescent in the fall of 2018, none of us could have imagined we would find ourselves here today. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your commitment to our mission. Together, we hope to ensure that no Montana student must choose between their personal health needs and their right to an education. We can end period poverty in Montana!
From everyone at Crescent, take care and have a happy New Year! Sincerely, Jessica Brito, Abby Bernard, Dale Hansen, Thea Keene, and Owen Burroughs
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Contact the Crescent Montana team at contact@crescentmt.org
Follow our social media @CrescentMontana on Twitter and Instagram!
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