KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One small business brings joy and help to local charities during the holiday season with their annual Giving Tuesdays.
Casey and Sloane Simmons own A Store Named Stuff in the Brookside neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri.
"We call ourselves "The Home Gift and Art Store," said Casey Simmons. "What that means is we basically work with artists, creative makers, and mom-and-pop companies who make amazing things for your home, for gifts, for yourself, in every category."
For nearly three decades, the sisters have been serving the community.
Four years ago, they started a holiday program that impacts the city.
"Giving Tuesdays became a reality because, before COVID, we did charity parties in the evenings, and kind of each charity could book a night," said Casey Simmons.
They realized the impact of their efforts and now 15% of each purchase at the store is given to five local charities every Tuesday from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.
“Giving is on multiple levels," Sloane Simmons said. "If you give, you also receive, and so I think what is the best thing that we can do at our business is to not only to give, but then to receive. Just the goodwill in our hearts that is just instantly fulfilled by knowing that we have done the very best that we can every day to make people happy."
One of the charities the sisters support is Jackson County CASA, an organization helping kids and teens going through the foster care system.
“They are true champions of Kansas City," said Angie Blumel, president of CASA. "The fact that they have selected Jackson County CASA to be one of their partners for their season of giving, their Giving Tuesdays, it means a lot.”
The donations help CASA continue their mission to meet a growing need in the city.
"We'll take that money and make sure that we're meeting the emergency needs of our kids around the holidays, like anything that they might need, a coat, you know, gloves, gifts for the holidays, just to make sure that they're feeling cared for during this time," Blumel said.
Those efforts also give back to the sisters.
“It means everything to us," Casey Simmons said. "I get emotional when I talk about this because many of these organizations we have experienced their services ourselves. It makes me feel incredible to be able to give back to a community that's given so much to me, or to us, or to our business.”
There are two Giving Tuesdays left this season.
Online purchases also help fund their efforts.
Here is a link to their website.
KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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