Young kids learn how to give back during Missoula Gives

For this year’s Missoula Gives , even the community’s youngest were involved in the celebration.

Children’s Hour at the Missoula Public Library was one of the first events for Missoula Gives 2024.

Young kids were able to learn about giving back and how nonprofits benefit their community.

Every kid who came to the event was able to place five tickets in one of six jars. Each jar corresponded with a category of a nonprofit.

Missoula Gives will choose a random nonprofit from each category on Friday to donate $100 plus whatever was raised at the Children’s Hour.

Parents could buy more tickets for their kids as a donation that Missoula Gives would match.

Polly, the bee mascot for Missoula Gives, was also at the event. There were snacks and local middle schoolers read books and gave the kids temporary tattoos.

“I think that it’s really important for little kids growing up in Missoula to know all of the different organizations that help people in Missoula,” June Wiltse, an eighth grade volunteer said.

The goal of the event was to teach the young Missoulians the importance of giving back to their community.

“Teaching kids early how to be generous and give back to their community creates engaged adults,” Marcy Allen, executive director for the Missoula Community Foundation said.