HELENA — On Thursday morning, the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce dropped off multiple items including paint brushes, paper, and bubble wrap to the Holter Museum of Art. This was all part of the event known as Leap of Kindness Day says Callie Aschim, President/CEO of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce.
“I think that as Helena grows supporting these nonprofits who do a lot of the service work in our community is so important. And that partnership between business and nonprofits really sets the tone for who Helena is. And we have such a generous community who support our nonprofits, so we want to make sure that we're celebrating that as well,” says Aschim.
Every four years, February 29 or Leap Day comes around. Chamber of Commerce organizations throughout the country use this day to celebrate Leap of Kindness Day. The event is intended to support local non-profits. This is the second time that the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce has participated.
The chamber posted over a dozen different Helena area non-profits on their website, each with a list of items they need. The chamber partners with businesses that then support these non-profits, providing the non-profits with desired items.
Christina Barbachano, Executive Director of the Holter Museum of Art, says that donations make a huge difference to their organization.
“Every little bit helps. Everything we don't have to use our funds for it helps pay our salaries, keeps the lights on, and pays for all of the teachers that come and teach and make art with our kids,” says Barbachano.
And for those who may not have known about the event on the day of, the chamber is going to keep the non-profits and items listed on their website for a while.
“You know, we want kindness to spread throughout the year, so don't just let it happen today. We'll leave that list up. It'll be up for the next week or two,” says Aschim.
