'Oprah's Big Give' benefits Yuma

"Oprah's Big Give" is teaming up with local ABC stations to give thousands to charities around the country, and three Yuma organizations are benefiting.

Amberly's Place, Crossroads Mission and the MOMS Club of Yuma West each received $2,000 through the Oprah Winfrey charity giveaway show, the local ABC Channel 5 affiliate announced Thursday.

The money is being given out in a partnership of the local affiliate and the national TV production of "Oprah's Big Give."

Then of those three, the organization that uses the $2,000 to raise the most money and comes up with the best local action plan within the next two weeks will receive $4,000.

The winner will be announced April 16.

The Yuma charities were selected by ABC-5 officials from about 25 regional submissions. Each proposal had to outline how that organization would use $2,000 to make an impact.

"We based it a lot on the format of 'Oprah's Big Give,'" said Deborah Weekes, a representative of the local ABC affiliate. "They gave us the idea of how they could make $2,000 grow and make an impact for their organization."

Amberly's, a nonprofit agency that provides help to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, was nominated by one of its volunteers, Katarina Olea. She said they'd put the $2,000 toward seeking further donations and putting together benefit concerts and drives.

Amberly's executive director Diane Umphress said that when Olea first told her they'd been picked, she was surprised.

"I didn't believe her at first. I just kept going, are you sure? Are you really sure?"

For Amberly's, this donation comes at a crucial time. Umphress said they are facing funding cuts from the federal government next year and will need every dollar they can get to make up for that.

Umphress said in July, at the beginning of the 2008-2009 fiscal year, they expect a 10 percent reduction in the money they receive through the federal Victims of Crime Act.

The Yuma nonprofits will probably not be featured on the TV show itself, Weekes said, but each of the three local winners will have a chance to earn more money.

Myra Garlit, executive director of Crossroads Mission, said the money they get from this will go toward their kitchen remodeling project. She added that she saw this as an opportunity for the three agencies to work together and to push each other to come up with unique fundraising ideas on their own.

"We want to do things together to help each other out. I think we have some good plans but we've got to really hit it hard in the next two weeks," Garlit said.

"Oprah's Big Give" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Time-Warner cable Channel 5 or digital Channel 9.2.



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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at
sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.