In this giving season, we asked a handful of area nonprofits for their wish lists. The only caveat? No wishes for cash allowed.

Born To Read
Born to Read is a project of the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight, focused on literacy awareness. The effort grew from poor reading levels among Michigan’s children – with a mission of encouraging families to read to their children every day, from the day they are born (and even before). It starts with delivering a book to every baby born at Munson Medical Center, but the reading engagement grows through partners including the Traverse Area District Library and Great Start. In 2016, it started its Born to Read ambassador program, in which trained volunteers visit parents and young children in baby pantries, neighborhood centers, and laundromats to read with children and talk to parents about the impact daily reading can have on future success.

Less than $100: Supply the children attending Migrant Head Start with one week's worth of books. One time per week, a Born to Read ambassador distributes a book to each child. There are approximately 20 children.
Less than $500: Supply the children attending Migrant Head Start with one month's worth of books. This would be approximately 80 books.
Sky’s the limit: Supply all the expectant/new parents at Munson with the two books Born to Read provides for a full year. With approximately 1,800 births per year, this would be 3,600 books.

Want to grant a wish? Email rotaryborntoread@gmail.com.

The Botanic Garden At Historic Barns Park
Located on the grounds of the Historic Barns Park, The Botanic Garden is a year-round sanctuary of environmental preservation, recreation, and education. Its 25 acres nurture the soul, enliven local history, and promote Michigan’s natural beauty. With an emphasis on plant species native to northwest Michigan, it creates and enhances habitats for various forms of wildlife. As a place of refreshment and solace, The Botanic Garden’s unique and original design strives to inform and inspire.

Less than $100: Replacement materials for its Garden Explorer backpack program. Garden Explorer backpacks are checked out for the day free by parents and/or caregivers to use while they explore the garden and park with children. Items included are children’s garden and nature books, a bird identification guide and binoculars, a mini microscope, magnifying lenses, a pictorial garden scavenger hunt, directions to build a fairy house with natural materials, equipment for leaf and bark rubbings, and more.
Less than $500: Supplies for the volunteer gardeners. Supplies needed include a variety of garden tools, gloves, sunscreen, and more. The Garden Volunteers help make it possible for guests to experience firsthand the belief of Dr. James D. Munson that “beauty is therapy.”
Sky’s the limit: Restoration of the 1915 Wagon House as an educational center for the Garden. Environmental sustainability is a guiding principle of The Botanic Garden. The more than 100-year-old Wagon House is next on the restoration project list. The Botanic Garden looks forward to offering the community another beautiful space to learn in that it exemplifies the mission of preserving the past while growing toward the future.

Want to grant a wish? Email grow@thebotanicgarden.org.

Grow Benzie
Ten years ago, Grow Benzie revitalized an abandoned, four-acre commercial nursery into a thriving community center that now includes a 3,000 square-foot event hall, 1,500 square-foot commercial kitchen, 3,200 square-foot office studio, community gardens, edible trails, and mini-golf. Through the summer there is a weekly farmers market, culinary demonstrations, food preserving and gardening classes, and make-and-take workshops in the MakerSpace. Fall and winter activities include after-school youth programs, weekly potluck discussions, and farming and entrepreneur classes. Grow Benzie's mission is to foster positive activity that increases access to healthful foods, jobs, life skills, and provides a space that nurtures this activity.

Less than $100: Local and healthy ingredients for kids in the after-school program to make dinner for their group. At the end of the day, all sit around a giant supper table sharing a meal they cooked, along with "rose-and-thorn" stories from the day.
Less than $500: Eight-foot folding plastic tables to replace the 20+ year-old, donated, laminated wood tables.
Sky's the limit: Pay the last of the mortgage and have your name on the building or purchase adjacent property. One acre buys farmable land and allows for expansion of the incubator program helping more women, veterans, disabled and minority farmers. Investing in the developed, empty lots adjacent to Grow Benzie would provide a place for local youth trades program to build tiny houses and offer affordable workforce housing (the staff alone could fill four units).

Want to grant a wish? Call director Josh Stoltz at 231-640-0200.

Meals On Wheels Of Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency
Meals on Wheels of NMCAA – “So Much More Than a Meal” – improves the health and quality of life of vulnerable homebound seniors by delivering vital nutrition, compassionate visits and safety checks, enabling these seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity.

“In order to help her maintain independence and stay in her home, my mom started with the Meals on Wheels program,” says Candace, whose mother Carol received meals through the program. “Meals on Wheels was more than just a meal for her, it was companionship, a friend, someone to talk with. One day, my mom’s Meals on Wheels driver called to say my mom wasn’t answering the door and he was concerned. He waited for me to arrive and made sure we were OK. My mom was very sick. If the Meals on Wheels driver hadn’t called me, we would not have had the chance to say our goodbyes. We were so thankful for the compassion he showed.”

Less than $100: Adopt-a-Route – Sponsor meals for seniors for a day on an in-town route. Volunteer to drive one day per week.
Less than $500: Adopt-A-Route – Sponsor meals for seniors for a day on a rural route. Meal transporter boxes and thermal bags.
Sky’s the limit: Adopt our whole program.

Want to grant a wish? Contact Robin Flannery at rflannery@nmcaa.net.

Traverse City Music Boosters
Nearly 500 band, choir, orchestra and general music students, spanning grades five through 12, were honored to perform on stage at the DeVos Performance Hall for the opening of the 2017 Michigan Music Conference. The Traverse City Music Boosters, Inc. supports all music students and teachers in the Traverse City Area Public Schools. Each year it awards music classroom mini-grants to K-12 teachers for music classroom enhancements. It also provides annual student music scholarships to current music students in grades 7-11 through an audition process.

Less than $100: Sponsor a TCAPS band, choir, or orchestra student for four private music lessons.
Less than $500: Sponsor a TCAPS band, choir, or orchestra student to attend summer music camp at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp or Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Sky’s the limit: Purchase much-needed new marching band uniforms for students at Central High School and West Senior High.

Want to grant a wish? Contact Kevin Smiley at TCMusicBoostersINC@gmail.com.