University Baptist & Brethren Church
Connecting to God, to each other, and to the world
Alternative Christmas Fair Charities
We're excited to announce our 43rd annual Alternative Christmas Fair, which will be held on Sunday December 7, 2025, from 10:30 am to 2 pm in the Fellowship Hall and Fireside Room. There will be 32 charities, three of which are new this year! The online opportunity to donate will be open from Sunday November 30 through Sunday December 21. We're looking forward to a great season of giving!
Centre County PAWS is committed to finding forever homes for cats and dogs. Our mission is to promote Animal Welfare and Safety with compassion through adoption, sheltering, education and community assistance. By building a compassionate Centre Region where animals thrive, PAWS will lead the way by serving as a premier resource for companion animals and their caregivers.
Centre Helps is the first line of defense for our neighbors in crisis, answering 988 calls for suicide prevention and providing critical aid to prevent evictions and utility shut-offs. No matter what the crisis is, our well-trained, compassionate team is ready to help around the clock through our hotline, text and chat lines, basic needs case managers., and community collaborations. Our goal is to empower those we serve by providing emotional support in the transition from crisis to stability.
The mission of Centre LGBT+ is to bring the community together through LGBT+ education, advocacy, and activities in the Centre region. Offering a wide variety of support and resources at the center located downtown which offers an LGBT+ library, gender affirming closet, a welcoming lobby with free coffee/tea/cocoa, free wifi, resources, and more. Please visit our website for more of what we do and how we support the LGBT+ community that we serve!
Since 1994, CentrePeace has been more than a workplace—it’s a place of hope and second chances for Centre County inmates. Here, individuals learn to repair and restore electronics and furniture, build life skills, and discover new ways to resolve conflict. Every day, CentrePeace transforms not only furniture but lives, helping people find purpose and dignity. Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. In 2024 alone, CentrePeace kept over 145 tons of usable furniture and household items out of the landfill. Every purchase from our store directly supports fourteen vital programs for returning citizens, helping them rebuild their futures and strengthen our community. At CentrePeace, every piece tells a story—and every person matters.
Centre Safe's mission is to empower survivors of sexual violence, dating and domestic violence, and stalking, and to work toward the elimination of such violence. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, Centre Safe provides critical services including emergency shelter and housing, counseling, advocacy, hospital and court accompaniment, 24-7 hotline, outreach and education, no-cost legal services, and also supervised visitation and safe custody exchange through its Child Access Center.
Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) is Centre County’s only free clinic, providing medical, dental, behavioral health, case management, and medication assistance services to nearly 1,100 uninsured and underinsured residents annually. Founded in 2003, CVIM operates in a modern clinic in State College, PA, using a volunteer-driven model sustained by community donations, fundraising events, and grants. Our mission is to serve and advocate for the medically underserved, improving health equity and reducing disparities. Over 325 CVIM volunteers contributed over 13,500 hours of service in fiscal year 2024, working alongside a small full-time staff to deliver nearly $3.7 million in healthcare value.
Centre Wildlife Care is dedicated to the professional care of injured, orphaned, and compromised wild animals, with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. CWC is a volunteer-based organization that operates only on donations. A staff of over 80 volunteers and interns provide care to 2,000 wild animals per year from over 1/3 of PA, everything from bunnies to bald eagles. In addition, CWC provides educational outreach to the community. CWC also collaborates with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Wildlife Futures, and Penn State University to collect samples for disease monitoring and research. Over the years, CWC has grown significantly, becoming a vital part of the community.
Go Reentry Specialists exists to serve those leaving incarceration and returning to their communities. They work with local prisons as well as organizations that help those leaving incarceration. Go Reentry is a faith-based, non-profit organization that specifically helps individuals in Centre, Clearfield, Mifflin, Cambria, Jefferson and Elk counties.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County (HFHGCC) is one of over 1,000 independent affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International. To date, HFHGCC has served nearly 130 families by building, renovating or repairing homes in Centre County. Homeowners give 350 hours of sweat equity and pay a mortgage, real estate taxes and homeowners insurance. Our repairs program was launched in 2023 and has served almost fifty households in that time. Currently HFHGCC has the first 3D printed home in Pennsylvania under construction in Boalsburg. .
The mission of Heifer International is to end hunger and poverty in 21 countries, beginning with a seed investment of livestock or agriculture, followed by mentorship to help project participants build a business and ultimately to gain access to supply chains and markets. By supporting and training the world’s farmers, ranchers, and female business owners, Heifer International enables them to earn a living income and continuously lift up their communities as they train the next generation of leaders.
Hope International Services has provided integrated health care, education, environmental, and outreach services to needy children and families in the U.S. and the disadvantaged population in EL Salvador for 27 years. Their services include medical clinics, food and clothing donations, nutritional health education to pregnant and breastfeeding moms, and water filters to impoverished villages, orphanages, and prisons.
Housing Transitions has been providing shelter and guidance to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in Centre County since 1984. Services include the Centre House Homeless Shelter, open 24/7; Permanent Supportive Housing for those who have experienced chronic homelessness; and Rapid Rehousing to provide a period of rental assistance and case management following homelessness.
11% of Centre County adults read below a third-grade level. The Mid-State Literacy Council (MSLC) equips people with the skills needed to connect and communicate with others and succeed in the workplace. With the help of 200+ trained volunteers, MSLC provides essential instruction in reading, writing, math, computer skills, English, and health literacy.
Out of the Cold is a low barrier homeless shelter at 318 South Atherton Street, State College. Our day shelter is open from 8 am to 8 pm to anyone experiencing housing insecurities and our night shelter is open from 8 pm to 8 am for guests who need shelter. While at the shelter guests are provided with warm meals, clothing, shelter and supportive services from our case managers.
Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light is working to cultivate a religious response to the threat of climate change. We see climate change as a moral issue, one that demands a response from people of faith. We work to protect the earth’s ecosystems, safeguard the health of all Creation, and ensure a just transition to sustainable futures for all. We do this through education, sustained advocacy, and fostering environmental stewardship. We have a track record of tangible results including distributing 200,000+ native trees through our activated volunteer network, helping congregations and communities become energy and watershed stewards, supporting thousands of people in sharing their stories to inspire change, and connecting the dots between people’s values and practice to conservation, community resilience, and climate justice.
For more than 230 years, the PA Prison Society, Centre County Chapter has advocated for humane prisons and a rational approach to criminal justice. The Centre County Chapter has been active since the 1970s and serves over 4,800 inmates and their families in Centre County. Volunteers provide one-on-one visits, special programs, and re-entry services that bring hope to people during their incarceration and support upon release.
The Park Forest Preschool is a nonprofit, state licensed program providing 100% scholarship-funded, high quality preschool programming for low income, qualifying families who reside in Centre County. We provide a diverse and nurturing environment, which includes a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day. Our program offers resources for children and families and prepares children for educational success by promoting cognitive, social-emotional and physical growth.
RISE (Reading IS Enlightening) is a 5-year effort to ensure that Centre County elementary schools have access to high-quality children’s books that portray individual differences and encourage respect and understanding of those differences. RISE donates children’s books to Centre County elementary school libraries and preschools. A student reward program encourages students to read books in diversity categories, and grants are available to elementary educators for diversity curriculum resources.
Ridgelines provides expert language arts education to those who are impacted by stigma and injustice in the ridges and valleys of Central Pennsylvania. We teach language arts—from poetry and creative writing to songwriting and storytelling—in settings outside of academic institutions. Our programs serve low-income older adults, survivors of domestic violence, residents of our region's youth detention center and women’s state prison, rural and low-income youth, rural LGBTQA+ teens, and more. Through in-depth workshops, participants gain ways to explore their voices and their stories, exercise creative agency, and advocate for personal wellbeing and social change.
State College Community Land Trust helps local families put down roots by creating affordable homes that stay affordable for generations. This holiday season, your gift gives the joy and security of home—and builds a stronger, more inclusive, and vibrant State College community.
The State College Food Bank has provided services to clients since 1982. Their mission is to provide food security, directly or indirectly, to everyone at risk in Centre County. Our primary focus is to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food for anyone who is in need of our support and assistance.
State College Area Meals on Wheels prepares and delivers meals to people who are elderly or disabled and homebound and who are living in the State College Area School District. During COVID their services evolved to include delivery of groceries and fresh local produce as well as meals from local caterers and restaurants. Their services help our neighbors to live healthy lives in their own homes.
​Ten Thousand Villages State College is a local non-profit with a global vision. Ten Thousand Villages’ ethical artisan investment model puts the maker first, empowering artisans via a commitment to fair wage pricing, interest-free microfinance investments, strong partnerships, and full payment before export.
TWNM (Think We not Me) Community Food Growing Program uses all-volunteer labor to plant, harvest, package and deliver fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2025 we provided over 65,000 lbs. of produce at no cost to food banks, community food pantries and charity meal distribution programs that provide fresh produce to needy children, veterans, seniors, students and food insecure families in Centre County!
The Youth Service Bureau was created in 1968 to ensure that children, youth, and families have opportunities to realize and fulfill their potential. Although YSB’s basic mission has remained the same for over five decades, their services have evolved and grown as they continually assess needs among local youth and look for creative, evidence-based ways of meeting those needs.