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Toy drive crowd

Springfield, Missouri · Est. 2023

GIVING SPRINGFIELD
KIDS A REAL SHOT.

A grassroots initiative built on one belief: sometimes changing a community starts with simply giving someone a chance.

As seen in Ozarks First Springfield Business Journal Yahoo News
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$12,500
Grants Distributed
in 2025
4,500
Meals Funded for
Springfield Kids
150+
Attendees at Our
Annual Event
4th
Year of Making
a Difference

What We Stand For

FOUR PILLARS.
ONE COMMUNITY.

01
📚

Education

Every Springfield kid deserves access to the knowledge, supplies, and resources that set them up to thrive — regardless of their zip code.

02
🤝

Food & Shelter

Supporting organizations that meet the most fundamental needs — because no child can focus on the future when today is a struggle.

03
🛡️

Safety

Standing for every child's physical, emotional, and psychological safety. Every kid deserves to feel secure and know they matter.

04
✊

Social Action

Mobilizing our community to act — because lasting change is built by neighbors showing up for neighbors, year after year.

Who We Are

SPRINGFIELD SHOWING UP
FOR SPRINGFIELD.

Stand 4 Springfield started with a simple belief: every young person deserves a chance to build a better future. Founded in 2023 by Steve Eiffert and Andy Drennen, what began as a toy drive has grown into a grassroots effort focused on helping young people overcome difficult circumstances, access opportunity, and change the trajectory of their lives.

We are entirely volunteer-led and donor-advised, which means every dollar raised goes directly back into the community to help support organizations that provide shelter, food, education, stability, and opportunity to young people who need it most.

Our 2025 event brought together more than 150 people, earned coverage from Ozarks First, Yahoo News, and the Springfield Business Journal, and distributed $12,500 in grants to seven local organizations.

Our goal isn't simply to meet today's needs. It's to help empower others to create a brighter tomorrow.

"We believe every kid in the 417 deserves a real shot. Not based on their circumstances, but based on their potential."

Steve Eiffert & Andy Drennen, Co-Founders
Steve Eiffert at event
Quinn at event
Live music at event

How We Show Up

WHAT WE DO

🎁

Annual Holiday Toy & Supply Drive

Our flagship event brings the Springfield community together every December to collect toys, shelter supplies, and essential goods — then distributes everything directly to local shelters and organizations serving kids in need.

Isabel's House Harmony House Youth Connect Crosslines
📚

Back to School Supply Drive

We collect school supplies to make sure Springfield kids have what they need to hit the ground running when school starts — delivered directly to Title 1 schools across the city.

Mark Twain Bingham Westport Fremont
🤝

Community Grants

Through our fund at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, we distribute cash grants to organizations tackling food insecurity, homelessness, and family crisis — putting money where it's needed most.

Isabel's House Harmony House Youth Connect Ozarks Food Harvest Gathering Friends The World Needs You

2025 Results

$12,500

DISTRIBUTED ACROSS
SPRINGFIELD.

Every dollar raised at our 2025 event went directly to organizations serving Springfield's most vulnerable families and kids. Here's where it went.

Harmony House check
Harmony House
$3,500
Safe nights of shelter for families escaping domestic violence
Isabel's House check
Isabel's House
$3,500
Safe sleep for children ages 0-12 in crisis
Youth Connect Center check
Youth Connect Center
$2,500
Warm nights indoors for homeless teens
Ozarks Food Harvest check
Ozarks Food Harvest
$1,500
4,500 weekend meals for kids who would otherwise go without
Gathering Friends check
Gathering Friends
$1,000
55 overnight beds & 22 work boots for men reentering the workforce
The World Needs You check
The World Needs You
$500
Tennis shoes for elementary kids in Title 1 schools
Green Christmas dress for Angel
Handwritten note for Angel

A Story That Says It All

ONE GREEN DRESS.

At Isabel's House, a 7-year-old girl named Angel had just checked in. She had a Christmas play coming up in two days and needed a dress to fit in with her friends. Green was her favorite color.

She felt so pretty and couldn't be happier.

This is why we do it. Not just the big checks, but the moments that remind us every child deserves to feel special, seen, and celebrated.

A handwritten note went with the dress. It read: "Merry Christmas sweet girl! I hope you love your Christmas outfit. We had so much fun picking out your dress. I hope you are excited for your play. You will be amazing."

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The People Behind It

CO-FOUNDED BY SPRINGFIELD LOCALS

Andy Drennen

Andy Drennen

Co-Founder

Andy Drennen's story began far from the world of wealth management. Raised in government-subsidized housing before spending part of his childhood in Paraguay, South America, as a missionary kid, he witnessed poverty and hardship at an early age. Those experiences shaped his belief in the power of opportunity and ignited a lifelong desire to help smooth the path for others.

Today, Andy is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and VP & Senior Portfolio Manager at Simmons Bank Private Wealth. He serves on the Springfield Art Museum Foundation Board, Community Foundation of the Ozarks Investment Advisory Board, and Drury University Breech School of Business Advisory Board, and is a columnist for the Springfield Business Journal. His commitment to Stand 4 Springfield is rooted in a simple belief: when we create opportunity for others, we strengthen the entire community.

Steve Eiffert

Steve Eiffert

Co-Founder

Steve Eiffert has spent his life bringing people together. After building and leading a successful marketing firm, he retired from business but not from making an impact. Today, he uses his talents, relationships, and love of music to support young people who have faced extraordinary circumstances as they work toward a better future.

Through years of serving meals, Steve noticed something that changed his perspective: he was often feeding the same people week after week. Helping someone through today matters, but Steve believes lasting change means breaking the cycle before it repeats. That belief drew him to partner with Andy and create Stand 4 Springfield. Their shared focus is on reaching young people early by giving them encouragement, opportunity, and a better chance to build a different future.