Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that the freewill offering taken at the conclusion of the Jan. 9 Governor’s Prayer Breakfast raised $4,354 for The Samaritan Center in Jefferson City. The Prayer Breakfast offerings, which began in 2010, have raised $15,739 total for the center, an interfaith social service agency that has worked to meet the emergency and crisis needs of mid-Missourians since 1987. Marylyn DeFeo is the founder and volunteer executive director of the center.

The amount is in addition to the thousands of dollars from the breakfast that benefit the Governor’s Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values. The entire Prayer Breakfast program, which featured Convoy of Hope founder Hal Donaldson as the keynote speaker, can be viewed online at www.missourigpb.com.

“Organizations like The Samaritan Center are demonstrating faith in action every day by helping Missouri families in need,” Gov. Nixon said. “The generosity of those attending the Prayer Breakfast will help the center in providing for even more Missourians, and is an inspiration for all of us to give generously.”

Monday (Jan. 20) is the National Day of Service, a day set aside to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through volunteer service to the community. The Governor also encouraged Missourians to participate by giving of their time to help their neighbors and their communities.

“The National Day of Service provides an excellent focus on serving others, and the ways we can help our neighbors and our communities are almost endless,” Gov. Nixon said. “Please take a few hours on Monday to donate your time and your talent for this effort, because you will be the one reaping the greatest reward.”