Heartwarming Holiday Moments 2024

Every year, we like to reflect on the many ways we have seen our community step up to partner with us and surround the children in our foster care system with a little extra love and joy at the holidays. We always feel awed by the generosity and compassion of others, and this year is no exception. We wanted to share some of those special heartwarming moments from our 2024 holiday season.

• Our very first donation of the season arrived in September. Joanne Colbert shops all year long with children in foster care in mind. She assembled more than 60 gifts for children of all ages. From wrapped bags with stuffed Mickey Mouse, bubbles, and sippy cup to gift bags filled with makeup and skin care items, these gifts were each so thoughtful and special.
• Catie Taylor organized a toy collection in honor of her son who passed away in 2019. She shared an Amazon List filled with fantastic gifts for kids of all ages, and her family and friends provided so many of these items for us to gift our kids.
• In honor of Catie Taylor’s son, The Medina Oddfellows made a $1000 donation toward our program.
• The Medina Cleveland Clinic Hospital organized a toy collection to donate toward our Toy Drive. Their amazing staff stepped up as always, and they delivered 10+ huge boxes filled with gift items.
• The Medina Cleveland Clinic ICU group returned for a 3^rd year of gift wrapping. We estimate that they wrapped close to 500 gifts over two days. As if that wasn’t enough, they collected enough tumblers and water bottles to make sure that every single teen in our foster care system would receive one. This awesome group brings a lot of joy and fun every year!
• Jen’s Play n’ Learn Home Childcare organized a walk-a-thon and raised over $1300 to purchase gifts for 2 families of children.
• The Prosperity Project, a non-profit created by Robert Newman and his daughter in 2015 to help provide gifts to families at the holidays, chose to sponsor and shop for 10 of our kids’ wish lists this year.
• Linda Wallis handmade 55 of the most adorable hooded towels we’ve ever seen. Disney Princesses, Mario, Tigger, Minions, unicorns, and dinosaurs – there was something for everyone!
• After our Toy Drive in November, Gayle Supeck contacted us saying that she and her husband, Todd, had missed the Toy Drive and wanted to help. They got on our Amazon List which still had about 40 items left and purchased ALL the remaining items! Gayle says that she and Todd find it so much more meaningful to do things like this rather than buying each other gifts.
• Juliana Wagner and her friends at StoryPoint Senior Living Community spent countless hours hand-crafting 10 beautiful quilts to gift our kids. So much thought and care went into each and every quilt, and we know the kids who received them will feel that love.
• Twiisted Burgers & Sushi reached out with an idea to host a Dinner with Santa for our foster families and staff. Families were invited to enjoy a delicious burger bar at this private event. Throughout the evening, Santa visited each family and child, who he greeted by name and presented a special gift. Our families described this event as “magical.”

These are just a few of the stories of beauty we were privileged to be part of this season. Although we could never thank each and every person who donated an item, wrapped a gift, or shared a post, we want to recognize some of the many individuals and groups who contributed to our holiday giving program:

• Brunswick United Methodist Church
• Boy Scout Troop 701 – Strongsville
• The Children’s Center of Medina County
• Karyn Dimondo
• First Baptist Church
• Fox 8 Giving Tree
• Grace Church, Medina East Campus
• The Griffiths Family
• Norma Haas
• Michele Heimlich
• Teresa Holland
• Konnor Hummel
• Karoline Krailo
• Learning Garden Medina
• Susan Lipsey
• Living Word Lutheran Church
• Medina Adult Probation
• Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority
• New Hill Church
• One Church
• Cassy Osborne
• Our Lady of Grace Church
• Ravago Medina
• Margo Riedy
• The Root Family
• Jim and Jackie Ruhlin
• Sequoia Financial Services
• SPARK Medina
• Francis Xavier Catholic Church
• The Stanziano Family
• T&W Management
• Phil Titterington
• Westfield Insurance

And, of course, the many Amazon List donors: Rebecca Dickon, Krista Filous, The Tinter Family, Martha Clymer, Karen Gaub, Lora Daniels, Carol Reiff, Mike Skultety, Nikolas, Jennifer Bonnett, Mike, Aaron and Callie Rose, Kristen Minichello, Brenda Johnson, Dana Kocar, The Glave Family, Ellen Nolan, The Seibel Family, The Ockunzzi Family, Dan Gut, Mark, Myra, and Lukas, The Medley Family, The Behler Family, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Robert L. Drummond, Terri Greene, Lauren Drury, Mary Jo Huffman, Mary K. Toth, Kelly Charnley, Sandra E. Bevec, Alison L. Priebe, Don & Tami T., Stacey Dubyna, Patricia Taylor, and Gayle & Todd Supeck