Big, beautiful poinsettias to the residents and staff at Akron’s Wyant Woods Care Center who went all-out in creative campaigns to help the homeless.
What’s so exceptional about this holiday outreach is that most of the residents at this long-term care facility are dealing with monumental challenges of their own: mental illness, dementia and neurological disorders.
“Wyant Woods is the ‘go to’ facility when many facilities say no due to a person’s challenging behaviors,” social worker Julie Burnett and Executive Director Eric Hutchins wrote. “All of the staff hold a special place in their hearts for residents who often have no one except the staff who care …
“Fundraising has been in the making for months. From a meatball cook-off to pumpkin decorating to a contest which resulted in the facility’s chef kissing a raccoon.”
Proceeds went to purchase hats, gloves, scarves and blankets for the homeless. Members of the management team also have been serving lunches at Haven of Rest twice a month.
“One of the residents, Jimmy, who’s 55, started his own efforts to help the homeless and can be seen nearly daily collecting pocket change from staff to add to the fund to help people near and dear to his heart,” the email continued. “Jimmy has long had a heart for those living on the street who struggle with alcoholism. In the past, and with his own limited funds, Jimmy would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to distribute to homeless people living in tents under the bridge. He would share a bit of food and a word to encourage them to be sober … Now his health challenges keep him from hitting the streets with his sandwiches but he is a tireless advocate to this day for those who struggle.”
And here’s the rest of the story about the raccoon kissing contest:
“Staff and residents added pocket change to cans that had individual managers’ names on them if they wanted us to kiss a wild animal. The managers with the most money did the kissing. The top three winners were Chef Mike who kissed the raccoon, administrator Eric who kissed an iguana, and social worker Julie who kissed a snapping turtle.” And, yes, all of the animals were alive.
Collaborative effort
Major kudos to Akron’s Project RISE (Realizing Individual Strength through Education) and First United Methodist Church of Akron, which recently treated several homeless families to a dinner theater event. Dinner was provided by the church, with an information table and activities provided by several community partners, and Bunnicula was performed by actors from the Magical Theatre Company of Barberton.
First Book of Greater Akron presented each child with a new book.
Debra Manteghi is Project RISE’s district homeless education liaison and project manager. The program is a collaborative effort with Akron Public Schools, local shelters and the community to provide supplemental education to homeless children.
Handmade greetings
Big, beautiful poinsettias to the 50 or so volunteers who gathered recently to assist Akron Children’s Hospital’s Haslinger Family Pediatric Palliative Care Center with its tradition of sending handmade, signed holiday cards to patients and their families, and to bereaved families. The project was started in 2010 by Marie Parker, Meg Lamb, Cathy Clark and Elizabeth Sheeler.
Fundraiser for children
Beautiful bouquets to the students at Idea House Educational Services, a year-round school for children with autism in Green. They recently put on a fundraiser for children with cancer, whom they feel have many more challenges than they do.
The Idea House students were so used to hearing Angi Shumate, their teacher and school’s owner, talk about volunteering at Camp Quality — a summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings in New Franklin — that they decided to get on board to help. Their creative campaign in September netted $3,000 for Camp Quality.
Ann Kagarise, assistant director at Idea House and lead photographer for Camp Quality, shared the following:
“Andrew Snyder, 11, immediately made Browns necklaces out of small dog bones and beads [which he sold]. He came into school the next day with money in hand said, ‘This is for kids with cancer.’
“Another boy at our school, Caleb Hewitt, 14, asked his Boy Scout troop to volunteer …
“The kids got out there and did all they could not only to raise money but also work a fundraising event … Willy Wonka was the theme. Northwest High School in Canal Fulton, which had a recent Willy Wonka musical, donated all of the decorations to Idea House. Thomas Limousine donated a great deal of the food items, Rock Hall tickets and volunteered at the event. Pot Belly Sandwich Shop in Canton donated 100 cookies. Doug Black from Marathon’s corporate office donated $1,000.”
Operation Christmas
Local residents are encouraged to join millions of others around the country participating in Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, which runs through Nov. 25, filling empty shoeboxes with small gifts for needy children all over the world.
Several locations have volunteers poised to accept colorfully wrapped shoeboxes, ready to be packed and transported.
Here are the locations, hours and contacts:
• New Hope Christian Fellowship, 1157 Riverside Drive, Akron — 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today; 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; and 9 to 11 a.m. Monday. Contact is Renee Bartow, 330-923-3700.
• Crossroads Community Church, 700 Gates St., Doylestown — 10 a.m. to noon today; 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday; 1 to 3 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to noon Saturday; 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Contact is Dennis Hood at 330-658-1200.
• Christ Community Chapel, 750 W. Streetsboro St., Hudson — 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday; 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday. Contact is 330-650-9533.
• Brunswick Reformed Church, 3535 Grafton Road, Brunswick — 6:30 to 8 p.m. today and Friday; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday; 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. to noon Monday. Contact is Cynthia Toom at 440-213-1888.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.