Getting started on a holiday gift drive for older teens in care
With covid putting a damper on our holiday parties, we’re so grateful to again have partners Amber Gray, Hope Ware and Julie Whitney helping us gather gifts for our teens who are transitioning toward life on their own.
Gray, left, is a professional basketball player and Lakota West grad whose Where2Next Foundation has become a great partner. She focuses her foundation on helping teens figure out what’s next for them, whether it’s work, college or something else. Her friend Ware, right, owns the clothing line HeMa & Company and helps run the Sickle Cell aWAREness Foundation with her husband, NFL running back Spencer Ware. Whitney is a Cincinnati public relations expert who is the best at spreading the word about a good cause.
Together, we’re hoping to give our older kids in care a holiday they might not otherwise have. We’re collecting their wish lists and getting started on matching them with people who want to fill a whole list or those who would like to help in other ways, such as sending gifts through Amazon or donating gift cards for gifts or meals. Since we hosted a party and dinner for them in years past, we’re hoping to also feed them this year with restaurant gift cards.
If you’d like to help, drop us an email at Jane.Prendergast@jfs.ohio.gov. Thank you for your help.