A Positive End to 2020 - Holiday Drive

 



2020 will more than likely be preserved in history with a negative connotation. It was a challenging year in more ways than one. However, here are some things from our Holiday Project that will shed a positive light on 2020 and shouldn't get lost in the shadows:

  • The healthcare workers and doctors’ offices that, even during a pandemic and in periods of crisis, created drives at their work places to collect stocking stuffers for our project…

  • The sports teams that despite having their seasons abruptly end or be greatly impacted still decided to come together to collect toys for our project…

  • The Girl Scout troops that gathered in safe spaces, despite having their regular meetings altered, to decorate and fill stockings to overflow status…

  • The kind individual/family donors that, despite having their holiday plans come to a screeching halt, still came together to adopt 188 kids (twice) in 2 weeks’ time…

  • The law firms, jewelers, vet offices and many other businesses that, despite having to navigate new business norms, reached out to their communities to rally tremendous support…

  • The retirement homes that, despite having to completely shift their processes and protocols to save their resident’s lives, contributed monetary donations to support our project…

  • The school groups that, despite learning an entire new way to teach and learn (due to COVID and a devastating ransomware attack), still made cards and baked goods to add joy to our record breaking project…

  • The 80+ people that stopped what they were doing to message me last Friday (most of which have yet to be responded to), despite being at work and dealing with their own life, to offer support with navigating the new COVID restrictions announced Thursday PM…

  • The volunteers that physically showed up this weekend, despite being outside in very cold temperatures, to set up our headquarters and bring it all together…

  • The random strangers that stopped by our project headquarters over the last 2 days to drop monetary donations to further support our project…

  • The people on our internal team (marketing, tech, operations, and management), despite our fears of getting it done and meeting our goals, that rose to the occasion and worked their butts off to make it all happen…

  • Most importantly, the kids on the other end of this project, despite having been confined to large, cramped, stressful spaces for the last 9 months, who we feel continue to deserve to be wrapped up in our love!

Our Holiday Project by Numbers

120+ volunteers (safely spread out) + 300 individuals contributing in other ways
188 total children experiencing homelessness and living in shelters
(Baltimore & Harford County)
376 individual donors
3,500+ gifts wrapped
$44,190.00 = total estimated value of our project

A huge thanks to these groups:

Girl Scout Troop 1521
Girl Scout Troop 1656
Fallston Rec U8 Thunder
Smyth Jewelers
STARS
Reach Cyber Charter School
Yanksgiving
McDonough School
Dobry Family
Erdman Family
The Baltimore Bays
Ruxton Animal Hospital
Baltimore Union Elite 12
Pediatric Partners
ISE Logistics
MCI USA
Shultz Legal
Upper Chesapeake Radiology Department
Patapsco Girls Basketball
Baltimore Union Girls 2012 Select
Baltimore Union Girls 2012 Classic
Gerstell Academy English Department
Wolf Insurance Agency
Stonewall Daycare Center
Creamer Family
Kristie Quigley Foundation
Severn River Rugby Football Club
Erickson Living
Crofton Family Eye
Perry Hall Lions Club
Davis Family
Arthur Family
Old Line Football Club 2010 United boys
Fallston Spin it to Win it
Perry Hall CrossFit
McManus Amusements
Our many individual and family donors
And finally, to our project manager Ashley Fallon, who I have adored for more than a decade. You absolutely nailed this project and thanks to you, 188 children will feel the Christmas spirit on the 25th.  Love you!

Jennifer Cox