This December, Meg’s Legacy of Hope initiated our first toy drive/gift-giving collection to carry on Megan’s passion of helping children experience the joy of receiving gifts during the holiday season.
Here’s our inspiration: After college as a young professional, Meg asked her HR department when their toy drive would begin and how she could help. The response that no such gift-giving effort was in place at the company sent her straight to the higher-ups to get permission, then she coordinated the collection and distribution of toys and gifts for needy families in the community. The generosity and enthusiasm among their office and factory workers gave Megan great satisfaction in pulling people together to make a difference.
To carry on her spirit of sharing for the holidays, we kicked off Meg’s Gifts of Love to help those in need. This year, more than four hundred gifts were collected, wrapped, and distributed for babies up to young adults! Much gratitude goes to Hawthorn Woods Country Club for teaming up with us and for collecting gifts throughout December. Thanks to all who shared toys and presents with Meg’s Gifts of Love. We look forward to growing this program in the years to come.
All the gifts were shared with two local groups for distribution: Partners for Our Communities and Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township.
“Partners for Our Communities (POC) families struggle financially, and all qualify for free/reduced lunch at our local schools. They are working through trauma and the barriers of deep levels of poverty, such as transportation, employment, education (many of the parents of these children requesting gifts do not speak or write in their native language at a 3rd-grade level), health, culture, and language. POC assists families in reaching self-sufficiency.”
“The Boys & Girls Clubs (BGCDT) is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults. With a strong commitment to nurturing the potential of every child, BGCDT offers a comprehensive range of programs and services that support the educational, social, and physical development of more than 1,500 Club members annually. They create a safe, supportive, and engaging environment to inspire children to achieve their full potential.”
