Columbia Center The little things make us special.

January 05, 2012

To everyone who donated an item during Santa Baby, know this:

Your gift will make 2012 just a little brighter for a family in your neighborhood.

Hundreds of families received toys, warm clothing and other necessities due to your generosity during Columbia Center’s Second Annual Santa Baby.

Santa Baby was held on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Infants and toddlers from over 100 families had their pictures taken with Santa. In exchange for a donation to the Family Enrichment Center, registered families received a complimentary 5” x 7” photo with Santa.

For the first time, the donation drive was also opened to the community through the Drive Up & Donate Holiday Toy Drive. This year, 339 items were donated, representing a 68% increase over last year’s donations.

“We’re especially grateful for the donations this year,” said Renie Rathke, executive director of the Family Enrichment Center, “We’ve suffered from a decrease in funding but face a community need that only continues to grow,” Rathke added.

The Family Enrichment Center aims to promote the advocacy and collaboration of community organizations through shared resources and leadership development within a centralized community. The Family Enrichment Center houses nine nonprofit health and human services agencies. By sharing resources, these nine agencies are able to do the greatest amount of good, filling in gaps in service often overlooked when agencies operate alone.

Santa Baby and the Drive Up & Donate Holiday Toy Drive were the only collections held for the Family Enrichment Center this holiday season. All donations will stay in the local area to benefit Ozaukee County families in need due to low income or crisis.

“Columbia Center is committed to broadening the community impact of its Santa Baby event through its partnership with the Family Enrichment Center, said Candy Casey, CEO and nurse executive of Columbia Center. “We are thrilled with the increase in donations this year and our hearts are warmed by the stories of hope and support that we have been able to provide.”

Cold weather necessities such as hats and gloves were distributed to families served by Ozaukee Works. Families in need come to Ozaukee Works for food stamps, BadgerCare and other economic assistance programs. This year, Ozaukee Works placed the donated hats and gloves in bins for families, who came to meet with their social workers, to pick from.

“Children who came with their mothers or fathers were able to pick a pair of gloves and a hat from a bin,” Rathke said. “Within four days, all of the hats and gloves collected at Columbia Center were donated. The parents of these children wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford cold weather necessities this winter,” Rathke said.

Ozaukee Family Services distributed adult gifts through their Rainbows Program. The Rainbows Program allows children coping with death or divorce to holiday shop for their parents.

“It’s exciting for children to have that shopping night,” says Rathke, “Parents coping with a loss or divorce don’t always have the time or funds take their kids out to shop for others.”

Toys, stuffed animals, books and hygiene items were distributed by the Volunteer Center of Ozaukee and Advocates of Ozaukee, both of which provide gifts to families in need in Ozaukee County. This season, 73 families with 178 children were able to share in the spirit of the holidays thanks to Santa Baby.

For Brenda Peterson of the Volunteer Center of Ozaukee County, seeing the faces of families receiving gifts and necessities light up is what the magic of the holiday season is all about,

“We have been hugged, thanked profusely and witnessed tears of joy when families came in to pick up their holiday packages,” says Peterson.

Santa Baby diaper donations helped restock the shared diaper closet at the Family Enrichment Center. Diapers are donated to families in need to prevent them from rationing diapers, or not changing their baby as often as necessary.

Finally, all other baby items were distributed by Advocates of Ozaukee.

“Thank you to everyone who came back to visit us and for supporting local families in need. We’re looking forward to an even bigger year for community support from this event in 2012,” said Casey.