Stuffed with Hope

Stuffed With Hope began as a 7th grader’s dream to give children in Haiti something to help them hold on to hope in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes.  7th grader, Star Ritchie, asked Mr. Wagner if there was anyway that we could collect stuffed animals to send to the little ones.  She felt that so many people were helping by donating money, food, first aid supplies, and other items to keep the people alive physically, but there wasn’t an effort to take care of the children emotionally.  So, a few calls were made to local non-profit groups and they all pointed us to contact Matthew 25 Ministries.

After coordinating with Mike at Matthew 25, we decided to go ahead with the project and began collecting animals on January 25th.  Flyers were made and distributed through the cities of Dayton and Bellevue and  Facebook came in quite handy as members commented on posts made about the program and donations began to come in from sources outside of our small city.  Our donation goal was lofty in the eyes of this little girl, for we had hoped to collect 1500 stuffed animals.  However, when all was said and done, the Dayton Independent Schools collected 139 boxes filled to capacity with 2126 stuffed animals.  Letters were also attached to the boxes asking for letters in return or emails to let us know how the kids liked our gift to them.  Each box was also covered with a sign in French that said, “Stuffed with pieces of hope.  With Love, Dayton Independent Schools, Dayton, KY USA.”

On pickup day, Fox 19 news sent a cameraman to cover Two Men and a Truck picking up the donations.  The cameraman got quite a bit of footage and even interviewed Mr. Wagner about the specifics of the project.

The purpose of this program was to do something great for children half way across the globe.  The truly amazing thing was that it was all the brainchild of a 12 year old little girl.  In a city where people are struggling for jobs, and struggling even more to pay their bills, this little girl thought of others first.  Her idea blossomed into something awe inspiring overnight.  Even city rivals such as Dayton and Bellevue put aside their differences and worked together to make Star’s goal be met, plus some.

Now that the program has ended, Star, along with the rest of the Dayton Independent School District, would like to say a big thank you to the following supporters in our Stuffed With Hope campaign:

• The Bellevue Beadery
• The Dayton, KY Post Office
• Hansman’s Market
• Bob Runyan and his students at Bellevue High School
• The Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts
• The City of Dayton (for helping us get the word out)
• The students of Dayton Independent Schools and their families
• Cathy Egbring and Perfetti Van Mel (for the boxes)
• Two Men and a Truck
• Matthew 25 Ministries

And most all, we would like to thank Star Ritchie for being a role model of selflessness.  Star’s dedication to doing things for others has never been stronger than in this effort and she should be commended for her effort.  Her heart has helped 2126 children to begin the healing process in Haiti.  If only we could all be so generous and caring for the well being of others.