Thanks goes out to the Community

Employees at GTI came together to adopt children in the Gateway Program during the holidays.

Gateway Youth Programs would like to thank the following area businesses, organizations, and families for participating in their Adopt-A-Child Program this year. The Darke County Beef 4-H Club, Dues Family, Greenville Technology Inc., Mercer Savings Bank, and Pitsburg Trinity Lutheran Church. In addition the Second National Bank, Village Green Health Campus, Webster United Methodist Church, and Whirlpool Corporation. “We can’t thank everyone enough for their support. Every year this program grows and we are able to assist in giving a very special day to our families,” said Ruth Barga, Support Specialist at Gateway.

This year the program assisted in providing Christmas gifts for 82 youth in 34 different families, a wonderful increase from last year. Five families also received $100 gift certificates to local businesses in order to purchase food. One family received a new box springs and frames for beds and four other families received bedding for the children. Five youth received new bicycles and in addition, gifts were purchased for the youth in Gateway’s Connection Center.

This program matches local families up with local businesses or organizations who volunteer to adopt the children for Christmas. All families complete an application to see if they qualify for the program. Once the applications are approved, the children’s Christmas lists are given to a business or organization. Each group then decides what to purchase for the child. After shopping is finished, the organizations return the gifts to the office all wrapped and ready to deliver to the family.

Every organization put their own special touch on the Christmas that they provide for the youth. This depends on the needs and wants of the children as well as the ideas from the organization adopting them.

“It is great to see the joy that these gifts bring the families and children. Parents are overwhelmed when they see the gifts and many have shed tears. This generosity and the impact that these organizations are making in the community and in the lives families living right here will not be forgotten. I personally would like to thank all the individuals and organizations that assisted with this program. Several situations presented a challenge, but they were solved by the willingness of a few companies to make things work. This program would not be possible without the organizations who so freely give of themselves to assist our families,” said Barga.

If you would like to adopt a child or family in the future, you can contact Ruth Barga at Gateway Youth Programs at 937-548-8002. Council on Rural Services provides education and support through Gateway Youth Programs, Achievement Center for Educational Success (ACES), Kids Learning Place™, Head Start, and Early Head Start in their nine county service area.