By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Families with holiday cheer to spare are being asked to help other local families who need help putting gifts under the tree and food on the table this year.
In its 14th year, the Dear Santa Society will be helping families in the Bowling Green City School District. Kenwood teachers Kisha Nichols and Jennifer Ostrowski have taken over coordination of the program from local founders Jim and Dee Szalejko.
“We have big shoes to fill, for sure,” Nichols said, noting the Szalejkos are helping with the transition.
So far, this year’s needs appear to be great.
“We are definitely seeing need from families we haven’t seen before,” Nichols said. “That is telling to me.”
“We have a lot of families living from paycheck to paycheck,” and the pandemic has only made it tougher, Nichols said.
Dear Santa Society’s mission is to assist families experiencing financial hardships during the holidays. For students, returning to school with new clothing, a favorite wish fulfilled and products for good hygiene help with greater self-esteem at school.
“Being a teacher, you see the need,” Nichols said.
Last year due to community support, 45 families with a total of 115 children received toys, clothing, coats, hams, fresh fruit, laundry supplies, paper products and personal care items.
Additionally, the program provided 53 pairs of new tennis shoes, 47 warm coats, 42 pairs of boots, 15 bikes and more than 100 handmade blankets to families.
Here’s how Dear Santa Society works. Families in need of help send letters to the organization explaining their situations. At the same time, the community is asked to make monetary donations to the program.
“Letters are still coming in. Donations are still coming in,” Nichols said. “We certainly need more. The more we get, the more kids and families we can help.”
The cutoff date is Dec. 1. After that, the families will be called to learn the wish lists for their children.
“So we can get our shoppers shopping,” Ostrowski said.
The gift requests from families are always reasonable, she said.
“Reading the letters, they really only want a couple gifts to give their children on Christmas,” she said. “They’re not asking for game systems.”
“It’s heartbreaking, but really rewarding,” Ostrowski said. “The families are so grateful.”
Once the presents are purchased, a mass gift wrapping event is held in the high school cafeteria.
And finally, the presents, food and other items are dropped off at the homes.
“There’s a lot that has to happen in a very short period of time,” Ostrowski said.
All this is possible with overwhelming support from school staff, Nichols said.
“We are doing it with a team of people,” from each school building, she said. “We could not do this without them.”
In addition to toys and food, the school employees also chip in to buy coats and boots for children in need.
Nichols and Ostrowski have their own reasons for being involved with the Dear Santa Society.
For Ostrowski, it’s a desire to make sure other families have a chance to enjoy the holidays like her family does. “I want to help provide for families in need at Christmas.”
For Nichols, it’s a personal understanding of the challenges facing those families.
“I grew up in a home that would have qualified for Dear Santa,” she said. Nichols remembers as a child coming home one Thanksgiving and finding an entire dinner on her family’s front porch. “It’s just something I’ll never forget. It’s an opportunity to give back.”
For those in need
If you find that you are in need this holiday season, you can apply for help by writing to: The Dear Santa Society, PO Box 513, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.
Your letter should include the following:
- Your name, address and phone number
- Reason you need assistance
- Children’s names, ages, clothing sizes (eligible children are from infancy to graduation)
- List of toys and gifts each child wants (no guns, video systems, tablets, cell phones)
- If possible, families will receive holiday hams, hygiene products, paper products and laundry products
Requests must be received by Dec. 1. Families will be contacted by Dec. 10 to verify information and to let you know if Dear Santa will assist you. You can also request assistance by emailing jszalejko@dearsantasociety.org.
Delivery will be the morning of Dec. 18, between 9 a.m. and noon.
For those who can help
Donations are accepted to the Dear Santa Society at:
- PAYPAL (donate@dearsantasociety.org)
- VENMO (@Dear-Santa)
- Dear Santa Society, PO Box 513, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
The Dear Santa Society is a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) contributions and donations are tax deductible.
Almost all of the collected monetary donations go directly to supporting the children, since the only overhead cost is the post office box fee and postage to solicit funding.
Anyone wanting to volunteer may email Nichols at knichols@bgcs.k12.oh.us.
A fundraiser will be held at Beckett’s all day on Dec. 1. Anyone mentioning the Dear Santa Society will have 20% of their dine-in or carry-out costs donated to the organization.
