By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Peg Bauman left Wood County Job and Family Services Tuesday with a cart of Christmas presents and a weight off her shoulders.
She was eager to show the gifts she had gathered for her 14-year-old grandson in her care. There was a basketball, plastic saucer sled, remote control helicopter, blanket, a squishy stuffed animal, and body wash with cologne.
Bauman showed a $25 Amazon gift card that she planned to use for clothing.
“He needs some more sweatpants,” she said. “This helps.”
If not for the Santa Shop at Job and Family Services, Bauman acknowledged it would be a different Christmas at their home.
“I would probably go in debt for his Christmas,” she said of her grandson’s gifts.
Bauman was one of many grandparents, parents and foster families to get help with making the holidays bright for children in their care.
Looking for gifts for her grandson, age 5, was Amy Rodgers. “He loves dinosaurs,” she said as she searched the expansive tables for anything dinosaur related.
What would she have done without the Santa Shop? “I really don’t know,” Rodgers said.
Welcoming the caregivers on Tuesday was Allison Metzger, an investigator for Wood County Children’s Services. This duty was a welcome break from her normal responsibilities.
“It’s very rewarding,” Metzger said. “It’s nice to see families get excited about making Christmas special for their little ones.”
The shop was quite busy Tuesday morning, with several caregivers knowing they needed to show up early to get one of the dozen or so donated bicycles.
“We had a line this morning out the door,” Metzger said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the tables were still brimming with toys like Princess Barbies, Playdoh, Mr. Potato Head, puzzles and Peppa Pigs. All of the toys were donated by local residents, businesses, governments and agencies.
“This is honestly the best time of the year my staff and I have,” said Sandi Carsey, director of Wood County Protective Services.
The families are grateful, she said. “They are very thankful.”
And the staff continues to be thrilled at the generosity of those in Wood County. For some groups donating toys, it’s an annual tradition.
For example, the police departments of Luckey, Pemberville and Bradner again held a friendly competition to see who can collect the most toys. Again this year, Luckey Police came out on top.
“They brought thousands of toys here,” Carsey said of the police departments.
Another tradition, this one in the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, raised more than $5,000 through the “Brian Sings Christmas” recordings. That was enough to supply 12 families with toys, clothing, books, games and other essentials.
In addition to the village police departments, also helping stock the Santa Shop, were Rudolph Libbe Group, Rossford Schools, CASA, Southeastern Container, BG Women’s Club, BGSU Parking Department through “Toys for Tickets,” Rosenboom, and many individuals in the county.
Groups that sponsored families this Christmas include Wood County Hospital OB Department, Wood County Hospital Emergency Department, AmVets, Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Wendy’s, Brian Sings Christmas in the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Groups that sponsored foster children for the holiday include Northwestern Water and Sewer District, First Presbyterian Church in Perrysburg, Kleinfelder, and ODOT.
“A lot of individuals just drop things off to us,” Carsey said. “The whole Wood County community is a huge supporter of this.”
