Senior Shoebox Santa Community Outreach Project

Our Senior Shoebox Santa community outreach project was a huge success. We delivered a total of 243 shoeboxes to 4 different senior facilities and organizations. Each box was filled with senior friendly items, wrapped and ribboned with either a warm blanket, hat, gloves or scarf. A candy cane and a holiday card made by a Lakota student topped each box. 94 handmade lap blankets were lovingly made and generously 

donated by Mrs. Maureen Mattern. 

Delivery day started at UC Health WC Hospital. Their staff partnered with C3 to collect, fill, wrap and help deliver 109 shoeboxes to Ashley Place/Chesterwood Village. Then onto stop #2, Butler Behavioral Services for a delivery to their senior Uplift program. Stop #3 was Hawthorn Glen Senior Living Campus before delivering to the West Chester-Liberty Senior community program. 

C3 held our Annual Veterans Tribute at the Miami University VOA Learning Center on November 12. It was our honor to celebrate our veterans with a patriotic program. 

Thank you Miami University Voice of America Learning Center for hosting us, The Heroes' Fund for sponsoring lunch, the Lakota West Choir for your moving music program, West Chester Police Department for presenting the colors and Dr. Geri Maples for speaking on behalf of the Blue Star Families organization. 

We also appreciate the information shared by Operation Ramp It Up.

Photos provided by Miami University Regionals.

Links for veterans organization resources:

https://www.bluestarfam.org/chapters/dayton

https://www.facebook.com/OHBSF

https://www.easterseals.com/gc/our-programs/military-veteran-services/

https://milvetsrc.org/

https://www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services/specialized-services/services-for-homeless-veterans/

http://www.bcvets.org/

As part of C3's ongoing #1000communitythankyous campaign we celebrated our partnership and the hardworking staff at UC Health WC Hospital by participating in their staff appreciation day.We handed out Busken cookies and made Culver's ice cream sundaes complete with toppings for all staff that stopped by our table. We were sure to leave plenty of sweets to be delivered personally to staff that could not leave their unit.The day was a success with help from our volunteers and sponsorships from St. Anne Episcopal Church, our cookie sponsor and Culver's Ice Cream, our ice cream sponsor.

The C3 team had a great time working at West Chester Township's Takeover On The Square Event. The weather was perfect, the crowd was huge and the band had people dancing in the grass. 

We held our "no contact" Veterans Day tribute in the Lakota West parking lot. To stay within the safe social distance guidelines, attendees stayed in their vehicle while the program was broadcast over their car radio. Music was performed by the Lakota West Choir and our featured speaker U.S. Representative Warren Davidson. Colors presented by the Butler County Honor Guard and Caisson Unit and a special fly over at the end of the program 

This project was started with the hope of delivering 50 holiday shoeboxes to seniors who were a part of the Butler Behavioral Health Uplift program. The word spread quickly and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of the community. At the end of a whirlwind 2 week collection period, we had 179 shoeboxes! Boxes were delivered to 2 senior care facilities and to those participating in the Uplift program. Each box was a little different with some having blankets and some having hats and gloves tied to them but they all had a candy cane and a card made by a Lakota student.

We are looking forward to Senior Shoebox Santa 2021!