Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: Mary Hensley

  • 23rd Annual Christmas Toy Store Program begins collecting gifts

    23rd Annual Christmas Toy Store Program begins collecting gifts

    by Terri Rogers

    Like most adults, thoughts of the holiday season bring images of spending time with family and friends to mind. If you ask a child to describe the holidays you will hear many talk about family and friends, but you will always hear every child mention presents. As adults we know the true meaning of the holidays. We know it is a time to celebrate family, faith, and friends. To children it is a time for decorations, songs, and gifts.            

    While the holiday may not be about gifts, the Loveland Initiative Christmas Toy Store is about more than just Barbie, G.I. Joe, and games. The program was established to operate, not only so that low income residents could provide education dollars to those that have the most difficulty affording educational opportunities beyond high school, but also so that the moms and dads who shop at our Toy Store have a sense of dignity that they are “buying” the gifts for their children and grandchildren, not receiving a hand out, and so are contributing to something greater than ourselves. 

    The Loveland Initiative Christmas Toy Store may seem like it is focused on presents, but the proceeds provide funds for scholarships to students within the Loveland community. The Tracy Johnson L. Scholarship awards one thousand five hundred dollars to a student with financial need in Loveland. To date we have awarded 22 college scholarships to Loveland High School graduates. Now that sounds like the true holiday spirit to me!  

    The 23rd Annual Christmas Toy Store’s location and date is still to be determined.  Please check out our website, lovelandinitiative.org, for more information about us.  Also, “like” our Facebook page to stay up to date!  There is a wonderful video from WLWT on the page from the 2017 Christmas Toy Store.  Check it out to see what the Christmas Toy Store is all about. 

    We will be accepting donations of NEW, UNWRAPPED toys and gifts for children, pre-teens and teens. (See attached suggested gift list). Gift cards and monetary donations are also greatly appreciated.

    Please drop off donations at Marcos Pizza 920 Loveland Madeira Rd Sunday – Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday – Saturday 11am to 12 midnight. We can also make arrangements to pick up gifts. 

    In addition to gifts, we always need volunteers for pick-up, displays and transportation.  We are confident that our community will once again pull together to help the children and the families in Loveland.  

    Please feel free to contact Project Leaders Mary Hensley mhnsly@yahoo.com or the Executive Director Terri Rogers 513-739-2354/ trogers7@fuse.net with any questions or concerns.  

    Thank you in advance for your help!

    Terri Rogers is the Executive Director of The Loveland Initiative

    Download this printable Shopping List:

    2020-CTS-Suggested-Gift-ListDownload
  • The Loveland Initiative says thank you for supporting their Toy Store program

    The Loveland Initiative says thank you for supporting their Toy Store program

    by Terri Rogers

    WOW! Another HUGE success!! On December 19, 2019, the Loveland Initiative held its 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store program. The program served well over 250 children. This would not have happened if not for all of YOU our wonderful and generous supporters. The Tracy Johnson Scholarship awards one thousand five hundred dollars to a student with financial need in Loveland.

    Terri Rogers is the Executive Director of The Loveland Initiative

    We are SO PROUD of the AWESOME community we live in. Loveland is very generous by providing support to underserved families, with amazing toys for children. What joy it is for these families to go shopping and pick out toys they want to give. Our families look forward to this and as one mom said while shopping “This program is a blessing.”

    Leaving with those bags of gifts for their children they love is a blessing. You can tell by looking at their faces. They are so proud of what they have chosen for their children. What a gift this community gives them! Encouraging them to make choices and get nice things for the ones they love. Priceless! The toys they choose from are endless, all donated and collected each year for these families to pick from.

    Each year that I attend the Christmas Toy Store program, I am amazed at the amount of time and energy that my two leads; Mary Hensley and Shionee Blust Sergist put into this program is inspiring. A HUGE thank you to Mary and Shionee for their hard work, and to our board members for volunteering their time with the program is so very much appreciated. As always, there are more volunteers involved and you can see the joy they have helping families knowing that they are making a difference. A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers. YOU ARE AMAZING!!

    A HUGE thank you to the Loveland Moose Lodge for hosting us for the seventh year in a row. A SPECIAL thank you to Bond Furniture & Design for lending their location as a drop off spot. A HUGE thank you to Loveland City Schools, Loveland Board Office, Loveland Transportation, LES Compassion project, LHS Senior Service Members and the staff, students and their families, for donating monetary funds, toys and gifts. Words cannot express how helpful this was to us! A VERY HUGE thank you to ALL of our other donors for helping us make Loveland children’s Christmas brighter. A SPECIAL thank you to Loveland Magazine for their promotional support. Thank you so very much for your support and for giving back to the Loveland community!

    I am so grateful to be a part of this giving and caring community. Thank you all for everything you do for the families in Loveland! We look forward to a continuing partnership with you.

  • Donations now being accepted for Annual Christmas Toy Store

    Donations now being accepted for Annual Christmas Toy Store

    ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TOY STORE
    The Loveland Initiative is proud once again to host our 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store. Christmas is a wonderful time of year and should not be missed by any child. With our Annual Toy Store, we make it a wonderful experience for under-served parents and their children. The Toy Store was created to help families who could not afford to spend much on toys and gifts. Purchasing toys and gifts at a discount helps parents feel that they are contributing to their child’s Christmas while enabling the parents to choose items based on their child’s interests and needs. We are committed to using the money raised by the Toy Store for the betterment of children and families in Loveland. Since 2001, the money raised has been used for the Tracy L. Johnson Scholarship Fund which assists a student to further his or her education.

    Donations Now Being Accepted

    We will be accepting donations of NEW, UNWRAPPED toys and gifts for children, preteens, and teens. View our Suggested Gift List.

    Gift cards and monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. You can make a secure donation via credit card or PayPal. We are a 501(c)(3) organization so your donation is tax deductible.

    Donation Drop Off

    Please drop off donations at Bond Furniture 113 Karl Brown Way or any of the Loveland School District buildings during school hours November 1, through December 18. We can also make arrangements to pick up gifts.​
    ​
    Please feel free to contact us with any questions.​
    ​
    Mary Hensley ​
    P: 513-406-9098​
    ​
    Executive Director, Terri Rogers
    P: 513-739-2354
    E: trogers7@fuse.net 
  • 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store: Donations now being accepted

    22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store: Donations now being accepted

    Promoted Story

    Like most adults, thoughts of the holiday season bring images of spending time with family and friends to mind. If you ask a child to describe the holidays you will hear many talk about family and friends, but you will always hear every child mention presents. As adults we know the true meaning of the holidays. We know it is a time to celebrate family, faith, and friends. To children it is a time for decorations, songs, and gifts.            

    So that the moms and dads who shop at our Toy Store have a sense of dignity that they are “buying” the gifts for their children and grandchildren, not receiving a hand out.

    While the holiday may not be about gifts, the Loveland Initiative Christmas Toy Store is about more than just Barbie, G.I. Joe, and games. The program was established to operate, not only so that low income residents could provide education dollars to those that have the most difficulty affording educational opportunities beyond high school, but also so that the moms and dads who shop at our Toy Store have a sense of dignity that they are “buying” the gifts for their children and grandchildren, not receiving a hand out, and so are contributing to something greater than ourselves. 

    The Tracy Johnson Scholarship awards one thousand five hundred dollars to a student with financial need in Loveland.

    The Loveland Initiative Christmas Toy Store may seem like it is focused on presents, but the proceeds provide funds for scholarships to students within the Loveland community. The Tracy Johnson Scholarship awards one thousand five hundred dollars to a student with financial need in Loveland. Now that sounds like the true holiday spirit to me!  

    The 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store’s location is still to be determined but the date for the event is December 14, 2018.  Please check out our website, lovelandinitiative.org,  for more information about us.  Also, “like” our Facebook page to stay up to date!  There is a wonderful video from WLWT on the page from the 2017 Christmas Toy Store. Check it out to see what the Christmas Toy Store is all about. 

    We will be accepting donations of NEW, UNWRAPPED toys and gifts for children, pre-teens and teens. (See suggested gift list below). Gift cards and monetary donations are also greatly appreciated.

    Please drop off donations to any of the Loveland School District buildings during school hours November 1 – December 10.  We can also make arrangements to pick up gifts. 

    We are confident that our community will once again pull together to help the children and the families in Loveland.

    In addition to gifts, we always need volunteers for pick-up, displays and transportation. We are confident that our community will once again pull together to help the children and the families in Loveland.  

    Please feel free to contact Project Leaders Mary Hensley mhnsly@yahoo.com or Shionee Blust johnshionee@gmail.com or the Executive Director Terri Rogers 513-739-2354/ trogers7@fuse.net with any questions or concerns. 

    Thank you in advance for your help!

    Loveland Magazine is a Sponsor of the 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Store