Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: Tracy Johnson Scholarship

  • 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.

  • A Thank you from the Loveland Initiative

    A Thank you from the Loveland Initiative

    by Terri Rogers

    Terri Rogers is the Executive Director of The Loveland Initiative 

    LHS Senior Service Members planned and organize a toy drive for the Loveland Initiative Christmas Toy Store Program. Sam Greenerg, Olivia Von Deylen, and Anna Svitkovich. are the leaders that worked with their teacher advisors, Catherine Belknap, and Kristin Scherman for a successful event. The entire group of Senior Service Members and student body raised funds and collected toys and gifts.

    “The goal of the Senior Service Members is to serve and learn the true meaning of empathy while seeing their community from a different perspective.”

    On December 19, 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.

    We are SO PROUD of our 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.

    The Senior Service Members succeeded their goal by supporting the Loveland Initiative mission which is to provide educational support and assistance to underserved children and their families. A VERY HUGE thank you to ALL LHS Senior Service Members, Teacher Advisors and the entire student body for helping us make Loveland children’s Christmas brighter.

    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 the Loveland community! We look forward to a continuing partnership with you.

  • 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