Over the 2016 holiday season, generous individuals, groups and organizations partnered with us to give gifts to the thousands of Kansas children and teens served by family preservation, foster care and aftercare programs. These Holiday Heroes donated new toys, clothes, games and more to make the holidays special for these youth. Providing gifts is a wonderful way for the community to support families who have reintegrated, are fostering or have adopted and show children that they matter.

Here are a few Holiday Heroes we’d like to recognize:  

– Instead of getting gifts for her birthday this year, Erin decided to give back to other kids in need. She asked friends and family members to purchase gifts for children and teens in foster care through our Holiday Hero program. (See the post on Facebook)

– Cayley Fenoughty is studying social work at Pittsburg State University. For her senior project, she rallied 8 organizations to participate in our Holiday Hero program, providing gifts for 140 children in need. (Read more of her story in The Collegio)

– Every year, christian radio station Life 88.5 reads child wish lists on the air, encouraging listeners to become Holiday Heroes and donate gifts. Nearly 700 children received gifts thanks to the radio station in 2015, and an astounding 1,000 children received gifts this holiday season!

Donating gifts through our Holiday Hero program is just one way to help vulnerable children and support families in crisis. We have several opportunities to get involved throughout the year – all you need to do is decide which works best for you! Perhaps the most profound way you can make a difference is to foster or adopt a child or teen. If fostering or adopting isn’t for you, consider donating, volunteering or sharing our posts on Facebook.

We’d like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the following organizations for donating gifts and making the holidays bright for so many children and teens!

3M HIS
Abe’s Place LLC
Adam Sipe, KPMG LLP.
Alpha Delta Gamma- Pittsburg State University
American Eagle Distribution Center
Ameriprise Financial
AMR
Anderson Automotive
Appanoose Trailblazers 4-H
Avila Sisters of St. Joseph
AXA Advisors
Bank of Gas
Blue Valley High School
Bonner Springs Church of the Nazarene
Brown County Clerk Office
Busey Home Mortgage
Cable-Dahmer Chevrolet
Carstar- Ottawa
Carondelet
CAS Constructors
C.H. Robinson
Children’s Mercy Hospital
Christ Lutheran School
Christ The King Catholic Church
Christmas Families Inc.
City Rent a Truck
Centerville Community Church
Complete Facility Solutions
Corizon Health
Cornerstone Home Lending
Canterbury
Corpus Christi Church
Department for Children and Families
East Side Baptist Church
ECKAA
Edward D Jones
Essense of Australia
Excel Wellness Studio
Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene
Family Dollar

Fist Baptisit Church- Mond City
First Baptist Church- Ottawa
First Baptist Church- Paola
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas
Field North Aviation
First Church of the Nazarene
First United Methodist Church
Freight Quote
French Middle School
Fortiviti
Girl Scout Troop 939
Golden Achievers 4-H
Gordon & Sons Construction
Hallmark
Healthy Roots Counseling
Heartland Community Church
Henderson Engineers, Inc.
Home Rental Services
Home Savings Bank
Honeywell
Hope Anthem Church- Ottawa
Jolly Go Getter 4-H
Johnny Lightning Strikes Again
Kansas Association of Insurance Agents
Kansas Department of Revenue
Kansas Gas Services
Kansas Housing Resource Corporation
Kansas State School of Family Studies and Human Services
Kansas Wheat Commission
KBI-BEAT Committee
KC 102.1

KC Insurance Group
KC Windustrial
Killingsworth Family Painting
KinderCare Learning Center
KUMC Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Life 88.5
Lighthouse Bible Church
Leavenworth First United Methodist Church
Legends Dental Group
Legislative Auditor’s Office- Wyandotte County
Logan Elementary School
Louisburg Library
Lukas Liquors
Magellan Pipeline Company
Mattress Firm
McCray Lumber and Millwork
Mission Woods Physical Therapy
MedTrakRX
Millapore Sigma
MISH Hospitals and Clinics Kansas City
Moran Methodist Church
Neosho County Community College Nursing School
Nephrology Associates
New Life Community Church
New Hope Presbyterian Church
New Directions Behavioral Health
North Kansas City Hospital
Olathe Chamber of Commerce
Office of the State Bank Commissioner
Ottawa Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep
Ottawa High School National Honor Society
OPRMC/AAKC
Ottawa Chiropractic Clinic
Phi Tau Omega Sorority- Omicron Zeta Chapter
Performance Tire
PEO Chapter AU
Princeton Goal Buster 4-H
Pro Metal Fabrication
Protection 1 Account Management
Providence Medical Center- Cardiology Department
Protiviti
Ransom Memorial Hospital
Reliable Remodelers Espinoza
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Righteous Tattoo Studio
Robinson Middle School
Rosehill Pointe Apartments
Rowdy Wranglers 4-H
Salon One19
Schendel Pest Services
See Me Save Consignment
Seeker Not Slackers 4-H
SH3 Inc
Shawnee Heights Elementary School
Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Silvercrest
Sloan, Eisenbarth, Glassman, McEntire & Jarboe LLC.
Sonic Equipment
Squad Builders
St. Patricks Parish
Stormont Vail Croco Clinic
Stumbo Hanson, LLP

Talk of the Town

Team Zinnecker
Thomas J. Pollard Insurance Agency, Inc.
Topeka Business Alliance
Topeka Ear Nose & Throat
Topeka Police Records Division
Topeka Public Schools ROTC Program
Town and Country 4-H
Toys For Tots
UBS Financial Services
UMB Bank
Unity Church of Overland Park
Universal Construction
University National Bank
U.S. Engineering
Westar Energy
WestGlen GI
Westlake ACE Hardware
Westminster Presbyterian- Ottawa

Westport Ale House 
Westside Family Church
Whitson Elementary
Wyandotte County Health Department
Wyandotte County Administrator’s Office
Xavier Catholic school
YMCA North Topeka