The Grove City, Ohio Rotary Club is dedicated to giving back to the community. The club is constantly working on projects, including a new one called Catherine’s Cribs started by one of its new members.
Grove City Rotary Club
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The Grove City Rotary was founded in 1996 and has been highly involved in the community ever since, donating nearly $1 million back to the community.
Mary Titus, current Rotarian and Grove City Rotary President 2024-2025, says there are countless projects the club has done that have had an impact in the community.
“Rotary is a global service organization,” says Titus. “The purpose is basically to bring together men and women from all the different backgrounds, all different lifestyles, and we share a passion and commitment to enhancing communities and improving lives across the world in our community locally through humanitarian service.”
Some projects are led by the club as a whole, and others are passion projects of the members that the club supports. Some recent projects the Rotary has completed include awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships, collecting donations for the M.A.S.H. Pantry and Columbus Humane, and supporting the Ronald McDonald House to name a few.
Catherine’s Cribs
Catherine's Cribs
Amy and Joe Horton.
Joe Horton officially joined the Rotary in February of this year after being active in events since last fall.
Joe is a Marine Corps veteran and a retired Columbus police officer. During his 30 years of service as an officer, he experienced some difficult calls. Particularly, the few calls involving the death of infants, many of which were accidental due to the baby not sleeping in proper and safe bedding.
“It was more likely than not preventable had that infant been in an appropriate sleep system such as a bassinet or a crib, something designed for infant children to sleep in,” says Joe.
During his career, Joe would often talk about the issue of crib access with his wife, Amy, a nurse who previously worked in the NICU.
He brought the idea of Catherine’s Cribs to the Rotary, and it quickly became a reality. The two started Catherine’s Cribs in February of this year. The nonprofit is dedicated to providing a safe space for infants to sleep.
Catherine’s Cribs is named for Joe’s mom, Mary Catherine "Cathy" Horton.
The Hortons are incredibly thankful for the Rotary’s support and help getting the nonprofit up and running, including connecting them with people to help build the website, create business cards and more.
As Catherine’s Cribs continues to grow, the Hortons are eager to fine-tune the details to help families in need.
Getting a crib
The Hortons understand there are different circumstances that may lead someone to need a crib.
Catherine’s Cribs is dedicated to donating to anyone in need, including mothers, fathers, foster families, grandparents, aunts, uncles and anyone else who needs a safe space for a baby to sleep.
To request a crib, individuals can visit the nonprofit’s website and complete a short questionnaire. The crib will then be delivered directly to the recipient’s door.
Catherine’s Crib respects privacy and will not disclose the identity of the recipients. It is also important to note that Catherine’s Cribs is not a government or healthcare agency.
The Hortons are currently sourcing their cribs from either Amazon or Walmart to ensure convenient delivery to the recipient’s front door.
The Hortons bought and tested several options and emphasize the importance that the donated cribs are portable cribs,
as they help provide flexibility and are easy to move to where they are needed.
“I wanted one that as the baby grew, the mattress would go further down in the crib, so it has a changing table on top,” says Amy. “As the baby gets bigger, it’s adjustable.”
Although the nonprofit is still on the newer side, the Hortons are eager to see what it will become and all the families they can help.
Ways to help
Catherine’s Cribs is always looking for community support.
Currently, the organization is accepting monetary donations, which can be made through the website. The donations go to the Grove City Rotary Foundation and are specifically set aside for Catherine’s Cribs.
Since Catherine’s Cribs is new and not well-known yet, another way to help is by spreading the word.
The Hortons are working hard to raise awareness and reach families in need by connecting through word of mouth and information cards placed at local churches.
“We’re just hoping it continues to grow and develop into something (that becomes) largely recognized as a charitable effort where the mother and the child or the family involved know their dignity and their privacy are respected,” says Joe. “And they’re provided a safe environment for the child.”
Korrigan Craddock is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
