Photos courtesy of William Bretthauer and Westerville Caring and Sharing
Westerville Caring and Sharing helps families who have run into unexpected roadblocks.
Many students don’t have the luxury of a hot meal, warm clothes and a comfortable home. It’s a harsh reality, and it can be difficult to believe such realities exist in Westerville. One local organization is working to support kids who do not have access to basic necessities like food.
Westerville Caring and Sharing is an organization dedicated to helping students who qualify for free or reduced priced lunch. The students benefiting from WC&S often don’t have enough money for supplies as well as food. WC&S helps these students by hosting two projects each year, the Holiday Project and the Back-to-School project. The organization has served students in the Westerville City School district for 30 years, and its last Back-to-School Project benefited approximately 340 students.
The organization often relies on word-of-mouth, social media, press releases and the school system to raise awareness for its two projects. Westerville City School counselors can also identify a student who might benefit from WC&S.
“We will be working on becoming more visible in the Westerville community and hopefully partner with more local businesses to insure our sustainability." - Barbara McCoy
Many of the students that WC&S helps come from hardworking families that live paycheck to paycheck and perhaps lack the necessary funds to make ends meet. WC&S also helps families who have run into unexpected roadblocks, such as an illness or a sudden job loss. These families often don’t have enough in emergency savings to carry them through the crisis.
“We do not judge in any way as long as they qualify,” says Barbara McCoy, president of WC&S.
The organization operates as a small group of volunteers, and was founded in 1988 by the Young Women’s Christian Association and members of the Westerville Chamber.
“We work out of our homes, volunteer our time and organize and implement fundraisers to cover our administrative expenses so that 100 percent of donations are used to provide assistance to the less fortunate Westerville students and their families,” McCoy says.
Thanks to the volunteers, WC&S has celebrated its 30-year anniversary in October 2018 at the Westerville Public Library.
“WC&S is so truly blessed to serve those who simply need a little assistance and (need) to know that others care about them and their family,” McCoy says.
The Holiday Project
Michelle Watts
Christmas donations
Every year, WC&S puts on a Holiday Project that is meant to help students and senior citizens. The project has been in existence for the 30 years that WC&S has been operating.
Parents interested in receiving help start by picking up application packets and blank wish lists for their children. The child populates the wish list with presents they would like to be gifted. The parents deliver the packet and the wish list back to WC&S, and then WC&S seeks out people who want to sponsor the child and provide the gifts from the wish list.
“Our goal is to provide each child with items from their wish list and, when funds allow, a gift card to be used for any clothing needs not provided by their sponsor,” McCoy says.
The 2017 Holiday Project helped about 725 children.
The Back-to-School Project
Backpacks are a popular donation item.
The Back-to-School project helps provide kids with new school supplies and outfits that they need for school.
“Our students are welcome to come during our Back-to-School Project to pick out that special bookbag or backpack and then fill (it) with their grade-appropriate school supplies, personal hygiene products and a gently used book or two,” McCoy says. “The smiles from our students and their families are so very awesome. We actually get to experience the gratefulness and thankfulness from ‘our kids’ and that is priceless.”
WC&S kindly requests donations of backpacks, books and other school supplies to help the project succeed. If there is extra money, students also receive a gift card.
WC&S helped about 340 students in the 2018 Back-to-School project.
“We know this program helps each student begin the school year with self-confidence and a positive attitude,” McCoy says.
The Future
The organization doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.
“We will be working on becoming more visible in the Westerville community and hopefully partner with more local businesses to insure our sustainability,” McCoy says. “And, of course, to reach out to more of those in need who qualify for our two annual projects.”
Emily Chen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
