I have been with Kids Wish Network for almost two years now and have had the opportunity to experience so many different things. I feel so blessed to be part of something that not only gives back but brings hope and happiness for so many different children that walk on so many different paths in life. For example, last year before the Holidays we decided that we really needed to help children right in our “backyard.” They economy has been so difficult and has caused many charities to be stretched beyond their limits. After working with many charities that serve the homeless and underprivileged children in our area, I started to become more and more aware of how bad things really are out there for these families and their children.

Two weeks ago, a charity called American Ending Homelessness stopped by after hearing about what we do from other local facilities in the area. When I asked them about their services they began to explain that they go out into the woods where homeless people live and try to provide them with anything that they might need. I was touched by their passion but was completely taken back when they mentioned the number of children that were homeless and living in these conditions. My heart broke. We were able to donate over $40,000 of merchandise to them. I was invited to go out into the woods with the volunteers so I could see how they work and how our donation would be put to use. There was no question in my mind that I was on a mission and I was happy to be going with the volunteers.

When I arrived at the location I was just heartbroken. I came face to face with over 20 kids who didn’t have homes. The people living in these conditions, as you can imagine, are very depressed. As I began to converse with some of these children I realized how blessed I am. The problems I have are nothing compared to what these children face every day of their lives. As Kirk Stevens from Americans Ending Homelessness began to ask the children what they needed, they replied with very basic everyday needs. When I left that night, it was cold. I couldn’t stop thinking about their precious little faces and how happy they were for us to visit. I cried most of the night just thinking about these poor people with no where to go and wondering where the next meal would come from or if anyone out there even cared about them. I almost felt guilty crawling into my own bed knowing that my children were clean, warm and fed.

I am so proud of Kids Wish Network because the truth is is that we really do work hard to make dreams come true and to make a difference in the lives of children across the nation. Many of you reading this right now are all over the United States. This problem is everywhere, not just here. I was honored to be with this wonderful group of people who are on a mission to end homelessness and equally honored to represent Kids Wish Network.

Heather
Distribution Department

Kids Wish Network recently provided The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties with a Gift Bank. They have a shelter that houses abused women and their children and they were in desperate need of assistance. Kids Wish Network is always honored to help.

After the delivery of the Gift Bank, we received a survey from this wonderful facility with this quote on it:

“The items sent were greatly needed. Donations have been down this year (probably the economy). Ironically, it seems that when the economy is unstable, domestic violence rates and our client base increases. Our kids in the emergency shelter need things to do to consume their time. It can get very boring and tedious; mothers are usually stressed and depressed. Many needy children (i.e., our outreach kids, as well as our shelter kids) will be made happy during this holiday season due to your generous contribution. Thank you very much!”

This makes me so happy to know that there will be children that ordinarily have nothing can finally have something to call their own. It also makes me feel better that some of the stress and pressure will hopefully be taken off of these mothers.

Barbara Askin
Director of Distribution

Day 2: Kingsport, Tennessee

Following an early breakfast, we headed down to the “Santa Train”, which turned out to be a very beautiful old Blue Train. It was sitting patiently waiting for us at the station behind the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. When the ‘Food City’ trucks pulled up, everyone joined in and got to work loading the train with all the toys and food which had been packed in bins the previous evening.

When I first boarded the train, it looked very roomy and I wondered why everyone who had taken this trip before talked about what little space we would have on Saturday. Well, it didn’t take long for me to see why! The bins holding the gift bags for the boys and girls were stacked high and they blocked out all the light coming in from the windows. We also had tables full of larger toys that would not fit in the gift bags and would also need to be handed out. Then there was another carriage full of food bins and another carriage from which we would be constantly replenishing our supply to pass out. I was really starting to get excited!

So, while we went to lunch, the train departed Kingsport to make its way to Pikeville, KY where we would meet up with it the following day. But, just to recap on lunch, it turns out that I’m a ‘Southern Food’ lover! What delicious tasting food.

Back at the hotel, there was work to be done and I happily joined the CSX girls in their preparation for the big day. More volunteers started to arrive late in the afternoon and over dinner that evening I got to know some new friends that I would be working closely with on Saturday. It was fun! They even had a Christmas tree in the room which was very festive! Don’t I have a hard job? LOL

Stay tuned in to read the next installment…

Ashley
Distribution Department

Wow, where do I start? What an amazing adventure! I am still on a high from the whole experience! I had planned on blogging every day when away, but this didn’t work out because I had far too much to do there. So, I’m going to try and give you a daily synopsis and hopefully get across the excitement, enthusiasm and magic I experienced during the four days I spent with a lot of really wonderful people.

Day 1: Food City in Kingsport, Tennessee

Following an early flight, I finally arrived in Kingsport, Tennessee. What an amazing sight to see when we pulled into the car park at their local Food City. All I could see was mountains of toys, our toys! This packing event has been a tradition in these parts for many years now and they knew exactly what they were doing. What wonderful people! To the “uneducated eye” it might appear chaotic but boy did they have a system going. We packed 5,000 gift bags for boys and girls in approx. 3 hours. I felt so proud to see all the wonderful toys that KWN donated being packed into these Santa Train Gift Bags.

People were constantly thanking me, as the KWN representative, and complimenting us on the size of our donation and the wonderful variety of quality toys this year. Jamie from Food City, who has been involved in this event for the past seven years, said that donations were so low this year that without our donation, they would have been in big trouble. Apart from packing toys, Food City also had volunteers packing their donated food items for the train. There were a lot of smiles and laughter and everywhere there was an overall “feel good” atmosphere. It was dark when we finally came up for air after the job was done. It was an amazing thing to see everyone come together for this wonderful holiday tradition with a common goal: to reach out to the less fortunate, in particular the children and families of the Appalachians, and make their holidays a little brighter.

Stay tuned for Day 2…

Ashley
Distribution Department

When I came to Kids Wish Network over a year and half ago, I had been laid off. My background was in mortgages and, with the market being so unstable, there was really nothing left for me to do in that industry. However, that was okay with me because I felt like I had reached a point in my life where I needed a change. Not knowing what to do next, I spent the next few months browsing the internet looking for something that would be different. I answered an ad for an Administrative Assistant at Kids Wish Network and I got an interview there; I was hopeful because just knew in my heart that it was “right.”

It is a wonderful feeling to get up every day with a purpose that goes beyond just the needs of my family and myself. The people here at Kids Wish are like a family; everyone seems to pull together if anyone is down or having troubles. I am so grateful for this opportunity not only to help children in need, but to also be around caring people who are much like my other family.

Heather
Distribution Department

As the Director of Distribution for Kids Wish Network, I am grateful for our ever faithful donors that give to our organization. Every day I come into the office and my goal is to ensure that every child we encounter will have what they need and then some. It brings me so much joy to see the tons of amazing toys that leave our warehouse and know in my heart that some very deserving children are going to be smiling and filled with happiness because of them. My heart overflows with joy every time I get a letter or survey back from a facility that we have served telling us how the children enjoyed the toys, games and various other gifts that were sent to them. I am so thankful that I can get up every morning and make a difference in a child’s life. I live to see that these kids are happy!

Barbara
Director of Distribution

Well, the big day is very close now and I am super excited!! It is the 67th year of the CSX Santa Train and I get to go on it! How lucky am I??? This train ride has become a very memorable tradition for the many families living in the Appalachian Mountains. It’s an early Christmas for them or, in a lot of cases, their ONLY Christmas. The train runs from Kentucky down through West Virginia and into Tennessee. It is packed with 15 tons of goodies, toys and gifts. Kids Wish Network packed and sent 11 pallets of toys, games, plush etc. to CSX and we are so happy to be involved in such a caring cause and wonderful project. We get to reach out to a lot of children and that is, after all, what we do best!!!

The actual train ride will be on Saturday, but my fun starts tomorrow with a 7a.m. flight from Tampa to Tennessee. There, I will meet up with the CSX people and from then on it’s a pretty hectic schedule. I’ve been told we will be sorting toys and packing 5,000 goodie bags on Wednesday night in preparation for the train ride. This is a huge volunteer event and it will be held outside the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce from 5-9 p.m.

I have never been to this part of the country before, which makes it even more fun. In fact, I’m actually looking forward to some nice cold weather and I mean real cold weather, my Florida friends. Not 60º. LOL

I’ll keep you posted so stay tuned…

Ashley
Distribution Department

The Distribution Department has had an incredibly super busy week but it has all been worth it. We were able to assist four local charities that desperately needed our help and now these well deserving children will have a very happy holiday! It brings us so much joy to watch as these gift banks are packed with lots of love and picked up by charities that are helping children with grateful hearts. As you can imagine, these toys will not only allow children to experience a great holiday but will also bring a huge relief to parents as well. We are not done yet! We still have gift banks in the warehouse to be picked up next week. It is so heartwarming for us to be able to carry out our mission right in our own back yard!

Barbara
Director of Distribution

Talk about adorable! We received a total of ten pallets of the cutest, most huggable puppets from Folkmanis! These plush puppets are designed so that it really looks as if the little white bunny is coming right out of the hat. They are so soft and perfect for a large range of ages! A great big huge thanks to our friends and faithful donors ant Folkmanis!

Many children are going to be smiling and enjoying these wonderful creative puppets!

Barbara Askin
Director of Distribution

We had another very exciting week here in the Distribution Department and I guess you could say that there is never a dull moment! You see, we just had the privilege of receiving 44 pallets from Fashion Angel of paper doll fashion design kits and fantastic pencils that are full of wonderful color and designs. It was such incredible treat to see this amazing donation come to life as it was delivered here to Kids Wish Network by two 53 foot trailers. Our faithful friends at CSX were generous enough to come to our aid by picking them up and delivering them to us. It is companies like Fashion Angels and CSX that allow us to carry out our mission to bring joy and happiness to very deserving children all across the US.

Barbara Askin
Director of Distribution

Today I had the honor of accepting an award from the Salvation Army Domestic Abuse Shelter with my colleague Susan on behalf of Kids Wish Network. As I sat through the presentation, it hit me how much of an impact Kids Wish Network has on these moms and their children. One mother shared her success story with us. I was very troubled at first when she began to tell about the horrific life that she had prior to getting help from the shelter. I couldn’t imagine how scared she must of been or how she and her child even made it out of their situation alive.

As I gazed around the room to see the reactions of others, it dawned on me that all the amazing people sitting around me were working as one whether it be Kids Wish Network, local police and detectives on a mission to protect these battered women and children, or government entities structured just to meet this need in the community. We are all coming together as one to make their lives better and helping them to have that second chance that some of these women and children never thought they would have.

Working with these local abuse centers for battered women and children along with many other local facilities has changed my life forever in a good way. Hearing stories of how Kids Wish Network has changed the lives of these children and their families is just so awesome.

Heather
Distribution Department

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to fund Anthony’s wish to see the dinosaurs at the Smithsonian. In the process of making phone calls to businesses and organizations in Anthony’s home town of Baton Rouge, I met the most wonderful gentleman named Jimmie. Jimmie is deeply involved in his organization’s fundraising efforts and was determined to help me with Anthony’s wish. Jimmie was true to his word. Anthony and his family will be leaving for Washington D.C. on October 15th! Have a fantastic time, Anthony; and to you, Jimmie, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Donna
Development Department

What exciting surprises came our way in the Distribution Department last week! Our faithful and consistent donors at King Features Syndicate sent us a whole bunch of merchandise that we were not expecting: 15 boxes filled to the brim with an assortment of Betty Boop merchandise including pajamas, t-shirts, slippers, purses, pillows, and plush to mention just a few! The great part about their donation is that there is something to enjoy for all ages. Don’t we all love Betty Boop? We will be including “Betty Boop” in all of our gift bank packing over the next few weeks. We are so grateful to King Feature Syndicate for their generosity and commitment to Kids Wish Network.

Barbara
Distribution Director

OMG! I am so excited to announce that Kids Wish Network has been chosen as the Charity of Choice for CSX! Kids Wish will literally be “Santa’s little helper” while participating in The Santa Train event, and it’s such an honor!

The Santa Train is an annual event that goes through the Appalachian Mountains where volunteers from Kingsport, TN take tons of gifts, toys and food to needy families in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Did you know that The Santa Train is the world’s largest Santa Parade, which is 110 miles en route?

I am so honored to be able to part of this huge event. I promise to keep everyone posted as the event draws near, so keep watching for my blogs!!!

Barbara
Director of Distribution

Barbara and I are back from Vegas in one piece! As I mentioned before our departure, we went there to attend The ABC Kids Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show was busy and full of a lively atmosphere. We got to see and thank many of the wonderful companies who donate to our organization with such open hearts.

We had our little goodie bag full of Kids Wish Network Guardian Angel Coins which we passed out, along with our gratitude and many smiles. It was so heartwarming to be pulled aside and shown the coins in their purses and wallets from the last time we met or when we were told all the funny little stories that people connect to our little good luck charms!

We also met a lot of new companies with promises of future donations, everybody we met was so full of hope and charity, it was really uplifting. I know in my heart that between Kids Wish Network and the many kind and giving companies and individuals out there that we will be supplying toys and gifts to many many many deserving little people for a long long time to come!

Ashley
Distribution Department