Kids shop for loved ones

Hundreds of kids and volunteers came together to make the holidays brighter for families.

Earlier this month, Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County offered the newly named Carla Stidham Christmas Shop for its members to select and wrap gifts for their families and loved ones.

Members earn “Santa Bucks” to exchange for their gifts through good behavior and program attendance. In 2023, more than 2,500 gifts were distributed throughout the community thanks to the program.

“The Carla Stidham Christmas Shop teaches our members to think of others during the holiday season,” BGCWC Chief Executive Officer Alicia Painter said in a news release. “Members take pride in being able to give back to their families and find the perfect gift for their loved ones.”

The shop is a year-long project for a committee of volunteers who source donations and discounts to fill the space with items from toys to tools and jewelry. Businesses, including Ahaus Tool & Engineering, Better Homes & Gardens First Realty Group, Blue Buffalo, CIT, Earlham College Athletics & Wellness, Ivy Tech, Manpower, Merchants Bank, Natco, Tiedemann Bevs, VanVleet Insurance and Wetzel Auto, ran donation drives in 2024 to stock the store.

More than 200 volunteers help students choose and wrap presents. For more information about how to get involved, contact lmurray@bgcrichmond.org.

The clubs renamed the shop in memory of Carla Stidham, a lifetime board member. She created the shop after joining the board in 1995 and remained an organizer and champion until her death in May.

“Carla’s 29 years of service to the club and to the youth of Wayne County has touched so many lives,” Painter said. “Renaming the Christmas Shop in her honor is a small way for us to thank her for her contagious enthusiasm and efforts.”