Leadership Marshfield Project Helps Kids Gift Parents
Throughout the next couple of weeks, FOCUS will take a deeper look at some of this year’s Leadership Marshfield projects.
Background: The purpose and objective of Leadership Marshfield is to identify current and potential leaders in the community and provide a training program that will enhance their ability to function as more effective leaders. They will be better equipped to face the issues, problems, and challenges that will determine our community’s future.
Leadership Marshfield is a program of the Marshfield Area Chamber Foundation supported by the Leadership Council, volunteers, Chamber staff, and a strong Alumni network.
MACCI’s first Leadership Class graduated in May 1993. The 2018 class was recruited in the summer of 2017. Members participate in a series of eight informative one-day programs and develop group projects designed to meet each individual’s interests and community needs.
The purpose of the community project is to provide participants with an additional educational experience beyond the monthly sessions. Participants select their projects after learning about opportunities confronting the community and according to their interests.
Project Name: Presents 4 Parents
Team Members: Mary Sue Kauer, Tammy Beil, Kristen Dean and Barb Kuhn.
Parents are expected to give gifts to their children, but what about the reverse?
A 2018 Leadership Marshfield project called Presents 4 Parents is based on the well-known Toys 4 Tots program, which allows low-income parents to pick out toys for their kids.
“We are offering the same concept of serving low income families in the Marshfield area, but different in that we allow children to pick out and give presents to their parents or guardians,” said Barb Kuhn. “Presents 4 Parents’ mission is: ‘to foster a spirit of generosity among the children we serve by providing an opportunity for them to experience the reward and emotion of giving.’”
The program launched last Christmas and served the Marshfield Area Community Center for Outreach’s Youth Net program.
“Prior to our event, we collected merchandise donations as well as gift wrapping supplies from our community members, and monetary donations from local businesses,” said Kuh. “On December 18, 2017, we set up what we call our ‘pop-up shop’ at the Youth Net site. As the children came into our ‘shop,’ they were given a ticket to use in trade for a present for Mom and/or Dad.”
Gifts were arranged on tables and children could also wrap their gifts. “We heard many of the kids say this was the first time they had been able to give their parent a gift, some had never even wrapped a present before,” noted Kuhn.
