Seed Spreads Holiday Cheer

This past holiday season, Seed participated in the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities (BCDD) Holiday Outreach program.

The team set out to provide a warm Christmas meal for a family of nine who have five children in kinship care—three of whom were born addicted to drugs—and in typical Seed fashion, went above and beyond to deliver a holiday experience that’s sure to be remembered.

Project Director Kate Mathers has a long history of working with people with developmental disabilities and organized the effort as a way to share those experiences with the Seed family.

“Every year the BCDD holds a holiday outreach program,” said Mathers. “So when I saw this year’s flyer it finally clicked—this would be the perfect time to combine my passions for helping those with disabilities, community service and Seed.”

Mathers reached out to the agency and the response was overwhelming. Before long, the team had assembled a very special delivery for the family in need.

The three-course meal was set to include some Seedling classics, like Rolando Archila’s famous guacamole, Gretchen Mahan’s “OMG Potatoes,” Jamila Watson’s green bean casserole, Matt Donahue’s home-style cookies and Jeff Johns’ “Peanut Butter Delight” cookies.

But dinner wasn’t the only thing being served up. Cherlyn Varga Toth custom created coloring books for each of the children, and Emily Snuffer made a mini chalkboard to house the dinner menu and to be reused as a toy for the children. In all, the Seed team collected over 20 brand-new gifts and more than $500 to donate to the BCDD program.

When the day came to deliver the holiday bounty, four Seedlings represented the larger team, spending two hours talking and playing with the family.

“It all came full circle for me once we entered the family’s home,” said Watson, who also played a key role in organizing the gift collection. “I was simply awe-inspired by the huge responsibility the parents have recently undertaken, surely full of many challenges and obstacles. However, they both seemed genuinely content, and it was obvious that they have each of the kids’ best interests at heart.”

“It was a very special moment to see the looks on the children’s faces when we gave them the coloring books. Their eyes lit up and they were so excited, asking us to color with them and just be present,” said Mathers. “It was such a heart-warming experience—I can’t wait for the next opportunity for the Seed family to help make a difference in the community.”

To learn more about the BCDD, click here.