JOHNSONBURG – For the children of the Gulf Coast region, Santa
Claus will not arrive this year on a sleigh powered by eight
reindeer, but by an 18-wheeler.
That is if special helpers Blaine and Andrea Dornisch of
Johnsonburg get their wish to help deliver a load of toys to the
children who lost everything due to Hurricane Katrina.ð
The duo have been busy collecting toys, which were dropped off
at one of seven locations in Elk County, including The Family
Dollar store and the Dornisch home in Johnsonburg; in St. Marys at
the Sacred Heart Rectory; and the Summit Manor Motel and John’s
BiLo in Ridgway. Also taking part were both Allstate insurance
offices in both St. Marys and Ridgway.
“I’m going to carry all them (toys), in whatever size vehicle we
need up to a tractor trailer …,” Blaine Dornisch said. “If for some
reason I don’tðhave a full load of toys, I will put on any of the
other stuff I have.”
Dornisch is the co-founder of the Stepping Stone Foundation. He
and his wife started the foundation to help others affected by
disasters and have made prior trips to Mississippi for hurricane
relief.ðThey contacted smaller communities with the help of the
American Red Cross.ð With the contacts, they were able to find out
what was needed; generally supplies for the smallest survivors.
“The last time I was down there we were helping some individuals
with small children,” Dornisch said. “In fact, the one daughter of
the woman’s house we were at was the same age as one our
daughter’s.ðWe got them connected through the mail and hopefully
they are going to keep the pen-pal activity going.”
Dornisch said as he was in the woman’s home, it occurred to him
the children of the region “are just being pushed along.”
“I think the kids, not intentionally, are overlooked and maybe
forgotten with the holidays, so I wrote letters to the five
different churches that I have been going down to and I got
response back from three,” Dornisch said. “Those individuals in
those churches gave me positive feedback that this is going to be a
good thing.”ð
Dornisch said he received an e-mail from the individual he works
with when he goes down south.
“There is an organization in Hattiesburg, Miss., that is doing a
similar thing,” Dornisch said, adding that group is collecting for
children under 12-years-old.ðDornisch said his load of toys will be
heading elsewhere in the region so the two don’t overlap.ð
One church in particular has 400 families coming to it twice a
week, with the operation open on Mondays and Thursdays.ð
Dornisch said his original intent was to try and collect 1,000
toys. “I have been going to five different churches, just as an
overall plan,” he said. “I thought they could give 200 toys per
church.
“We’re trying to leave the gifts unwrapped if possible so the
adults, when they come into the various churches, can look over the
items that are there and pick an appropriate gift for their
children,” Dornisch said, adding collections will be taken through
Dec. 10.ð
Dornisch said he’s planning on consolidating the load of toys on
Dec. 11 and will likely leave for his destination that Monday. His
wife will ride along and the duo expect to arrive in the Gulf Coast
region Dec. 13.ð
Officials said a charity in Coudersport named “The Christmas
House” had more than 100 gifts collected as of Tuesday, which will
also go with the Stepping Stone Foundation’s toys.ð
Dornisch said if anyone has extra heaters they no longer need,
they can also be included in the load. He said many people are
being housed in mobile homes and camper-type trailers and lack
heaters.
To that end, Dornisch said an individual from Brockway through
the Methodist Church there collected a half-trailer truck load of
40 bed springs and mattresses, as a local hotel was re-doing its
bedding.
For more information contact Dornisch or visit his Stepping
Stone Foundation Web site.
