And that’s a WRAP for 2023!

We started in March with an idea and a dream. Then, we spontaneously purchased 7 rooms from the Newark Garden Hotel, and gave away 12 beds to those in need of a bed! (Plus additional items from the rooms).

Since then, we have been continuing to serve the community in ways that help bring people together and educate the community on what’s out there & what’s happening.

In April, we were a part of the Marbletown Easter egg hunt, then come July we hosted a Wayne County Job Fair with a pre- 4-day job prep workshop. We also started accepting donations for our December gift event (currently going on). We received maaaaaaany donations very quickly, so we held numerous thrifty events — and lots of free events! This led to the start of our It’s a Win-Win (UWS Auctions), which works as a fundraising tool for us to keep our doors open! In addition to the auctions and welcoming Judy Larson to the team, Judy started our Community Connections support program on Friday’s!

We continued to grow and attended more events like Wayne County Unity Festival, and met with great people like those at Wayne County Economic and Development.

September came and we had a great turnout for our Back-to-School program! Lots to kids got to start the year off with school supplies! We also gave-back to the Success Center / Transitional House— a place that helps those with nowhere to go find a path— by donating a brand new couch to their common area for their residence.

In October, we hosted a Trunk-or-Treat event for the younger kids in our community & our dear friend Crue who wasn’t able to participate in Halloween— and that was an absolute blast!

November was a month to be thankful. A youth, adult, and business each won a gift basket from us voted by their peers for their contribution to the community. We partnered with The Green Angels to help with donations as they serve families in our community! We also celebrated Small Business Saturday and prepared for December.

This month we have already served 13 families (https://www.unitedwestandcac.org/holiday-resources-2023) with holiday gifts and just attended Newark’s annual tree lighting. We also welcomed our newest Board Member: Marissa Holloway, MSW . We couldn’t be more excited to have you aboard!

We have had a blast working with the community and getting to know everyone. We are very optimistic and joyful for 2024!

Thank you EVERYONE for being a part of our success this year!

Thank you,

Makayla & Matthew Miller (and our 4 kids who work their tails off!!!)