Leading with Heart: Local Women Deliver Holiday Help

This Thanksgiving, 45 families in Warren County will receive full holiday meals, thanks to a local effort powered by women-owned businesses and one shared mission: giving back.

“This is a relationship made in heaven,” said Sam Barber, founder and director of Reaching Out Now. “We’re able to do this because our community cares.”

Barber is partnering with Danielle Haase, co-owner of On Cue Sports Bar & Grill, and Jamie Marshall and Heather Clatterbuck of CSM Aesthetics to provide Thanksgiving meals to families selected by local school counselors and principals.

“We’re stepping it up a notch,” Barber said. “We are providing 45 families within our school community a full Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day.”

“We’ve already sent the information out to the counselors,” she explained. “They’re the ones picking the five families from each of our nine schools.”

Haase confirmed the plan: “I’m going to be donating all of the meals. Forty-five meals will be picked up at On Cue between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. They’ll each get a full either turkey or ham and all the sides, and we’re getting pies for them as well.”

“We actually got our first turkey yesterday,” she added. “If you’ve got that certificate from Martin’s, just hand it on over to us and we’ll be glad to get it for you.”

Support is already pouring in. “U.S. Foods has already donated $500 worth of product for us,” said Haase. “We’re just touching the surface right now.”

The generosity doesn’t stop there.

“Directly after that,” Haase said, “we’ll be setting up our buffet for our second annual community buffet that we’re opening to the public.”

She added, “It’s free, no obligation to pay at all. We’re just opening our doors for a warm meal for people who aren’t from the area or maybe are lacking in areas that they can’t support themselves.”

The buffet runs from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. “Last year we got up to 240 plates,” Haase said. “We’re expecting, hopefully, to double that this year.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit HARTS of Warren and Reaching Out Now.

A Day of Giving at CSM Aesthetics

CSM Aesthetics also made a big contribution this month through its annual Tox-a-Thon fundraiser.

“We held our annual Tox-a-Thon on Sunday,” said Jamie Marshall. “We injected almost 2,300 units.”

“It’s basically a marathon,” added Clatterbuck, “where we open it up to everybody in the community. We just donated a dollar per unit.”

The event also featured raffle prizes donated by On Cue, Donahoe’s Whimsical Florist, New Day Cleaning, Heavenly Sips and Snacks, Turnmire Art, and Blake & Co. Victoria Aesthetics also donated part of the proceeds from its permanent jewelry bar.

“All those donations went to Reaching Out Now,” said Marshall.

Feeding the Body — and the Spirit

This month’s giving is part of a year-round outreach led by Barber and her organization.

“Our Better Together Family Dinners happen every month,” she said. “In December, it’s every year with Mr. Johnston, the Santa, and food from Devon Smith.”

Barber shared details of her team’s recent youth leadership efforts. “The YES Conference was so amazing,” she said. “Today we dropped off the ‘well wishes’ cards to Valley Health — 191 cards the kids wrote.”

“We delivered six boxes to each school in our community, plus the Department of Social Services, Winchester Rescue Mission, and People Inc.,” she said. “All received support from the 19,400 meals.”

Barber credited the success to teamwork: “Kevin Anderson sent the baseball boys over. Coach Steve Seibert was the man in charge. My vice president, Kim Casford, whom we call Kapi, works for Clear Horizons. They set everything up.”

Even as the logistics grow, Barber said her mission stays the same: “I’m just grateful that this is us. I brought my girls together because for us to do what we do, I can’t do it without them.”

She also gave a heartfelt nod to her husband, Joe. “Oh my gosh, my husband is my rock. He is amazing. He keeps me on track.”