MANSFIELD, Ohio — Enjoying lunch, milk and cookies included, and sharing the results of their handiwork made for fun afternoon for some local girls Saturday.
The Cookies and Milk Project hosted its 2015 Annual Wreath Making Workshop Saturday at the UMADAOP Community Outreach Center on Trimble Road. More than 50 people attended the event: girls who wanted to make wreaths, volunteers, and some parents.
The idea for the Cookies and Milk Project came to Debbie Holt approximately two and a half years ago after the death of her mother.
“My mother passed away and I missed her,” Holt said. “She always said, ‘Keep giving; give of yourself,” and I love kids.”
She recruited Theresa Williams and with the help of volunteers they have led girls on adventures and through creative activities like Saturday’s wreath project.
“Last year we went to COSI. This year we went to Paddock Inn for horseback riding and swam in the pond. We make jewelry and give it to senior citizens. That’s what we do with the wreaths, too,” Holt added.
The Cookies and Milk Project isn’t just about having fun, it is also intended to help girls celebrate their strengths and realize their dreams.
Some of the wreaths went home with their young creators and some would go to senior citizens.
Sisters Dazey, 9; Zy’quia, 10; and Scottasia Manns, 10, worked on their wreaths together. Terrie Feagin, 10, decided to make hers in Mansfield Tygers colors of orange and brown but added a glittering ‘Merry Christmas’ to it as well.
Before they began their projects, the girls were invited to write down their ideas of things they would like to do with the group and Holt encouraged them to “dream big.” They could also write what they wanted to be when they grow up.
Chipotle provided lunch and volunteers and organizers brought cookies.
When the wreaths were completed the girls were invited display them for everyone to see.
The event was sponsored by Chipotle, Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOP), North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC), and We ACT, a community organization that responds to community needs.
