MIA’s World hosts annual holiday toy, food drive
For the third consecutive year, Atlanta-based nonprofit MIA’s World, Ministries in Action, is partnering with Calhoun’s Alcohol and Drug Certification Training Group to host a Christmas toy and food drive for families in need in Gordon County.
Calhoun Coordinator Ginger Fox said the group hopes to have all donations collected by no later than Dec. 11 but will accept new toys, gift cards, nonperishable items and financial assistance until Dec. 15 at the latest.
“We have thirty families signed up to receive some help from us this year and so we have that cut-off date there to make sure we can get them everything by Christmas,” Fox said.
More than 20 children and 10 families benefited from last year’s holiday drive.
Helping others and giving back to the community is especially important to MIA’s World founder and owner
Tony Reynolds, a Calhoun native who was inspired to start the nonprofit by his
daughter, Mia. She was diagnosed with Down Syndrome before birth and was born
with two holes in her heart (ASD and VSD), as well as an intestinal obstruction.
After birth, she was diagnosed with conductive hearing loss and now experiences global developmental delays. She has attended speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy every week since she was six months old.
Still, Reynolds describes Mia as “one of the happiest children” that he and his wife Jessica have ever known.
It is Mia’s joy that inspired Reynolds to try and improve the world by starting an organization dedicated to helping families and individuals affected by intellectual or developmental disabilities, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, hunger or financial issues.
“Mia exudes a love for life and a care for others that can only come from God,” Reynolds said.
Anyone interested in donating to the drive should contact Ginger Floyd at 706264-7978 to set-up a dropoff time and location. For more information about MIA’s World, Ministries in Action, visit www.miasworld.org.