Farm Bureau, Mia’s World partner to help those in need
Gordon County Farm Bureau Insurance and Atlanta-based nonprofit Mia’s World, Ministries in Action, are partnering this Christmas to host their third annual food and toy drive for families in need in Gordon County. The drive is set for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Farm Bureau office, located at 487 W. Belmont Drive in Calhoun.
Mia’s World founder and owner Tony
Reynolds, a native of Calhoun who attended Red Bud Elementary School as a child, said he is happy to come back and take part in the drive every year. For him, it is an opportunity to reconnect with and give back to a community that has meant a great deal to him over the years.
“I live down in Atlanta now and I come back to do this every year. It’s really special to be able to do it,” Reynolds said. “It wouldn’t be
possible, either, if it weren’t for the people who live and work in Calhoun being so willing to step out and get involved in things that help people in their community, even when their own lives are busy.”
This year, requested items for the drive include clothing for both children and adults, food items and toys. Reynolds said gift cards will also be accepted. All donations can be delivered to the Gordon County Farm Bureau Insurance office on Saturday.
“We will have Christmas cards out too, so that people can write in them and sign them and each family can get a card to go with their gift,” Reynolds said. “It’s just a little something extra to encourage them.”
Giving families a little extra encouragement is something Reynolds is very familiar with. His work at Mia’s World is all about helping families and individuals who’ve been affected by intellectual or developmental disabilities, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, hunger and/ or financial issues.
The nonprofit is named after Reynold’s daughter Mia, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome before birth and who was born with two holes in her heart (ASD and VSD) and an intestinal obstruction in May 2015. In the four years since, Mia has also been diagnosed with conductive hearing loss and has global developmental delays, treated through 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 her joy that inspires him to try and improve the world in whatever way he can.
“Mia exudes a love for life and a care for others that can only come from God,” Reynolds said.
Anyone interested in helping out with the Gordon County drive can contact Ginger Floyd at 706-264-7978. For more information about Mia’s World, visit www.miasworld.org.