Meredith’s helps 1,050 families

Published 12:02 am Thursday, June 18, 2015

Meredith’s Miracles this week helped its 1,050th family.

“We reached that June 15,” said Director Emily Yehling said. “That’s so exciting. I love making milestones.”

To date, the organization has donated nearly $390,000 to families.

Yehling announced last month that the organization was working to expand its efforts statewide.

She and June Simpson traveled to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham to meet with social workers to ask that they begin referring families in need to the non-profit that offers non-medical-related financial support to families with sick and injured children from the area who need specialized care not available locally.

Those things include, but aren’t limited to transportation, food or lodging money.

Since then, Yehling said she’s had a lot of calls from Children’s, including three families from Eufaula.

To raise money to fund the expansion, Yehling said she’s sent letters to civic organizations in the cities in which children have been referred and is currently searching for large foundations and companies to make donations.

“We have to go outside this area to get some more financial assistance to do this,” she said. “We appreciate the lovely people who have made us who we are today.”

Yehling said only three families were served in 2005, when Meredith’s Miracles opened in October.

“We’ve come a long way,” she said. “The amazing that the money we have given out is all from local people, local civic organizations and local families.”

Yehling said the organization will never be able to thank the local community for its support.

“It’s time for us to grow,” she said. “It’s time for us to go outside the area.”

Yehling said the organization will still do its annual fundraiser’s like the Valentine Sweet Shoppe, Cookies With Characters and the fish fry.

The organization was founded 10 years ago in honor of Meredith McGlamory, who passed away from a form of childhood cancer in 2003. She is Simpson’s granddaughter and the daughter of Janna Marsh and Russell McGlamory.

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