Zionsville Youth Football League, TDS donation drive yields outpouring of support for Isaiah 117 House in Whitestown, Indiana
A one-day donation drive became the little donation drive that could. Isaiah 117 House, a new Whitestown, Indiana nonprofit, received more than $4,500 in donations thanks to the efforts of the Zionsville Youth Football League (ZYFL) and TDS Telecom (TDS®).
On a recent ZYFL game day, the league and TDS hosted a collection drive to benefit the nonprofit, which is building a house in Whitestown, that gives children transitioning to foster care support a home-like environment while they await placement.
In just one day, ZYFL and TDS collected $2,100 in monetary donations and at least $2,500 worth of needed items.
“When children are removed from an unsafe situation, they are brought to the Department of Child Services office await foster placement,” explains Ginger Summers, program coordinator for Isaiah 117 House. “Thanks to donations like these, Isaiah 117 House is able to give these kids clean clothes, toys, and food, in a home-like setting to help comfort them on what is probably the worst day of their life.”
The donation drive also had a unique connection to the Indianapolis Colts.
“We hoped to make it more fun by offering a chance to win raffle prizes if you donated,” says Julie Deweese, fundraising and sponsorship coordinator for ZYFL. “One of the ZYFL dads is a former Colts player, and he reached out to the team hoping to get tickets. But they went above and beyond by sending tickets plus a signed football, a parking pass, and amazing seats—the Colts really hooked us up.”
The other raffle prize was a Woodhouse Day Spa gift certificate, which was won by an ER doctor. “What better person to win?” Deweese noted.
“It was wonderful to partner with both of these organizations to help children in need,” says Jackie Adsit, associate manager of field marketing at TDS. “People were incredibly generous and we’re so grateful. In addition to collecting eight bins worth of merchandise that day, people also shopped online, and Ginger had a truckload of additional items waiting for her by Monday.”
Volunteers at Isaiah 117 House will now organize the goods donated so they can be quickly accessed when needed. Isaiah 117 House broke ground last month on its Whitestown home, which is expected to be completed later this year or early 2022.
For more information about TDS, visit tdstelecom.com or call 1-888-CALL-TDS. For more information about ZYFL, visit zyfl.net. For more information about Isaiah 117 House, visit isaiah117house.com/Indiana-homes.
