Published Thursday, December 18, 2008

Two students help youngsters at Angel's House

The Times-Herald

Thanks to a pair of Coweta County middle school students, what could have been a dreary Christmas will be a lot brighter for some residents of Angel's House, Coweta County's emergency children's shelter.

Several weeks ago, Lee Middle School seventh graders Danielle Ruttinger and Sarah De Meis decided to do something special for the residents of Angel's House. They learned about the shelter at Heartbeat, an after-school church club.

"We knew they wouldn't be with their families this Christmas," says Ruttinger. "And we knew we couldn't make that better. But we thought we could do something, so we did."

The girls went to a local discount store and realized they could buy a stocking and fill it with crayons, coloring books and small toys for about $6 per stocking.

They hatched a gift-giving plan and then attacked the problem of fund-raising. Ruttinger and De Meis decided to sell homemade keychain lanyards and stayed up one night making the items.

Then they went door to door in SummerGrove's The Overlook, where both girls live, and asked for donations. They sold enough keychains to fill 24 stockings, with money left over for extra gifts.

The girls' mothers called Angel's House, told them what had been done and asked when they could bring the gifts. Then they told Angel's House officials what was in the stockings.

They were told the stocking stuffers would be ideal for young children, but that currently all the residents of Angel's House were teenage girls who really wanted makeup, toiletries and personal items.

Luckily the girls had collected enough cash to adjust their plans.

Six bags of items designed to suit a teenage girl's tastes were purchased, and Ruttinger and De Meis headed for Angel's House last Sunday evening not knowing what to expect.

Angel's House may keep up to 10 children at a time. When De Meis and Ruttinger visited, six girls were in residence. Getting gifts from girls their own age made the occasion even more special.

"Our girls were so excited," said Angel's House program director Becky Parish. "When they saw someone their own age coming in with those presents they were absolutely thrilled."

The Angel's House girls met their guests at the front door. Everyone was nervous at first. But once the car trunk opened and the girls saw the gifts, the ice broke in a hurry.

"I was nervous, at first," says De Meis. "But they were all really sweet."

After introductions and gift-sharing, the middle school visitors got a guided tour of Angel's House.

"It was really nice, and the girls said they felt like they were a family," says Ruttinger. "But you knew they would miss their real families at Christmas."

Angel's House opened its doors to children on June 2, 2004. An average of seven children live at Angel's House on a daily basis, according to Parish.

Recently, Angel's House contracted with Georgia Baptist Children's Homes to operate the facility on a daily basis. Angel's House still relies on community support and donations for ongoing operations. And for special things like Christmas gifts.

"It was slow at first, but we've seen a steady stream of people and gifts for several days," Parish says. "It says so much about our community that even in tough times, people are willing to give."

And not just grownups.

"It was fun to see them when they got the gifts," Ruttinger says. "Christmas isn't about receiving, it's about giving. But I felt like I was the one that was receiving the best gift."