By Lindsey Rowland
news@wbcowqel.com
There are many ways to give back to the community, and for sisters Renee McMillen and Joyce Workman, passion manifested itself on Saturday at the Community Counseling Services’ Wheels and Deals Car Show. Despite a little bit of rain, community members came out to participate in and enjoy the festive event, which included not only wheels and deals, but also food trucks, music, face painting, and more.
The car show and flea market is now in its 11th year with the main sponsor being the Community Counseling Services itself, along with local businesses, namely Donley Ford in Galion and Badnell and Dick, an attorneys’ office in Mansfield, who have also stood by the program from the very beginning.
It all started when Joyce and Renee, who have both been working for 18 years as case managers for the counseling center, came to realize that there weren’t any Christmas plans for the people that the center served. Disturbed by this, the sisters immediately set out to plan a fundraiser which, that year, only made around $500. They were determined, however, and were able to stretch the money to throw the first Christmas party.
From there, the idea sparked in the name of holiday cheer grew and now, each year, the money from the fundraiser continues to grow and provides more outings throughout the year, including summer trips to such places as Lake Erie and the Amish country.
According to McMillen, a lot of the clients that they work with don’t get the chance to ever get out of Crawford County, so these trips are a wonderful opportunity for them to socialize and to expand their horizons. And of course, the Christmas party has grown into a huge staple of the counseling center, with more than 70 people attending last year’s festivities, which included gifts, a meal, and a lot of talking and enjoying one another.
“That’s where one hundred percent of the money goes, and that’s why why we do it,” McMillen said. “We saw a need, and our clients really enjoy it.”
Many of said clients were also working at the show, selling T-shirts and a Community Counseling cookbook, gathered from recipes of the family, staff, and consumers that work with the center.
Despite there being rain for the first time in 11 years, Joyce and Renee were as full of excitement as ever. When asked how their roles hit their hearts, McMillen responded, “Personally, we get real joy out of it. Last year, we were able to buy one of our clients a winter coat…she was tickled to death, started crying, and that’s why we do it.”
For more information on the Community Counseling Services, check out their website at www.communitycounseling.info, or call at 419-562-2000.