Terry Blackburn
Terry and his wife Ruth Blackburn open up their home and heart to hundreds of foster children every year. They also have Jordan’s Place which is a clothing and food pantry for the families in the community. This was focused on families with foster children, then he opened to help even more. He has a huge heart and spends every minute trying to help out children in need.
Nominated By: Kristine Hayden
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Deana Florence
Deana has been helping the homeless victims of domestic violence single parents and others since 1997, donating her time to pick up and drop off donations for the needy. She started a quest to ask for coats hat, gloves and blankets to give to the homeless during the winter months. She is unemployed due to job cuts at IUPUI. Her children have never had to experience a Christmas without gifts. She has always paid it forward and now it is her time to receive any help or blessings she may get.
Nominated By: Michelle Edwards
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Dean & Peggy Couch
Dean & Peggy feed, clothe and minister to the homeless and less fortunate in Hancock and Marion Counties. Week after week, they donate money, time, supplies and their love to these people. I never hear them complain, nor relent in their endeavors to help others. I am nominating them for Christmas on Us because I feel that they deserve a great gift like this. I have no doubt that they would continue paying it forward with this gift.
Nominated By: Pam Hochstedler
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Pat Lottes
Every year Pat (along with her brothers and sisters) holds a Christmas for underprivileged children. They “adopt” around 20 children and provide them and their families with hair cuts, lunch, a box full of food for Christmas dinner and other staples and then Santa is there and presents the kids with some of their Christmas wishes.
Nominated By: Angela Jackson (pictured above, Pat could not attend)
Ed Calton
Ed Calton’s entire existence is about serving the poorest of this city – the homeless. Ed is not a young man and yet he organizes and prepares and delivers meals regularly. Though he is able to collect a few donations, he funds the majority of his project with his own money. For these reasons and many more, I believe Ed is so deserving of this prize.
Nominated By: Kelly Spector
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Tim Balz
One day, Tim noticed a special needs classmate laboring with the recycling at school. The kid was in a manual wheelchair. Tim donated his moped scooter for an electric wheelchair, fixed it, and tricked it out. This led to Tim founding his own nonprofit 501-c3 charity called Freedom Chairs. He takes donated electric wheelchairs and fixes them. He has given away over 60 electric wheelchairs he fixes. Tim is a Freshman at Rose-Hulman with a ton of stress, and is perfect for a Christmas On Us.
Nominated By: Sarah Copeland
Hope Garrett
Hope is a very caring and giving person. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Restoring Lives West, a support to homeless teens. She has volunteered with the youth at our church for many years. Last year, Hope and her husband became guardians to two young girls in the church. She also battled cancer and won. Hope is an inspiration and deserves a great Christmas.
Nominated By: Shannon Ray
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Tammy McLary
I would like to nominate Tammy McLary for Christmas on Us. Tammy started “Mamaw Pams Angels” in 2004 or 2005 when her mom Pam became a resident at the Waters in Martinsville. Tammy saw that some residents, more than one would think, did not ever receive any visitors, and wanted to do something special for them at Christmas. Tammy along with her mom passed out maybe a handful of care packages to some of the residents at the Waters. This tradition has grown every year since.
Nominated By: Brenda Cheek
