TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County Children Services has received an outpour of support this holiday season, but one northwest Ohio teenager's generosity is going above and beyond.
Audrey Giesige, 17, planned to make a few dozen blankets to give back to the city she grew up in, but when she discovered 400 children at Lucas County Children Services were in need, she got her friends and youth group involved to help make 115 blankets.
The blankets were delivered Wednesday morning to Lucas County Children Services in downtown Toledo in a Toledo Police Department SWAT vehicle.
"I feel like making blankets is the way I'm meant to serve," Giesege said. "I've been blessed with the opportunity especially during COVID to have so much time on my hands, so I really wanted to make a difference and give back."
Audrey's mom, Stephanie Giesige said the blankets are made out of love from her daughter and everyone in their community.
Around this time last year, Audrey also donated 35 blankets to St. Paul's Community Center in downtown Toledo.
The organization's leadership said the blankets are an amazing gift for foster care children.
"When they leave home sometimes they don't even have time to get things that mean a lot to them, " Executive Director of Lucas County Children Services Robin Reese said. "Just to have a blanket when they enter care and that they can keep with them when they return home... you have no idea the therapeutic value in that."
Caseworkers began delivering the blankets to foster homes the same day.
Children will also receive them when they come in to be placed into a home.