It all started on a fall day in November when Brittney Meguire attended a local Rotary club meeting. The guest speaker at the meeting was Beth McManus of Child Focus, Inc. and Meguire was so inspired by the children’s programs mentioned, she decided to ask Child Focus to be her Valentine so to speak.
Meguire is a Medicaid Manager at the Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Clermont DD). She spends a lot of time working with individuals and families, assisting them through a sometimes daunting paperwork process. Her job is very busy and affords her little time for hobbies. She loves giving back to her community, and finding creative ways to do this is a challenge she enjoys. After meeting McManus, Meguire decided to create a book drive in January that would end on Valentine’s Day, giving Clermont DD the opportunity to show some love to Child Focus and the many children the organization serves.
“When I was sorting through the boxes, it brought tears to my eyes when I remembered all of the people that read to me when I was a little girl and the impact it made on my life,” said Meguire. “I can think of ten books off the top of my head that changed my life and hope that everyone on this planet gets the same opportunity.”
Meguire collected 400 books that came from many people across Clermont County. Staff and families who are associated with Clermont DD made donations, as well as customers of Peoples Bank, Park National Bank, and Midwest Polaris to name a few. Even county agencies such as the Clermont County Public Library and Clermont County Public Health helped bring this book drive to life. On February 14, Meguire was excited to transport the books to McManus’ office.
“We are honored that Brittney and Clermont DD chose Child Focus to be their Valentine,” said McManus, who is the Early Learning Program Officer at Child Focus, Inc. “Brittney is an inspiration for taking swift action and gathering the community to support children in our program who desperately need more books in their home.”
“It’s exciting to see our community work together to promote early literacy and ensuring each child has the opportunity to be ready for kindergarten. I can’t wait to see the children’s faces when they are presented with their own books which will open up a world of imagination,” said McManus.
Although this took a lot of organization, Meguire is already looking at ways to help the community next February. Providing supplies for those who are homeless and clothing programs for children, and more are just a few of the ways she is hoping to help. One thing is certain: if Meguire is involved, she will encourage others to join her in spreading a bit of Valentine’s Day love throughout our community.
