Opportunities for Kindness
Cremation/Travel Expenses
Sycamore Bridges is assisting the family of a 23-year-old Sycamore HS alum who tragically lost his life in a boating accident near Panama City, Florida. His Blue Ash family is desperately trying to get to Florida this week for his cremation and to retrieve his belongings. With inflated prices and this unexpected expense, they are seeking assistance to pay for their hotel, gas money, and the cremation, totaling around $3,000. If you would like to offer assistance, please CLICK HERE and type “Sycamore Alum” in your note. Please share this post with friends and neighbors so we can bring peace to the family of this young man.
National Sponsors
Ohio Sponsors
Recently Filled Needs
Summer Camp Experience
Sycamore Bridges was contacted by a school administrator to help send an elementary student to basketball camp for a week. The student’s teachers and therapist agree that participation in this camp will have a positive impact on the student’s confidence and self-esteem. The cost is $170. If you would like to contribute, reply to this post and donation instructions will be emailed to you.
Ukrainian Relief Efforts - Part 2
Our Sycamore family who temporarily relocated to Katowice, Poland last summer for work is still performing the ultimate acts of kindness. In addition to hosting Ukrainian refugee families in their home, they continue to assist countless other families with finding temporary housing and financially supporting them until their futures become more certain. Most recently, they have been supporting a mom and young child, while dad stays behind to serve his country. (Dad also suffers from MS, so this has been an especially challenging and scary experience.) Mom is a teacher by trade, and has received an amazing job offer to teach at an international school in Berlin. The job will provide her with continued safety and financial security, where she will be able to send funds back to her husband in Kyiv. It also gives her the opportunity to teach children with special needs, which has always been a dream of hers. Finally, it allows her child to attend the same school where she will be teaching, thus making the additional transition less stressful. Our Sycamore friends are working to find an affordable flat in Berlin, which seems an impossible task at the moment. The city is expensive and the housing demand is at an all time high. With our financial assistance, the hope is to secure an apartment through the summer so the family can begin their new journey without debt at the start of the school year. We are hoping to provide $1,000 to support these efforts. Anything collected beyond this goal will be used to assist the next family who is lucky enough to cross paths with our Sycamore friends. If you would like to contribute, please CLICK HERE and type Ukraine in the notes.
Kitchen Items
Sycamore Bridges received a large donation of pots/pans, utensils, dishes, glasses, knives, mixing bowls, strainers, measuring cups, and other miscellaneous kitchen items to share with families in our community. These items will be distributed to those in need through the OGB Food Pantry. We are so grateful for the kindness of our donors and our partnerships in Sycamore.
Mortgage Assistance
Sycamore Bridges received an anonymous donation to assist a family who recently experienced a tragic loss. As the family struggles to get on their feet, we will be making five monthly mortgage payments to ease some of their burden. We are eternally grateful to our donors so we can offer this relief to our neighbors. This need was filled before being posted.
Graduation Attire
Sycamore Bridges received a last minute request from a school counselor last Friday to help a young man with his graduation attire. The counselor generously offered to shop for the student so he felt confident and proud on his big day. We were able to provide a new dress shirt, pants, tie, socks, underwear, belt, and shoes for $221. If you would like to contribute to this need, please reply to this post and a donation link will be emailed to you.
Toys for Toddlers
Sycamore Bridges received a donation of various toys and a bookshelf appropriate for toddlers. One of our community advocates was able to place the items with a single mom who is working and going to school to make a better life for her family. This need was filled before being posted.
About Sycamore
Lori Drasnin, Area Director
Lori Drasnin is an active Sycamore parent and volunteer. She previously served as PTO President for Montgomery Elementary, as well as PTO Treasurer at Montgomery Elementary, E.H. Greene Intermediate, and Sycamore Junior High School. Over the past decade, Lori has chaired too many PTO events and fundraisers to count and brought innovation and updated programs to our local schools. Lori also organized a Bedtime Bundle collection from the YWCA Battered Women's Shelter from 2014-2017, and served on the board of Ohio Cleats for Kids (C4K) until taking this role.
Lori holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan, as well as a law degree from Emory University. She practiced liability defense for six years at Dinsmore in Cincinnati, OH before "retiring" to stay home and raise her children. Lori is married to husband, Jeff, has two boys, Matthew and Ryan, and two puggles, Max & Erma.
Lori enjoys serving the greater Sycamore community and bridging kindness across the neighborhood.