By Zack Frink

OneFifteen, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people recover from opioid addiction and substance use, is searching for partners to donate healthy snacks for children who stay  in the organization’s Family Wait Area while their parents are in treatment.

“It needs to be nonperishable, like packets of toddler food, applesauce, crackers and peanut butter, and it all must be individually wrapped,” said Tina Rezash Rogal, OneFifteen’s marketing and public affairs manager.

The call for healthy food came after caregivers at OneFifteen noticed a troubling trend: children wearing only t-shirts during the coldest months of the year. The scene prompted Rogal to take action. She posted on her personal Facebook account asking friends, family and colleagues to donate warm clothes to children in need. In an overwhelming response, the post garnered about two dozen comments and resulted in Rogal’s Facebook friends donating coats, snow pants, boots, hats and mittens. Linda Phillips, Rogal’s friend of 20 years, was the first to donate.

“I’m the grandmother of a little one,” said Phillips. “The thought of other children going without warm and comfortable clothes was unacceptable to me. I simply did what any caring person would do to help out.”

Phillips visited three Dayton-area Goodwill stores to buy clothes in a variety of sizes before washing and delivering them to Rogal.

Sandra Geib, the development and marketing director for Agape for Youth, is another one of Rogal's longtime friends who stepped up. Agape for Youth is a foster care, adoption through foster care and reunification services agency.

"When Tina told us that she needed items for the children of clients being served at OneFifteen, I knew that we had to help," said Geib.

Geib coordinated through Agape for Youth to initially donate 20 blankets. They later donated three more boxes of blankets, coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals and small toys.

"We have been fortunate to receive an outpouring of donations from our community this year, and sharing those donations with others in need is what we believe in doing," said Geib.

Anyone interested in donating healthy snacks can contact Rogal at 937-535-7103.