Totally Giving Back

"WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS"

- ROBERT INGERSOLL

TotallyPromotional.com believes one of the greatest privileges of running a small business is giving back to the community and beyond. Our company takes great pride in donating funds, supplies and time to local residents, schools and organizations, as well as people in need across the globe.

To accomplish our charitable giving mission, our staff created Totally Giving Back, a program focused on aiding those who need a helping hand.

We invite you to accompany us on our journey to “pay it forward” by visiting our Totally Giving Back page from time to time for updates.

Ohio Business Week continues helping student entrepreneurs

Totally Promotional helped provide T-shirts and lanyards to participants of this year's Ohio Business Week camp for high school students.

Read how the OBW program prepares students for the business world.

Indiana girl on path to Eagle Scout

The staff at Totally Promotional recently partnered with an ambitious young lady seeking to earn Eagle Scout status.

Read about her project and ongoing desire to help fellow students in her Indiana community.

The Totally team donates hundreds of items to area students

Totally Promotional recently donated sports bottles, blankets, bags and other useful supplies to Perry Local Schools in Lima, Ohio.

Read about the school and how the staff and students intend to use the items.

Giving Thanks event dubbed a huge success

A charitable giving event that began more than 20 years ago was once again a big success in three rural Ohio communities. Giving Thanks fed a record number of people in 2020, even as COVID-19 cases increased in the area.

Read how volunteers kept the holiday tradition alive, one meal at a time.

Event honors healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 battle

More than 60 public emergency vehicles on Nov. 24, 2020, surrounded a Mercer County, Ohio, hospital with lights flashing to support healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was attended by hundreds of First Responders and local residents who wished to thank those caring for COVID-19 patients.

Read about the amazing support emergency workers have for one another in this rural community.

Donations to Haiti continue following a special delivery in 2019

More donations are earmarked for delivery to the people of Haiti in 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions allow. Last year's Haiti mission included the ordination of a man who was able to meet his surrogate Dad for the first time.

Read about this year's donations and the father-son reunion in 2019.

Operation Christmas Child continues its mission

Donations were gathered again locally in 2020 to fill shoeboxes for children in need around the world. Area volunteers from two churches prepared nearly 1,000 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Read about this year's project and the success volunteers achieved in the past.

U.S. medical group changing lives in Pakistan

A team of U.S. physicians and other medical personnel have joined forces to improve the health of indigent people in Pakistan. Their work is coordinated through a nonprofit organization called Darul Qalb.

Read more about the group’s work and upcoming mission.

Project Christmas Elves 2019

The Mercer County House of Hope once again was chosen as the focus for Totally Promotional’s Project Christmas Elves program. Employees collected more than 300 items this year to help the ministry support men and women who are recovering from drug addiction.

Read more about the House of Hope and their valuable program.

Free book event held for children impacted by tornado

Generous authors, illustrators and others across the country donated hundreds of new books to children in Celina, Ohio, impacted by a Memorial Day tornado. The inspiration for the idea was a page from a children’s book found among the debris.

Read how this special project brought hope and kindness to area families.

Project Christmas Elves 2018

The staff at Totally Promotional decided to change their charitable giving focus this Christmas to help local residents who are battling substance abuse. The Mercer County House of Hope, which serves area men and women, were given personal items and cleaning supplies through the Totally Giving Back Project Christmas Elves 2018 program.

Read more about this year's project.

Missionaries give the gift of sight

A Texas-based organization is planning a missionary trip to Haiti in February. Part of the team’s goal is to bring the Haitian people much-needed supplies to help prevent blindness and other vision problems.

Read about the upcoming trip and the work being done by 26:12 and its volunteers.

Love Crosses Borders for Haiti children

Two Ohio college students are on a mission to help an orphanage in Cite Soleil, Haiti, after visiting the region several months ago. Love Crosses Borders is the project created by Alyssa Ruhenkamp and Kristi Moorman to provide care packages for the children in the poorest city in Haiti.

Read about their project and find out how you can help.

School officials make STEM a family affair

Coldwater (Ohio) Elementary School is helping students and their families learn the value of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The staff recently held a Science/STEM Family Night with numerous activities, games and prizes.

Read about the event and the reaction from parents.

Students reach out to hurricane victims

Local Tri Star Career Compact students are doing their part to help hurricane victims more than a thousand miles away. The high school students last fall began selling T-shirts to raise money for those affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The money they raise will benefit the American Red Cross.

Read comments from Tri Star students involved in the project.

Project Christmas Elves 2017

We did it again! The staff at Totally Promotional proudly completed Project Christmas Elves 2017! Totally Giving Back Project Christmas Elves began in 2016 to provide area families in need with personal care items and bedding. This year, our staff collected nearly 500 items to help 16 families and individuals.

Read more about the success of Project Christmas Elves 2017.

Bringing hope to foster children

A local teenager has created a project to instill hope and dignity in children entering the foster care system. Julianna Lee is replacing the trash bags kids are currently given with "Belong Bags" to carry their personal belongings to their new home.

Read how Belong Bags can change the lives of children in your community.

Improving lives in Guatemala

For 18 years, dedicated church members have journeyed to one of the poorest countries in Central America to lend a hand. This year they helped two Catholic nuns make physical improvements at a school and health clinic. They also tutored children and gave tips on personal care.

Read how this annual mission trip is making a difference in Guatemala.

Youth group reaches out to homeless

A group of young people and their church leaders recently spent a week out of state providing food and other services to people in need. More than 70 teenagers from Fox Point Lutheran Church in Wisconsin took part in the mission in San Francisco, Calif.

Read how these high school kids spread faith and fellowship on the streets of San Francisco.

Soldiers assist African children

The thought of living without running water and other basic necessities is beyond comprehension to most of us. But many African families face these perils every day. We are proud to know that a local man and other U.S. Army soldiers are helping out.

Read how these compassionate soldiers are helping impoverished kids in a remote African village.

Giving back to our Homeless Heroes

They fought for our freedom but many U.S. veterans now call the streets and alleys their home. An Indiana organization is doing their part to help these “Homeless Heroes” by giving them food, clothing and other necessities.

Read how volunteers with Task Force Omega–Indiana 1 are making a difference in the lives of active and inactive members of the military who deserve our help and respect.

Food for Friends 2017 aids food pantry

The food pantry at C.A.L.L. Ministries relies on generous donations year-round to feed and fill other needs of families in our local area. But that need escalates in the summer when children are home from school. The dilemma prompted TotallyPromotional.com to create Food for Friends. Our staff and local residents teamed up in May and June to help gather needed items.

Read more about C.A.L.L. Ministries and everything it does for our neighbors in need.

Get R.E.A.L. inspires and teaches

Students in our community each year get a week-long lesson on life and making good choices. Get R.E.A.L. began in 1998 to teach Coldwater (Ohio) Middle School students how to be responsible, treat others with respect and much more. Other local schools also have adopted the successful program. A crew from TotallyPromotional.com took part in the 2017 Get R.E.A.L. 5K Run in May 2017.

Read more about Get R.E.A.L and the impact it has on the students.

Project Christmas Elves 2016

TotallyPromotional.com in 2016 founded Project Christmas Elves after our staff discovered that personal care items, bedding and towels were not provided to the needy through government assistance. After several weeks of gathering, sorting and bagging, our caring employees collected hundreds of items for struggling families in our area.

Read more about Project Christmas Elves and watch our video.

Small grocery saved by community

This is an amazing David and Goliath story you'll want to read. Thrifty Foods served the small town of Troutville, Va., for more than 80 years but was struggling to compete with grocery store giants like Walmart and Kroger. Thanks to strong community support, the business in November 2016 celebrated an amazing comeback and is thriving.

Read more about the heartwarming story of Troutville Grocery & Goods.

Homes for our veterans

Homer and Carol Burnett of Celina, Ohio, and their group of volunteers are true patriots. Several years ago they formed a nonprofit group called Lots for Soldiers that helps veterans of all U.S. military branches become homeowners.

Read more about Lots for Soldiers and the group's newly acquired office.

Community aids young widow and baby

A tragic motorcycle accident in 2015 took the life of a young husband and father. Dustin A. Rutter was just 24 years old when an SUV driver turned in front of his motorcycle on a rural highway in Coldwater, Ohio. He died hours later. The U.S. Army veteran left behind a wife and 6-week-old son. Friends and community members immediately came to the family's aid and continue to show their support and love for Dustin.

Supporting our heroes

Some of the most compassionate people in the world are Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responders who are summoned day and night to help the sick and injured. Most of the EMS responders in our area are volunteers and their departments often don't have sufficient funds to purchase needed equipment.

Read how local businesses and residents recently stepped up to support the Coldwater (Ohio) EMS.

Enhancing the lives of breast cancer survivors

A small organization called My Hope Chest is helping breast cancer survivors find true healing following mastectomies. Although health insurance sometimes pays the cost of a mastectomy, it often will not fund breast reconstruction surgery. Without the necessary funds, many women must postpone reconstruction surgery or spend the rest of their lives feeling incomplete.

Read how My Hope Chest is helping breast cancer survivors recover physically and mentally.

Feeding at-risk children

Most states have programs that provide free and reduced lunches to children during the school day. But what happens on weekends and school breaks? The Backpack Brigade in Seattle, Wash., was founded several years ago to feed at-risk children who may have little or nothing to eat when school is not in session.

Read about the fabulous work being done by the volunteer Backpack Brigade organization.

Nourishing students around the globe

Mary's Meals bravely battles the task of feeding impoverished schoolchildren one meal each day to ensure brighter futures. Today the international organization provides nourishment to more than 1.1 million children from the poorest countries in the world. Unfortunately, the need continues to grow.

Read about the mission of Mary's Meals and how you can help.

Interested in being a part of Totally Giving Back? Please submit the details of your needs to givingback@totallypromotional.com.