(Video Above: Project Night Night from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.)
There’s perhaps nothing as heart wrenching as the real-life stories of children deserted by those who care for them – those left at risk, through no fault of their own.
That’s what fuels a relentless drive, the “push” that moves Julie Wahnish, day in and day out.
“l will never forget a foster parent in Birmingham telling me about two children left behind during the night at a McDonald’s restaurant, who she was called to pick up,” said Wahnish, a volunteer who helps the nonprofit Project Night Night provide care packages to homeless children living in shelters.
“She was called by the police to pick up two kids left there without an adult,” added Wahnish, who helms efforts for Project Night Night in central Alabama. “The restaurant workers had called the police.” She noted that the foster parent stayed up the entire night, making arrangements to take in the children.
That is a definite crisis in which children need to be comforted, Wahnish said, and the source of her tireless work to encourage those “left behind.”
A mission to serve, through gifts that heal
On Aug. 10, many Alabama Power employees joined Wahnish in her mission, helping stuff hundreds of cloth bags with three items: a blanket, a stuffed toy and a book. Starting around 11 a.m., members of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) and others, working in the company cafeteria, filled about 200 bags with children’s items.
Employees at company offices in Birmingham, Inverness and Shelby County donated new and gently used items, which will be donated to nearly 40 child advocacy, shelters, crisis organizations and other groups that support children. The APSO volunteers, many of whom worked during their lunch hours, helped Wahnish fill and package the bags for donation. Employees’ gifts – and the donation of their time – left her astonished.
“No group has ever given Project Night Night so many items,” said Wahnish, who was thrilled by the sight of six long tables, stacked to overflowing with gifts.
“It’s unreal. People are so generous around here,” said Nicole Hedrick, Metro South Office engineer and Magic City APSO coordinator for Project Night Night, while surveying the room. Hedrick said that employees filled APSO donation bins to overflowing.
A turning point in repairing broken hearts
The gifts mean the world to children at risk, often rushed away from home with no belongings, Kimberly Jones said. As a shelter case counselor at Turning Point in Tuscaloosa, Jones sees all kinds of unfortunate family situations play out. Children often leave home with empty hands, as well as empty hearts.
“Some victims come into our shelter without anything at all,” said Jones, who has worked at Turning Point, a domestic violence shelter and rape crisis center, for four years. “Sometimes, they have to drop everything and leave home, for their own safety. It’s a good feeling when we can give these children one of these Project Night Night gift bags. It brightens their day, and it makes us feel good to be able to provide it for them.”
In early August, Jones and other Turning Point employees were busy assisting two children and five women; one client was sexually abused, Jones said. Turning Point, which can house up to 16 clients, has served Alabama families since 1979, providing counseling for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, with a child advocate and a court advocate on site.
Turning Point is among the numerous child advocacy and/or domestic violence agencies assisted by Wahnish through Project Night Night. Her clients range from Hannah Home and the King’s Ranch to United Way agencies such as Prescott House and the YWCA.
About three years ago, Wahnish was inspired to bring Project Night Night to Alabama after reading a profile about Kendra Stitt Robins, the charity’s founder. Wahnish purchased 20 Project Night Night bags online, then bought gifts and filled and delivered the bags to agencies, all by herself.
Today, many of Wahnish’s friends are involved, extending the work into Shelby and Jefferson counties, as well as Huntsville, Talladega, Cullman and other municipalities across the state.
Wahnish, a Birmingham resident, has helped supply nearly 4,000 gift bags to at-risk children since 2012.
“I’d wanted to do something to help kids for a very long time,” said Wahnish, who has six adult children and 10 grandchildren.
“I call various agencies and ask them what they need. We sort bags into five different categories: For teenage boys, we try to get games instead of stuffed animals, for instance.”
Once she began volunteering with Project Night Night, Wahnish knew she’d found the perfect niche that would allow her to serve others.
“These things provide children comfort at the time that they need it the most,” she said.
“I knew this was my purpose – what I could, and should, be doing with my life from that point on. There are many ways we can help others in our communities. This is mine.”
