Green Hills collaborates with YSS to support families in need this Holiday Season

December 13, 2022 | News Releases | Reading Time 2:00 Minutes

MEDIA CONTACT: Bailey Sherburne Marketing Coordinator, Green Hills Community 515-357-5000

AMES, IA – Green Hills Community boasts an amazing woodshop as an amenity for their residents, having a reputation for the best equipped and safest woodshop in Ames. Woodworking has been a hobby for many, but a passion for Bruce Munson, Don Dyer, and Vikki Morain. After browsing a magazine with several articles and images of wooden toys, they thought, “We could make those in our woodshop.” Don Dyer, proposed making a quantity of the toys and contributing them to the Ames YSS (Youth and Shelter Services) for the holidays.

“The families at the Nest class were so grateful for the donated wooden toys. When staff shared that someone had hand made them, they were amazed at the quality of the toys. The children in the childcare room loved playing with them during class time. Thank you, Green Hills residents, for thinking of our families during the holidays this year!” – Erin Hall, YSS Family Development Lead

Throughout this process, the residents had full creative authority; from gathering the needed wood, cleaning supplies, producing drawings and prototypes, and creating a custom mineral bee’s wax oil – they did it all! The wheels and axels for moveable toys were purchased, all other components to shaping took place in the Green Hills Woodshop with their equipment. Every toy was a free-hand creation and each resident donated between 12-15 hours of their time to make 35 vehicles, 10 tops, and 1 whistle.

Green Hills Executive Director, Kat Kilbane was supportive from the onset. Kilbane states, “I couldn’t think of a better way to give back to the greater community, being able to have our residents involved in making the holidays better for families inneed, warms my heart and the hearts in our community.”