This has been a melting point for as long as I know. "We want to be seen different. We want to be seen for the good hearted, loving, family people that we are." Others are angered over needless legislation being a never-ending fiasco.

How do we fix it? How do we make people take us seriously and realize we aren't womanizing, alcoholic, drug riddled, one-night stand, loving people?

In order to affect change, we must first change how others view us. You can't create change without reversing imagery.

Last year, I took the first steps in making the outside public look at truckers different. I made a program that reaches out to people, and has truckers put in a good light. In the words of Yvonne Mansini:

It has impacted my grandchildren in a very positive way, not just financially but building their confidence up that people do care. Truck drivers care, and now every time we are going down the interstate, they look at the truck drivers and say, I wonder if he is one. We pray for the truckers now and we pray for their loads and safety and families. Yes, it has made us much more aware of the truckers and the dangers in their line of work. Thank you so much!!!

This is a lady who never even realized some restrictions in her area. She called me one day and informed me how unfair she thought they were, and that her grandchildren agreed with this sentiment. Why did she all of a sudden realize and care? Her grandchildren, whom her and her ailing husband are now raising, received school uniforms from truckers, food from truckers, and will have Christmas due to truckers. There's many more like them.

Last year, an organization was born from one text message. That text message read, "Can you adopt my son so he can have Christmas?" In six weeks, 17 families had Christmas due to truckers and trucking supporters. This year, we have taken in 21 families, and a Cerebral palsy facility. With time running out, I'm reaching out to everyone.

WE NEED HELP!!!

Although we aren't a non-profit yet (that is in the works), we have been sponsored by Patriot Outreach and Bring Them Home.

It doesn't matter if you're a trucker or a trucking supporter. Letting these families down further hurts our image. We don't just deal with the basic wants, we also deal with the needs. We try to ensure that every family member receives four outfits, one pair of shoes, and a thing of bedding. If needed, the family receives dishes, pots & pans, towels, etc. The children get five or six toys a piece also. I update wish lists often due to the fact that items run out of stock or are bought, and I clear them out in order to make it easier to order. All wish lists are embedded with an address. If you have issues placing your order, you can always email me, and I will send you the address also. We never ask for a person to get more than they can afford, and an item or two bought is an item or two we didn't have for them before hand. At the end of the year, those that I know contributed to wish lists will be listed as a Santa, unless they wish to remain anonymous.

Here's how to help:
1. Click here and go directly to our paypal button to give the easiest route. (It is, at this time frame, too late to mail things to the address listed this year. However, you can start mailing stuff to there as early as Dec. 26th for next year's families.)
2. Grab a wish list of a family. Every family has a story. For their stories, and more information on the program, please click here.

HERE ARE THE FAMILIES' WISH LISTS:

(Please note! All cerebral palsy patients are just that..............patients. I'm not privy to their last names, so I used Amy Brechbiel, one of the director's, last names.)

Henry family in Thayer, Missouri

Miller family in Cadillac, Michigan

Mansini family in Lanexa, Virginia

Martin family in Thayer, Missouri

Simmons family in Liberty Hill, TX

Mammenga family in Osceola, WI

Moulton family in Powell, WY

DiBartolo family in Alabama

Mason family in Bradford, Arkansas. They also need an old used 53' van or reefer or decent sized shed/storage building for storage. Do you have one to spare?

Cerebral palsy patients Betty, Mickey, Michael, Christina, Tad, Daniel, James, Debbie, Darryl, Tony, Gail, Steven, Joe, John, Barbara, Paul, Stephanie, Steven, Tony, Joe, Jeannie, Jimmy, Shameka, Harold, Amanda, William, Stephanie, and Joyce.

Also, the cerebral palsy facility in Frederick, Maryland will be having a Christmas party. All Santas are invited. If you can make it on December 21, 2011, please RSVP here.

If a child from a Trucking Santa family can rob their piggy bank of $5 to help another family, everyone can give $5. Please, take a few minutes, and help!
 
 
On May 15, 2011, a crowd gathered. This crowd got to watch as Lou and I, along with others, ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. We had an event to do, we had money to bring in, and we had money to spend.
Wishes On Wheels Midsouth was a SUCCESS!!!! Pulling in over $6,000 for the Make A Wish Foundation. FedEx Ground goes penny for penny with what we did, so do the math.
Bill and Gina Dancer wanted to make two wishes come true this year, and it happened. We had a dunking booth (poor Lou braved the early morning frigid temperatures to be the first one in), four raffles, a silent auction, a live band, lip-smacking barbeque, cookie decorating for the kids, face painting, bouncy rooms, bean bag tosses, a cake auction, a bake sale, and most of all, a convoy.
Unlike other convoys that have recently made the news, this one was slow paced, loud (the other guys need better air horns, just saying), escorted by police, and permitted. Also, it had Jesse Watson's "Chicken Lights and Chrome" and Mark Wills' version of "Prisoner of the Highway fueling the drivers via cb.
I would personally like to thank Bill and Gina Dancer for inviting us to be part of this convoy and allowing us to help. I would like to thank all the volunteers that helped bake cakes, sang, played in the band, cooked excellent barbeque, painted faces, and spent their money on this event. It was certainly a day to remember. It is one Lou and I will never forget.
You can still get involved. (Never too late.) You can click here and get your Wishes on Wheels t-shirt to show you support the cause, and you can plan to be there on the third Sunday of May in 2012, in Olive Branch, Mississippi. If anyone has questions on events or donations for the silent auction, t-shirts, or others, please contact one of the following:
Me heather@wishesonwheelsmidsouth.org
Gina gina@wishesonwheelsmidsouth.org
Bill bill@wishesonwheelsmidsouth.org
Teresa teresa@wishesonwheelsmidsouth.org
Mike mike@wishesonwheelsmidsouth.org

I hope to see you there next year!