TOLEDO, Ohio — This holiday season, Bianca Benedetto is on a mission to give back to kids in foster care.
Now a district manager at Marco's Pizza, Bianca spent much of her childhood in kinship and foster care. She's working to bring hope and joy to Lucas County foster children as part of the WTOL 11 Gift of Joy Toy Drive.
"I had parents that didn't care," Benedetto said. "Being in foster care, you feel like you're pushed to the side, that you have no one."
Benedetto's memories of holidays growing up are bittersweet.
"It's hard not having anyone there, not waking up with anything," Benedetto said. "When you wake up and see a toy, you feel a warmth in your heart. It reminds you that there are people who care."
She wants children living in foster care that they aren't alone.
"I want every child out there that is in foster care to know that there's someone out there willing to help them and they have a community rallying behind them," Benedetto added.
Benedetto is one of those people rallying. Though she's not originally from northwest Ohio, she moved here for work. Then, she called Lucas County Children Services.
"Bianca sharing her story like this solidifies what can happen when we all take the time to get to know them, treat them to the best childhood we can to give them that leg up to have a chance in life," Kevin Millikan of Lucas County Children Services said. "All kids deserve that."
Benedetto is determined to pass on the resilience that helped her through tough times, setting an example for her own children and the foster children she hopes to impact.
Because she works as a corporate leader at Marco's Pizza, Benedetto has organized to place Gift of Joy Toy Drive drop-off locations at several of the stores. This list includes locations in Maumee, Waterville, Rossford, Perrysburg, Temperance, Point Place, on Rugby Dr. in Toledo and at the Marco's Support Center.
"I want every foster child to know that we're here for them and that they have people who care," Benedetto said.
"Bianca's story shows what can happen when we give foster kids the chance for a happy and healthy childhood. Her success is an inspiration," Millikan said.
To support the Gift of Joy Toy Drive and bring a smile to a child in need, donate a new toy at any participating Marco's Pizza locations through Dec. 20.
A full list of other locations is available here.
