SANDUSKY, Ohio — A Sandusky mother who lost two children to drug addiction is finding a way to help others as she deals with the pain of her loss.
She's making sure kids who've lost parents to drugs have a bright spot this Christmas season and throughout the year.
Keli Clark, the founder and director of Project Noelle, says she wants to bring them hope.
"I think as parents, you know, our goal is to protect our kids and we would give our lives to protect our kids. And with this whole drug epidemic, it's just something that we can't protect them from," Clark said.
Imagine losing not one, but two of your children to drug addiction.
It happened to Clark back in 2017 when her 35-year-old daughter Noelle overdosed.
"She called me on a Saturday, that she was gonna go to rehab that day. She called me Saturday afternoon. She had gone there and they didn't have a bed for her. So they sent her home. Unfortunately, a little after midnight that night, she passed away of an overdose," Clark said.
And then it happened again to the mother of seven when her 31-year-old son Michael overdosed this September.
Clark says the pain is something she can't explain.
But when her daughter left behind three children, she knew she needed to do something for kids who have also lost their parents to drugs.
Clark's mission is called "Project Noelle," which she started shortly after her daughter overdosed.
"We stay busy year-round. It's not just Christmas. We help with emergency clothing and diapers. Easter baskets. Support groups. The thing is, is with all that guilt that I was going through, I've realized that a lot of the kids go through the same guilt," Clark said.
She said the need has grown even more since the pandemic kept people at home and made the drug epidemic worse, with more people overdosing.
But Clark said it's not the children and families who should suffer the consequences.
"I dream of the day we don't need Project Noelle. That you know, it's just obsolete. ... Unfortunately, we haven't seen that, you know, at all. Especially with the pandemic and everything. it seems like things have gone from bad to worse," Clark said.
Project Noelle is already taking up toys right now for children in about 21 Ohio counties for the Christmas holiday season.
All the information on where to drop off toys or adopt a child is on Project Noelle's Facebook page.
You also can call 800-637-9956 if you have any questions or need help.