OREGON, Ohio — JoAnn Galla's work is a ball of joy, comfort and value all wrapped into one that started when her daughter, Sgt. Stacy Galla enlisted in the military and deployed to Afghanistan.
"As therapy for me to be able to handle her deployment, I started making her career in military in ornaments," JoAnn said.
Every year, the 65-year-old Galla takes her daughter's uniforms she's no longer using and turns them into ornaments.
"Because of her position in the army, I can't know where she's at or what she's doing," she said. "As a mom, that's really hard, so I feel like there's a connection and I'm holding her fabric and I'm praying for her."
Galla has been making ornaments since 2010 and has expanded her work to make ornaments out of other military uniforms and gift families whose loved ones have also served in the military.
"Just the other week, a lady contacted me, she had lost her son to PTSD," Galla said. "She asked me to make ornaments for her son out of his uniforms for their family, and he was both in the Marines and in the Alaska Air National Guard. So I did one side of the ornament as Marines and one side Alaska Air National Guard out of his actual uniforms."
She hopes to expand her gift range someday and leave an impact nationally.
"It's very moving to give that to a family because they have a tangible piece of their loved one. That means a great deal to them," she said. "My dream is to one day decorate a tree at the White House."
She said her daughter often reminds her that her work means a lot to the families she gifts ornaments to.
"I've been at the Findlay Air Show and had a big Marine stand there and start actually crying because it was so moving for him to know that it was made out of a uniform and how meaningful that was," Galla said. "So, sometimes I guess I don't comprehend how touching it is."
To get in contact with Galla for ornaments, she said people can reach her through her email: customquiltedornaments@yahoo.com.
If you or someone you know is having feelings of suicide, help is available 24/7 through the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
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The National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support for anyone in distress and resources for anyone who may need help. By dialing 988, you can be connected with a local crisis center 24/7 for help. You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org.
The Lucas County Emotional Support Line is available at 419-442-0580 from 8 a.m. to midnight and offers peer support.
If you want to talk to someone and are not in immediate danger, Text "HOME" to 741741 to be connected to the Crisis Text Line and a trained counselor. There is no charge and the information will not show up on your phone bill. You can also chat online at www.crisistextline.org.
If you are a young member of the LGBTQ+ community and need help in any way, call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. Calls made to the Trevor Project are free and kept confidential.
Emergency Mental Health Support
The Lucas County Crisis CARE Line is available at 419-904-2273 to connect with a local, trained crisis counselor to discuss a mental health emergency 24/7.
The Wood County Crisis Line offers immediate assistance by calling 419-502-4673.
If a situation involves immediate danger to you or a loved one, NAMI Greater Toledo says calling 911 and talking with police may be necessary. It is important to tell 911 that it is a psychiatric emergency and ask for police officers trained in crisis intervention.