Meridian Health Services Exceeds Fundraising Goal From ‘Holidays at Gresham’ Event

The best year ever. That’s how Beth Clark described Holiday’s at Gresham…Meridian’s Holiday drive-through light exhibit. Clark said Over 20,000 people attended the holiday event during today’s check presentation for $21, 353—an amount that exceeded the initial goal of $12,000. Meridians leadership team, board chair, Development council chair, team members and the public were present to celebrate surpassing the fundraising goal for Meridians Child Advocacy Center. The donations enabled the center to provide 400 “Hope and Healing comfort” kits to children coming through the center. Photo by Mike RhodesThe best year ever. That’s how Beth Clark described Holiday’s at Gresham…Meridian’s Holiday drive-through light exhibit. Clark said Over 20,000 people attended the holiday event during today’s check presentation for $21, 353—an amount that exceeded the initial goal of $12,000. Meridians leadership team, board chair, Development council chair, team members and the public were present to celebrate surpassing the fundraising goal for Meridians Child Advocacy Center. The donations enabled the center to provide 400 “Hope and Healing comfort” kits to children coming through the center. Photo by Mike Rhodes

February 11, 2025

By Hannah Dunckel—

MUNCIE, IN—Meridian Health Services’ holiday fundraiser to provide Hope and Healing Comfort Kits to children receiving services through Meridian’s Child Advocacy Center raised over $20,000 – far exceeding the initial goal of $12,000. Donations were collected beginning on Giving Tuesday, December 3, and throughout the holiday season online and at Holidays at Gresham, Meridian’s drive-thru light exhibit.

For nearly 17 years, Meridian has worked with children who have experienced trauma, whether it be from any form of abuse (i.e., physical, sexual, or emotional), neglect, substance use, domestic violence, or other harmful situations through its Child Advocacy Center in Muncie, Ind. Donations were collected to provide 400 Hope and Healing Comfort Kits to give children as they come through the center. The kits include a blanket, teddy bear, hygiene items, and other age-appropriate activity items to help the healing begin. Additional funds raised will go directly to support children and family programs provided through the Suzanne Gresham Center in Muncie.

Learn more about the Child Advocacy Center and the children and family programs provided at the Suzanne Gresham Center at www.MeridianHS.org. Donations are accepted year-round to support Meridian programs at https://donate.meridianhs.org/. More information on the Hope and Healing Comfort Kit Fundraiser can be found at https://donate.meridianhs.org/campaigns/hope-and-healing/.

About Meridian Health Services

Meridian Health Services is a regional, progressive, not-for-profit healthcare system. Meridian specializes in “whole-person” health by integrating physical, mental and social well-being programs to nearly 45,000 patients per year. With 57 facilities and offices throughout Indiana, Meridian offers a wide spectrum of healthcare specialties including primary medical care, pediatrics, pharmacy, internal medicine, inpatient/outpatient psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, dental, urgent care, addictions and recovery, children and family programming, behavioral health and human services.