Five years ago Alexa Stinson's mom came home from a long, draining day working in the Emergency Department of a local hospital.  As usual Alexa, then just five years old, asked her mom how her day had been, and did anything exciting happen.  Alexa's mom, Michele, told her she had spent time with an 8 year old boy, whose Daddy was very sick.  The boy was all alone and very scared, so Michele went down to the gift shop and purchased a stuffed animal that she gave the boy, and told him they would say a prayer that his Daddy would be okay.  The little boy was so grateful, he hung on to that animal every moment, and when his family arrived they were very thankful to Michele for the nice thought.  Alexa thought it would be great if her Mom could do that for all the kids who come into the Emergency Department.  Unfortunately Michele knew that would be very costly, but, perhaps they could come up with some other idea.

Life went on and routines consumed the lives of Alexa and her mother, until a few months later.  They were at a yard sale; Michele noticed Alexa wandering around and chatting with the sellers, the woman at the yard sale said "Boy, you have a bargain shopper here".  Her mom knew this, but what Alexa bargained for this day changed their lives.  Alexa told the woman about the little boy at the hospital, and how her mom purchased the animal for him, and that they wanted to do more but didn't have the money.  Alexa had spotted a box of stuffed animals that still had the tags on them.  She bargained with the woman and bought the box of animals for $4, her weekly allowance.  Thus "Out of the Hearts of Babes" was established and, has been going strong for almost five years now, providing countless new stuffed animals to ill or injured children. 

Congratulations to Fire Safety Inspector Tammy Sheaks, Firefighter of the Year. 

They don't all fight fire in the same way.  The job of a Certified Fire Safety Inspector is to do all they can to insure that fires don't happen.  Tammy Sheaks has been doing just that for 8 years now.  For the great job she does, she was honored by the Grove City Kiwanis as the 2008 Firefighter of the Year.