Joey Johnson has a rare genetic condition, but is focused on giving back to others
An anonymous donor, Relief Beds International, and You Can Toys joined forces to fill Joey’s list

One incredible boy from Indianapolis got his Christmas wish list filled early this year. But it wasn’t Santa making the special delivery, and what he wanted under his tree may surprise you.

Nine-year-old Joey Johnson has mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic disorder that has no cure. It means he needs to use a wheelchair to get around. But his time isn’t spent thinking about what he can’t do, but rather how he can take action to make the world a better place. He and his family have been raising money to donate to World Vision’s Gift Catalog.

“I want other kids to be able to achieve their goals and dreams because we are all in this together,” he said.

Joey has saved for months to buy the bicycles for children in need, selling popcorn through his Cub Scout troop. His 5-year-old sister and parents also pitched in to Joey’s Christmas campaign, scrimping and saving work bonuses and tax refunds. They had raised more than $1,000, giving medicine, food, education, animals, a bicycle, and a wheelchair to children around the world in need.

Joey also created a Christmas wish list including: an alpaca, relief beds, soccer balls, wheelchairs and more. His story made national headlines and hundreds of people donated in his name. The story caught the attention of an anonymous donor and several corporations. Now they’ve stepped in to make sure his Christmas wish list is filled.

Joey was surprised with the news that so many people had given to help others in his name when some unusual presents showed up on his front lawn. In all, 100 wheelchairs, 40 bicycles, 14 alpacas, 158 relief beds, 626 soccer balls, and nearly 200 toys were donated in Joey’s name.

“This is like the biggest present I’ve seen in my life. And I’m probably gonna keep going,” said Joey. “I’m gonna keep going until there’s no such thing as the catalog. That means there’ll be no more catalog, because everybody will have at least something that they can use.”

The response came thanks to a community effort. An anonymous donor was moved by the story and gave $25,000 to help fill the wish list.

Relief Bed International donated 100 beds to Joey’s list. “World Vision is a fantastic partner of Relief Bed International and helps us further our mission to provide innovative and strategically built beds for impoverished people in emerging countries, in support of victims of natural disasters and homeless shelters across North America,” says Scott Smalling Relief Bed International Founder.

You Can Toys also heard the story and wanted to help, donating more than $6400 in toys to children in poverty in Joey’s name. Their educational ABC Alphabet Cards and Water Mats will be sent to children overseas – a rare gift for kids who don’t have a toy that is all their own.

Since 1996, the World Vision Gift Catalog has given people the opportunity to better the lives of children, adults and communities in the U.S. and around the world through hundreds of gifts in all different areas of need: clean water, food, education, sexual exploitation, job training and others.  There are over 100 life-saving gifts ranging from $16 to $50,000. In fiscal year 2018, 146,000 people donated more than 310,000 items from the Gift Catalog that helped people around the world raising over $30 million.  To order from World Vision’s Gift Catalog, click here.

A.C. Moore brings warmth and comfort to children in need.

National arts and crafts retailer A.C. Moore has partnered with World Vision to continue its mission to “Craft a Better World.”

“We were first introduced to World Vision through one of our vendors, Premier Yarns,” says Elena Piperno, A.C. Moore’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. “Premier was producing a specialty line of yarn to benefit World Vision’s Knit for Kids program.”

A.C. Moore decided to join Premier by not only selling this line of yarn, but by turning all 145 A.C. Moore stores into drop-off locations for knitted and crocheted goods. To date, A.C. Moore has collected more than 180,000 handmade items for Knit for Kids. These handmade items are then distributed to children in communities where World Vision works.

“We have found that our customers—particularly our yarn customers—are incredibly generous and eager to contribute to worthy organizations,” says Piperno. “They are thrilled to have a convenient drop-off location that saves them shipping costs and provides a vehicle to give back to the community.”

The company’s desire to partner with World Vision grew from its own commitment to philanthropy, community outreach, and civic responsibility. They also chose to support World Vision’s Knit for Kids program because it resonated with the passions of its core customers.

“Partnering with World Vision has allowed A.C. Moore to connect with our customers in a new and philanthropic way,” says Piperno. “We have trust in World Vision’s programs and that the donated goods are getting to where they are most needed.”

The organization appreciates how easy it has been to partner with World Vision to accomplish their philanthropic objectives. “The staff is super responsive, collaborative, and helpful,” says Piperno. “They work with us to pick up the handmade goods every other month, ensuring our customers’ donations are getting to those in need in a timely matter.”

“It’s a wonderful organization to work with,” says Piperno, “and A.C. Moore is proud to partner with World Vision.”

SEATTLE, WA — With the start of a new school year right around the corner, Yoobi, a school and office supplies retailer, is helping students get the tools they need to succeed.

Yoobi was built on a “YOU BUY, YOOBI GIVES” promise with a mission to ensure that their school supplies make it to kids that need them most. “For every item we sell, we donate a school supply item to a child in need, right here in the U.S. We believe that school supplies should be available to every child in every classroom, and teachers should not have to spend their hard-earned money to make that happen,” says Justin Wolff, Chief Giving Officer at Yoobi.

Yoobi has provided over 4.2 million kids in the U.S. with free sets of school supplies. That equates to more than 2,500 kids being supplied every single day.

For over five years, Yoobi has worked closely with World Vision through the Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) to ensure that their donated school supplies reached kids and schools that demonstrated the highest need in the United States. World Vision’s relational network of local schools around the country enables the distribution of essential learning supplies across multiple states and dozens of cities to elementary schools where at least 70% of the students qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

“World Vision works where help is needed most. They have developed local relationships that over time, have built incredible trust within communities,” says Wolff.

During this high-need time for back-to-school essentials, Amazon shoppers can purchase Yoobi school supplies on World Vision’s Amazon Charity List, which will all be donated to schools and students in need around the U.S.

To select World Vision as your Amazon Charity List and donate Yoobi school supplies Click Here.

In addition, when customers use their AmazonSmile account, 0.5% of the purchase price will be donated to World Vision, and this includes all Charity List purchases. Each donation through AmazonSmile helps children and families in need. To learn more and sign-up Click Here.

NEW YORK, NY — Children and families are at the heart of World Vision’s work in Zambia and Afghanistan. In these countries, many people struggle to survive under harsh conditions—and it’s even more difficult if you are a woman or a child. Thankfully, organizations throughout the United States have stepped up to help—including 7AM.

7AM offers a variety of stylish baby accessories that combine clever designs, quality materials, and fashion-forward fabrics. As an organization, they believe “every child deserves to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment where they are celebrated, supported, and loved. “To fulfill that vision, 7AM gives back to a variety of charities with similar values—which is why World Vision was the perfect organization to partner with.

“We love the idea of being able to donate to countries we know need the help, even if we have never set foot in that country ourselves.”

DEERFIELD, IL — Product donations are one of the most effective ways for American companies to provide relief to struggling communities. They’re also a powerful philanthropic choice that the Essendant Charitable Foundation swears by.

Ten years ago, Essendant’s janitorial and sanitation unit found itself with $15 million in discontinued inventory—a situation that opened the door for World Vision to collect goods from 25 distribution centers across the U.S. and put them to good use responding to disasters and serving communities in need.

World Vision later shared with foundation staff how impactful the gifts had been, and that led to a strong working relationship that continues to this day.

“In our experience, the partnership knows no bounds,” says Tracey Horwich, the executive director of the foundation. “We have found such amazing ways to fulfill both the needs of World Vision and the needs of Essendant, its foundation, and its associates.”

“We have found such amazing ways to fulfill both the needs of World Vision and the needs of Essendant, its foundation, and its associates.”

In addition to supporting World Vision’s Gift-in-Kind program, more than 80 members of the Essendant team have participated in Vision trips to Nicaragua, Rwanda, Zambia, and other countries to see how their gifts are helping children and families.

What inspires them most is World Vision’s commitment to sustainability.

In fact, on a trip to Armenia, Horwich met community leaders who had once been sponsored children and who were now empowered to create lasting change.

“Each year our team comes back convinced they saw the absolute best of what each country has to offer,” Horwich says. “We can say for certain that the donations are being used in the most effective ways to build communities up for the long term.

“By providing the training and tools to develop leaders, businesses, and institutions, World Vision is preparing people to serve their communities independently. It’s a powerful vision and it demonstrates a belief in the people they serve. Because there is so much need in our world, it is reassuring to see that once a community is thriving, attention and funding can move on to new communities.”