MUSKEGON, Mich. -- After nine years of keeping kids warm each winter, Ruth and Roy Seelye are passing the to others to carry the cause. The Seelyes started their campaign to keep kids warm at the peak of the recession in 2008.
And now, after inspiring countless others, they are hanging up their hats as leaders of Share A Little Warmth From The Heart.
"There just wasn’t enough time in the day to go around,” says Ruth. “It just felt like God was saying, 'Time to pass it on to somebody else.'"
The couple collected blankets, pajamas, coats, and hats for children, but as the charity got bigger, their own kids got older, and they just couldn’t find the time needed to head up the organization.
“Over the nine years, we’ve probably been able to help around 10,000 kids," says Roy Seeyle.
But the cause they created won’t be going away. It will continue under new leadership and a new name: Keeping Angelina’s Angels Warm.
Ellen White is taking over and renaming the group after her daughter, Angelina.
The Seelyes want to thank everyone and every organization that helped make their dream a reality. “They’ve stood behind us so much, it’s unbelievable,” says Ruth. “For nine years, starting off as just a little charity, they really have supported us.”
If you’d like to help out as this transition happens, you can check out their Facebook page.