Junior League of Gainesville distributes over 1,700 toys, clothing, and diapers to 183 families
Press release from Junior League of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Junior League of Gainesville’s Miracle on Mainstreet gifted 183 families and 486 children with supplies to complete their holidays, including toys, clothing, diapers, food, and kitchenware. The 34th annual event, a tradition that brings critical resources to families in Alachua County, was made possible through continued local nonprofit partnerships.
Each year, partner organizations select local families to benefit based on need. The invite-only event gifted 1,701 toys, 68 bikes, and clothing. Bread of the Mighty Food Bank donated meal bags of food for each family, including fresh meats and vegetables.
“I’m so proud of the amazing job by the women of the Junior League of Gainesville who planned, organized, and ensured that we continue to serve hundreds of families and children in this community,” said Melissa Zawada, Junior League president-elect. “We are a large group of women, and our primary goal is to support our community through our trained and committed group of volunteers.”
“This is our 34th year holding this event, and without participating local agencies and sponsors, like Trinity UMC, that provided the location free of charge, we would not be nearly as successful in bringing joy to people who need it. We are also grateful to the Community Foundation of North Central Florida for their generous support of Miracle on Mainstreet.”
More than 300 volunteers and countless donors have fundraised, shopped, wrapped, organized, and assembled bikes and scooters to ensure a special event for each family. By providing gifts, diapers, children’s clothing, and food, Miracle on Mainstreet empowers families and strengthens the community.
For more than three decades, the Junior League of Gainesville has led this initiative, demonstrating the transformative power of women’s leadership, volunteerism, and service.
The Junior League’s next community-focused event is The Amazing Give. In 2024, the event raised more than $1.1 million for 116 local nonprofit organizations. In its 9th year, the 2025 Amazing Give will be held on April 24 and raise funds for participating organizations for 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Amazing Give provides a unique opportunity for donors to make a difference in their community by contributing to a wide range of charitable causes.
No one comments on these sort of things and it’s sad because these kids are our future. Thank you guys for all that you done for these kids. Some of them have never had a bike and some of them desperately need clothes. It’s cold outside Is some of them don’t even have a jacket.
I agree. I also enjoyed reading about Shaq delivering on his promise to catch up with some local boys and see if they were keeping up on their promise to behave and try hard in school. We would do well as a community to set the example of the behavior we want to see. It saddens me that many of the comments here reflect the same level of antagonism and violence that they condemn, and that those commenters don’t understand why the behavior persists. You don’t fight evil with more evil; you fight evil by doing good no matter what.