A family tradition of giving

<p>When Gina Drohan-Wilson was a little girl, her Romanian-born grandmother, Lucretia Carlomagno, told her a story about the giving nature of her family.</p><p>“My favorite story (that she told me) is of her mom giving the gypsy kids who came through one of her two dresses when she was a little girl,” said Drohan-Wilson. “When she told the story, she pretended to be mad, but I knew she would do just the same.”</p><p>When Carlomagno passed away last year at the age of 92, Drohan-Wilson knew she couldn't let her grandmother's love and genuine care for others die with her.</p><p>“I was so crushed upon her death and wanted her loving, compassionate memory to live on,” she said.</p><p>What started as donating items to a few people in the food pantry line at Lucchesi Park on Tuesday nights turned into her friends and family starting to give her their excess to pass out to them. From there, it grew to Drohan-Wilson's garage becoming a storage unit for donations, until the Plaza North Shopping Center gave her a space to use for storage and packing up items for the families.</p><p>Six months later, Ladybug Connections — named after her grandmother's wish to be remembered as a ladybug — is now in full operation.</p><p>“It grew quickly. I'm kind of an organizer and have a gift of bringing people and events together,” she said. “It works well. People love to give, and there's need, so voila!”</p><p>Ladybug Connections allows families to place orders for specific items that they need, and the orders are delivered to Lucchesi Park the next week. </p><p>“We ask them ‘how can we help, what do you need?' The answers come,” she said. “Sometimes we just hear about a need and do an anonymous drop-off. There's a tremendous amount of need right now.”</p><p>And while the space is not a storefront, it has been used for community events, such as the free Halloween costume shop back in October, and for free family photos in November. The space will be open as the Ladybug Connections Holiday Store on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for kids and parents to select holiday gifts.</p><p>Ladybug Connections has a group of volunteers. Even the staff at Massage Envy in Cotati, Petaluma and Napa, which Drohan-Wilson owns, take donations at each location, as well as spread the word about Ladybug Connections. </p><p>“The community has been really awesome,” she said. “People like that their items go to good homes in the community for free.”</p><p>Drohan-Wilson hopes to have a space that can be open to the public so that people can pick out their items on their own, a full-time staff so that donors can take their donations directly to the store and somebody to help Ladybug Connections obtain nonprofit status.</p><p>Shoes, clothes and kitchen supplies are constantly requested by families. Right now, according to Drohan-Wilson, warm coats, warm shoes, sleeping bags for the homeless, warm hats and socks are highly-requested items. </p><p>“Socks are like gold, we can never have enough socks or sleeping bags,” she said. </p><p>She added that gift cards for grocery stores, gas, and places like Ross or Kmart are needed. </p><p>“Families are struggling, and a small gift card can help a lot,” she said.</p><p>She said that the best part of her job, hands down, is working with and for the community. </p><p>“How many people get to work with and have dinner with both people in high income brackets and those who are needing a bit of help?” she asked. “I love that I know a lot of people in the community from all walks of life, and that I get to share in their lives and them in mine.</p><p>“Their stories are all different, but the one common thread is that they just need someone to love them, trust in them and someone to help them unconditionally,” she added. “Being in need is a humbling experience. We are all human.”</p><p>And what if Drohan-Wilson's grandmother was here today to see Ladybug Connections in action?</p><p>“I think she would be proud and not surprised,” she said. “I've always thought big, and have always loved to give and help. She would be right there with me on the floor sorting donations.”</p><p>For information about Ladybug Connections Holiday Store, to donate or volunteer, visit www.ladybugconnections.org.</p><p>(Contact Becca Pilkington at argus@arguscourier.com)</p>