‘A Heart To Give’: Ocoee mom of 6 works to get children presents this Christmas

Terrie Scott operates A Heart To Give from her home in Ocoee

OCOEE, Fla. – An Ocoee mother who just gave birth to her sixth child is making it her mission to make sure no child will go without this Christmas.

Terrie Scott is the founder of A Heart to Give nonprofit. For the fifth year, her nonprofit has gotten results to make Christmas special for so many families.

Scott, who runs her nonprofit out of her home in Ocoee, is getting ready to deliver toys and gifts this holiday season to area families.

“We probably have close to 200 kids that still need to be sponsored,” said Scott.

Her home this time of year is known as Santa’s Central.

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“The first year we helped 48 kids. Now, we’re over a thousand,” she said.

With the help of sponsors and generous donors, she’s able to help make Christmas special for so many kids this holiday season, even partnering with local schools.

“We usually take their MVP student or under-resourced students who may not be getting Christmas presents this year or a lot them are living in the hotels or cars,” said Scott.

The outside of Terrie Scott's home during her 2022 toy drive (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Jennifer Bruce said she is trying her best to be positive with Christmas now just weeks away.

“I’ve had to actually sit down and decide: am I going to pay a bill, or am I going to eat and feed my family?” Bruce said. “You don’t want your children to want for things, and in my situation, my children often want for things.”

She said her 12-year-old son is autistic. She’s living here in a mobile home in Ocoee on a fixed income with her husband and two sons and said she can use all the help she can get this holiday season.

She told News 6 that she’s one of the recipients of Scott’s nonprofit this year. Bruce is so thankful for Scott and the many generous donors that she said will help her two sons smile this Christmas.

“She has helped my family over the last few years, and she really is an Angel on Earth. She really is,” Bruce said. “She saves Christmas.”

At DG Doughnuts in Ocoee, there was a box filled with toys, one of a few locations benefiting A Heart To Give’s Toy Drive.

As an incentive, the donut shop is offering a free Doughnut for anyone who donates a new toy.

To find out more about the nonprofit, click here.

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About the Author

Jerry Askin is an Atlanta native who came to News 6 in March 2018 with an extensive background in breaking news.

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