‘Extreme couponer’ to help local family stock pantry for Christmas
Written by Zach Davis | | zdavis@toledofreepress.comThis holiday season, Toledo-area resident Joni Meyer-Crothers will give back the best way she knows how.
Meyer-Crothers, who with her family has been featured on TLC’s show “Extreme Couponing,” will take one local family in need grocery shopping for the holidays, where she will do what she does best — leave with massive savings.
Joni Meyer-Crothers
“It’s awesome, that’s what my whole life is about,” Meyer-Crothers said. “That’s what we were put on this Earth for. We hear and we see the need, but so many people just end it at that. We need to take it one step further and ask ‘What can we do?’
“People don’t think that one or two things matter, but every little thing matters to a family who is hungry. There’s nobody who should be hungry anymore. That’s why we did ‘Extreme Couponing.’ We have done it just ourselves, but it was trying to teach other people how you can do it, hoping that will encourage them more.”
Meyer-Crothers is partnering with Toledo Free Press to gather nominations for one family to be featured in an upcoming issue and receive free groceries while being shown how she shops. Meyer-Crothers said she hasn’t spent $200 on groceries during a month’s time in the past three years, despite the fact she buys an estimated $5,000-$6,000 worth of groceries each month. Whatever money she does spend with the family will be covered by Toledo Free Press. FOX Toledo is a media sponsor for the promotion.
Nominations for Toledo-area families in need can be emailed to news@toledofreepress.com. A winner will be chosen at noon Dec. 18 and will accompany Meyer-Crothers on a Dec. 20 shopping trip.
Updates will be posted at www.Facebook.com/ToledoFreePress.
“I saw Joni’s most recent appearance on ‘Extreme Couponing’ and watched her drop off thousands of dollars in groceries to a local food bank,” said Toledo Free Press Editor In Chief Michael S. Miller. “I was impressed and moved by what she is doing, but thought it would be powerful to put a specific face on the local need. Joni was on board instantly and understood the idea to tell a family’s story that represents what so many local people are facing this Christmas.”
The chosen family will also not have to worry about its heating bills in January. Columbia Gas of Ohio will cover its natural gas bill for the month, to help make the holiday a bit easier.
“There are a number of families in our community that have a great deal of need. It’s an opportunity to work with Toledo Free Press and the ‘coupon queen’ to provide one family with a gift will last beyond Dec. 25,” said Columbia Gas of Ohio Communications and Community Relations Manager Chris Kozak. “It’s very exciting and we see this as a great way to not only help that one family get over the hump but give them the jump-start they need for a happy and prosperous 2012.”
Meyer-Crothers has been featured on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” on two occasions with two more episodes due to air in the future. She donates an estimated 80 percent of her groceries each month to organizations around the area, most notably Sylvania Area Family Services.
Tags: Chris Kozak, Columbia Gas of Ohio, Extreme Couponing, FOX Toledo, Joni Meyer-Crothers, Michael S. Miller, TLC, Toledo Free Press
I would like to nominate Hedi Krueger-Middlebrooks. She and her boyfriend who has custody of his 4 kids along with her 2 and then 1 of theirs, they have 7 children in their home. Hedi works full time and most times she doesn’t know if she is coming or going, but one thing she does know is that she is doing her best to keep moving forward…… Please consider choosing her and her family for your shopping trip. Sincerely, Renee’ Schick
This comment was posted on December 8th, 2011 at 9:59 pmI nominate Joshua Drenning and his girlfriend and son. He works a full time job and his sons mother Niki is a full time college student. I’ve watched them struggle to make ends meet and keep a roof over their sons head. Thus winter has been a difficult one for them.They are using space heaters to heat their home right now. please consider them for a shopping trip and help with their gas. Thank you s.matesick
This comment was posted on December 12th, 2011 at 2:49 pmI would like to nominate Marsha Russell. She has four children and having a hard time finding a job and also getting help from JFS due to an old sanction. I just recently pulled through a friend of mine Tanja Hyler to get the kids a Christmas tree because they didn’t have one. She is also heating her home with space heaters and cooking with a hotplate because she doesn’t have gas on. They really need the help to brighten the Holiday Season! Thank You
This comment was posted on December 12th, 2011 at 8:38 pmhi my name is Jillian,i have two boys ages 14m and 2 1/2 my husband and i both lost our jobs in November and were sanctioned by welfare for the month of December due to our previous boss not turning in papers that were due…So due to that we get no money or food for this month at all.it has been very hard so far and getting to churches to get food has been another hurdle since gas costs money that we do not have right now,we dont need anything extravagant just the basics to get us by for the month.i make sure my boys have food to eat we have sold alot of things to buy food for them but we dont have anything that is really worth anything.So please any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated thank you..Jillian
This comment was posted on December 14th, 2011 at 8:22 pm