For anyone looking to give to others during the holiday season, TARCOG’s Winter Wishes campaign is underway for 2023. By the end of November, the TARCOG office will start to look like Santa’s Workshop with our case managers transforming into elves.

TARCOG partners with numerous community partners such as local churches, individual families, organizations and community groups to sponsor recipients in the agency’s Winter Wishes Campaign, which happens in phases, said Melissa Brinkley, Medicaid Waiver Program manager. During September, she said case managers gathered information from clients with significant needs for items — or those who otherwise would not receive a holiday gift. During this phase, wish list items are identified. Each participant gets three wishes.

In October, Brinkley said summaries of the wishes are provided to TARCOG’s Winter Wishes organizer, Amber Millimaki. Then, she started disbursing the wishes to sponsors who want to fulfill a need for a participant of the Winter Wishes Program. Each sponsor decides which of the three wishes to fulfill.

During November, as donors select and shop for wishes, either TARCOG case managers pick up gifts from sponsors, or sponsors may drop off gifts at TARCOG’s office, 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450, Huntsville. (Link to directions). Then in December, TARCOG case managers/Winter Wishes Elves deliver all gifts to participants.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a Winter Wish participant or for more information may contact Amber Millimaki at 256-716-2489, 256-684-6611, or amber.millimaki@tarcog.us