SANDUSKY — It’s been eight years since Keli Clark lost her oldest daughter, Noelle.
“Noelle was very independent, very adventurous, and there wasn't anything she was ever afraid to do. She also took her role as the eldest of seven very serious,” said Clark.
Noelle passed away at the age of 35 from an accidental overdose in 2017, leaving behind two twin boys.
“There's been times my grandson Hunter says, 'I can’t wait to go to Heaven,' and I ask, 'Why would you say that?' and he says, 'Because my mom's there, and we talk about how pretty it is in Heaven,'” said Clark.
Clark became the legal guardian for her grandsons after they lost both parents to an overdose. The twins are a part of an estimated 47,000 children in Ohio who lost one or both parents to an opioid overdose between 2006 and 2021.
“I was thinking how do you explain this to them? So, I started reaching out to different organizations on some advice and I couldn’t find anything,” said Clark.
So, she took matters into her own hands.
Using her daughter’s legacy, Clark started Project Noelle. Helping the smallest victims of the opioid epidemic understand that nothing is ever their fault.
“The kids go through the same things a lot, they tell us if I would have listened better, if I wouldn’t have done this or if I wouldn't have said that, maybe my mom wouldn't have gone out and used drugs that night,” said Clark.
Wanting the kids to feel loved, Project Noelle offers grief support, emergency diapers, clothes, fun events throughout the year and prevention programs hosted by the National Guard.
“We’re putting children into a safe zone that they haven't had,” said volunteer Stephen Terrell.
Especially during the Christmas season, when they host their Adopt-a-Child Program.
“We put names out through each community, where people can take a name of a child and go shop for that child. The holidays can be especially tough and there's so many memories of them with their mom and their dad. So, it’s important we lift their spirits and make them feel special,” said Clark.
And with the help of the community and local restaurants like Sweet Cheekz Café in Sandusky spreading the word, Project Noelle has grown from Erie County to 30 counties in Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.
“When you're doing something to help kids that have gone through extreme issues and they're dealing with a lot of things emotionally, it just makes you feel good,” said Terrell.
People can apply to Adopt a Child for Christmas until Monday, Nov. 3, HERE.
