Nearly 80 Ellis County children will kick off 2025 with hope and happiness thanks to the hard work and dedication of Carey Jordan, his mother, and their friends and family. The third annual Ellis County (Kansas) Toy Drive gathered Christmas gifts, cash, and gift cards for 55 young people in Big Brothers Big Sisters and 24 youth in foster care with Saint Francis Ministries. Led by Lynette Rumpel, this year’s toy drive enlisted multiple community partners and volunteers to make Christmas extra special for kids in need.
Yet, for Lynette, the success of the drive is bittersweet.
Carey created the annual toy drive in 2022, following his father’s death from natural causes in May. Lynette and Scott Jordan were no longer married at the time, but he had always enjoyed playing Santa Claus for various organizations around Hays. After Scott died, Carey thought a toy drive would be a good way to honor his memory.
“He started the drive in November 2022, which was a bit late,” said Lynette. “So he said, ‘I’m going to start earlier next year.’ And he did. He started the 2023 toy drive in September, but a week later, he took his own life. In Carey’s memory, his friends then took over the drive that year.”
Grieving the loss of her son, Lynette resolved this year to pick up where Carey had left off.
“We discovered that Carey also hoped to help Big Brothers Big Sisters, so we looped them in with Saint Francis because we wanted to serve both organizations. Fortunately, I still have Carey’s friends helping me because we needed all hands on deck this year. There’s no way I could have done it all by myself; it was just too big for me to handle alone.”
One of Carey’s friends, Matt Lyon, actually suggested helping Saint Francis because his wife, Shawna, works for SFM as an Independent Living director. Saint Francis Ministries provides gifts for children in foster care each year through its annual Christmas for Kids campaign. Lynette and Carey’s friends worked with SFM staff in Hays to compile a list of kids in care needing presents at Christmas, then worked with local businesses to create angel trees around town.
Yet, for Lynette, the satisfaction of helping kids at Christmas is tinged with sorrow after losing her own child at just 31 years old. For her, the Ellis County Toy Drive is a labor of love … for several reasons.
“Carey lived life fast, hard, and clean and loved everything outdoors, especially conservation. He loved motorsports, along with hunting and fishing. But he was also very tender-hearted, even when taking the life of an animal. He would give the shirt off his back to someone in need. He loved kiddos and enjoyed teaching them about the marvels of nature, especially his niece, Samantha. Still, sometimes life gets hard. He was too good for this world and needed for a higher purpose. He was an organ donor, and four lives were saved through his death.”
Lynette said she intends to keep up the Ellis County Toy Drive “as long as I can.”
“I wasn’t sure I was ready this year,” she added. “There were moments when I thought, ‘Whoa, what am I doing?’ I’m still trying to settle the estate and stuff like that. But I’m making the best of it I can. I’m not going to step back just because I’m overwhelmed.”
Fortunately, she has help.
“There’s no way I could’ve done this alone. I have to acknowledge all the businesses that had drop boxes and all the gift and monetary donors. My employer, Nex-Tech, allowed us to use office space to sort and store donations, as well as print posters and flyers. Other people helped sort and buy gifts – many special friends, too many to mention.
“If I were to be honest, Carey was a better person than me. He started this, and I wouldn’t have done it if not for me wanting to carry on his legacy. I’m comfortable telling people that he took his own life because we need to talk about it. We need to remove the stigma attached to mental health and seeking help. I also want people to know that something good came out of a very dark thing. Good people also struggle with mental health issues.”
