The Founding of Dot's Tots Foundation

Since Ashley Warnock began her career in social work, she has been involved in serving the needs of local youth. After years with the Delaware County (Ohio) Job and Family Services working as a Children’s Services caseworker, Ashley joined Viaquest in the private sector, a local agency contracted to run group homes for underprivileged teens. There, Ashley worked directly with troubled children who had spent their entire lives in and out of foster care. The job was emotional, but so very rewarding. However, upon the birth of her first son in October, 2011, Ashley “retired” from the workforce to be a homemaker.

While caring for her son, Ashley had a yearning to work with children again. This fueled a conversation between she and her husband, Andy. Interestingly enough, Andy had investigated the formation of a charity to support needy families years earlier. The culmination of their joint vision was the establishment of Dot’s Tots in the Summer of 2012. The name of the Foundation is in honor of Andy’s late grandmother, Dorotha Warnock. Dorotha was a lifelong educator and constant provider of guidance, support, and love to all of her students and especially her grandchildren. This Foundation carries her legacy forward.

As identified in the Articles of Incorporation, the specific purpose of Dot’s Tots Foundation is to provide support to:

• families providing foster care;
• children with debilitating disease, injury, and/or illness;
• and teenagers in their higher educational pursuits.

Through Ashley’s work in the foster care arena, she realized the scarce resources foster parents are provided to care for their growing families. Most foster parents are sacrificing their own wants to provide for less fortunate children. Dot’s Tots Foundation will be equipped to give back to these families. By providing groceries, toiletries, family get-aways, and other assistance, Dot’s Tots will lessen the burden on these noble individuals.

In addition to working with foster families, Dot’s Tots will provide support to those families whose children are recovering from – or battling – serious disease, traumatic injury, and/or life-threatening illness. By granting wishes and financial resources to ailing children, Dot’s Tots will bring joy to those in the greatest need of smiles and laughter.

Finally, Dot’s Tots will provide annual scholarships to graduating high school seniors to help offset the rising costs of college tuition. Through an application process, local highschoolers will be afforded the opportunity to garner monies – up to $5,000 per scholarship – to pursue a college degree.

Ashley serves as the Foundation’s Executive Director; Andy is the Chairman of the Board. The two live in Hilliard with their two sons, Cason and Palmer, and two daughters, Aniston and Berkley.