It Takes a Community, Donate Today!

Dontae and Deanna Chunko are a brother/sister duo that most know in this community. Deanna is a 3rd grader at Elsa Meyer and Dontae is a 4th grader at Corunna Middle School. These two kids have endured some serious hurdles in their young lifetime.

Since the time they were babies they have been raised by their great-grandparents, Pete and Pauline Merko. When Pete and Pauline acquired custody of Dontae and Deanna they thought it would be temporary not a lifetime. With the children being removed from the care of their biological mother, Pete and Pauline stepped up to prevent Dontae and Deanna from having to enter the foster care system. Although Pete and Pauline were retired and on a fixed income and knew it would be an adjustment, they opened their home to Dontae and Deanna as they knew they were the only familial option to care for them. As time went on, weeks turned into months and months to years and Dontae and Deanna remained in the custody of Pete and Pauline. Unfortunately in June of 2014 Pete passed away and Pauline and the children lost a significant means of support both emotionally and financially, which has left Pauline on her own.

Over the last 7 years Dontae and Deanna's biological mother experienced her own struggles and continued to be  in and out of contact with her children. On August 27, 2016, Pauline received a phone call that Dontae and Deanna's biological mother had passed away. While this is obviously a significant loss for this family, it is also an unsettling realization for this brother/sister duo that there is no longer hope or a goal for the biological mother to regain custody.

Pauline will continue to push through and smile through the tears to ensure comfort and stability for Dontae and Deanna. Being the humble person that Pauline is, most do not know the daily struggles that this little family endures. Pauline sleeps on a 10+ year old sofa each night to allow Dontae and Deanna their own room. Around the holidays she is up at 4 A.M. some mornings baking hours to earn extra money for Christmas presents. Dontae and Deanna don't ask for name brand clothing or the latest electronic device; they are extremely grateful that Great-Grandma took them in and for whatever she can afford at the time.

There is an old saying, "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child". For this brother/sister duo they have a great community to help support them with day-to-day needs. An account has been set up on behalf of Dontae and Deanna to help Pauline continue to raise this awesome duo in a great community. Pauline is on an extremely fixed income and her first and only priority is to maintain stability and a positive environment. Any funds raised will help Pauline to continue to raise Dontae and Deanna in the only place they have ever known to call home, here in the Corunna Community.