About Us
Our
Founder
Kim
After adopting two children with Down syndrome, founder Kim Adams was deeply inspired by the love and kindness her kids radiated. From the moment she met her precious Judy and Matt, she realized she wanted to make a difference. This led her to the idea of establishing a nonprofit organization. Through immense dedication and support, Kim successfully created Gifts From the Heart For Downs, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit. With this organization, she embraced the significant challenge of fulfilling dreams for individuals with Down syndrome. Since its beginning, Gifts From the Heart For Downs has granted over one hundred wishes, ranging from celebrity meet-and-greets to memorable birthday celebrations. The organization takes pride in its commitment to love and passion for helping others.
Meet the Board
Gifts From the Heart For Downs consists of a dedicated group of individuals from across the United States. The organization operates entirely on a volunteer basis.
Olivia Johnson, President
Olivia met Judy, Founder Kim's daughter, while in High School. Judy and Olivia rode the school bus together where they created a life-long friendship. The love Judy had for helping others inspired Olivia to want to do more. Since meeting the Adams family, granting wishes and helping others has become a passion of hers. Olivia earned her Bachelors in Business with a concentration in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. She enjoys spending time with her family and her sweet puppy Kahne!
Katerina Pisciotta
Katerina grew up in the same town as founder Kim and her daughter Judy with whom Katerina went to high school with. Katerina has always been interested in helping others and was part of a high school club that collected dimes to help Judy's "Dimes for Downs" fundraiser. It was then that Katerina realized the true meaning of helping others. She has been an active supporter of fundraising efforts and enjoys to help anyway she can. Katerina graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a Bachelors in Biology and currently studies Nursing at Ulster County Community College. Outside of college, Katerina is an EMT where she is able to continue her passion of helping others.
Kaylia Fountain
Kaylia is originally from Mississippi’s gulf coast; but, currently, works as an Embryologist and Andrologist in the Jackson metropolitan area. She earned her Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Spanish from Mississippi State University. Her love of the outdoors and thrill of adventure keeps her traveling any chance she gets. Kaylia met Olivia, the President of the Gifts from the Heart for Downs, while working in Grand Teton National Park. Olivia’s passion for the organization inspired Kaylia to join in efforts to grant wishes and put smiles on the faces of individuals living with Down syndrome.
Morgan Desimone
Morgan is a graduate of Hartwick College (‘18) and currently resides in New York’s Capital Region. She has worked for various non-profit agencies, including those which serve individuals diagnosed with complex mental illnesses, physical and developmental disabilities, and most recently, youth in the foster care system and children struggling with behavioral health concerns. For leisure, Morgan enjoys spending time with loved ones, trying new foods, and taking her dog on adventures. She is passionate about mental wellness and published a book in 2018 geared to improve mental wellbeing through the power of journaling (The Daily Brew Journal: A 365-Day Guided Journal).
Judy Adams
Judy is the daughter of founder Kim Adams. Judy has been supportive of her mom since the beginning of the organization. At the age of 12 Judy started her own fundraiser "Dimes for Downs" to help her mom grant wishes. To date she has raised over 600,000 dimes. Judy has been featured on Disney’s “Make Your Mark”, the Jimmy Fallon Show, the virtual “Pop up Show”, starred in the movie My Brother and did a visiting nurses of New York commercial. As a baby Judy was the cover of Baby Talk Magazine. Judy is very outgoing, energetic and eager to help anyone she can. She loves being able to be a part of helping others and granting wishes.