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OK, I'm A Believer

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 27, 2006

Brandon, FL - Brandon, FL - ECHO volunteers said they never had any doubts Brandon would come through when informed that the Empty Stocking Fund had reached nearly $5,000.

"The community always comes to our rescue," said Mary Hink, one of the 65 faithful who come to the Emergency Care Help Organization each week to sort clothing and pack groceries to distribute to Brandon's needy.

She managed to recruit her husband, Gene, when he retired from Exxon 16 years ago and she wanted to keep him out of trouble. Now he's ECHO's self-appointed jack-of-all-trades. Mary always knows where to find him. If he isn't at home or at church, he's at ECHO.

That's where he was the other day when another desperate mother walked in carrying a baby. Once again, it was after hours and the mother didn't have the proper paperwork. The baby was wrapped in a blanket but had no clothes. It was a repeat of the story Gene told me a few weeks earlier that I'd written about in another column.

This time it was too close to Christmas for Gene's comfort. He couldn't help but think of Jesus wrapped in swaddling. He wondered if the woman was homeless. Then he wondered where she would have gone for help if he hadn't happened to be fussing around at ECHO after hours when she happened by instead of doing the household chores Mary wanted him to do.

He loaded the young mother up with baby clothes, diapers, formula and some food and clothing for herself, despite the fact that all she was asking for was some warm clothing for her baby. Gene's a hard guy to say "no" to.

Personally, I had my doubts about this year's Empty Stocking Fund when we'd only raised $120 by Dec. 1. It didn't look encouraging.

You see, I tend to take it personally. I was the one who started the Empty Stocking Fund 16 years ago when ECHO was going through a bit of a dry spell. I spent a couple of days hanging out there with then-director Joyce Uphoff and was introduced to a side of Brandon I'd never seen.

And there was a good reason I'd never seen it. Most of the people coming into ECHO didn't want anyone to know about their dire straits. These were people who were living in my own neighborhood and happened to have lost their jobs or were dealing with a catastrophic illness or had their husband walk out on them. Suddenly, here they were in this nice house, driving a nice car and wearing nice clothes but they didn't have enough cash to buy a gallon of milk. And it could be weeks before they qualified for government assistance or found a job and got that first paycheck.

Geesh, I thought to myself. That could be me. I've got to help.

So each year I bite my fingernails as I watch the donations trickle in to the Empty Stocking Fund. I don't know why I worry. Brandon's never let me down.

And this year was no exception. As of Friday, the total was $4,497.05 and the deadline for donations was still three days away.

Among contributors this week were Lisa Vandevander of Naples; Juanita Carmichael of Brandon; Joseph and Mildred Girolami of Valrico; Rose Simpson of Brandon; Warren and Regina King of Riverview; Martha and Carlos Paez Jr. of Valrico; Crystal Clear Pool Service (Janet and John Schultz of Valrico); Susan and Robert Pryor of Brandon; Maureen Sullivan of Valrico; Carolyn Sheffield of Valrico; Michael Trimpert; Gregory and Cheryl Meador of Lithia; Brenda Carter of Brandon; Sondra Jackson of Brandon; Trudy and Anthony Cruz of Brandon; David and Claudia Yake of Valrico; David and Nancy Calnon of Valrico; I. Jacobson of Brandon; Louie and Patricia Jones of Brandon; Sylvia Luchau; HSBC employees; Gerardo Acevedo; and SenCommunications. In addition, there were seven anonymous donors.

Altogether, that's 60 contributions to the Empty Stocking Fund so far. That, of course, doesn't count all the food drives, such as the annual postal food drive, which collects tons of food for ECHO each spring. Nor does it include the clothing drives and donations throughout the year that go toward supporting the nonprofit Brandon-based organization that receives no government funding.

Forgive me for doubting you. I'll stop biting my fingernails now.

D'Ann White is editor of The Brandon News.

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