Aimee Callaway had a basket of food, complete with ham, potatoes, fruit and other items, enough to stock a pantry for a week or longer.
She just couldn’t get the recipient to open the door to accept it when they arrived.
“We knocked on the door, but she was very skeptical,” Callaway recalled.
It wasn’t until Callaway tossed a soccer ball — a part of the gift basket — to the woman’s son.
The family had been nominated to receive an Iola Elks food basket for Christmas last year.
The mother’s eyes brightened. Then moistened. Her lip began to quiver.
“Her son was so excited, and she started crying,” Callaway said. “It was just overwhelming for her to even think that somebody was thinking about them. We just told her son some angel told us he needed that soccer ball.”
The episode perfectly encapsulates what the Elks Lodge strives to do each Christmas.
“The ones who don’t expect it are the ones who are the most excited,” she said.
Callaway, one of the organizers of this year’s Christmas basket program, is again reaching out to families in need.
The Elks will hand out 70 food baskets Dec. 19. Most recipients are asked to pick up their gifts at the Elks Lodge, although some baskets will be delivered to shut-ins, or those unable to make it.
“I hate to say this, but it was difficult finding places for all 70 baskets last year,” Callaway said.
But not because of lack of need. Rather, the economic plight facing many families made it difficult to contact them, she explained.
“We had quite a few people whose phone numbers were disconnected, or somebody’s cell phone was out of minutes,” Callaway said.
To prevent a repeat of such scenarios, Callaway and her fellow organizers, Teresa Grewing and Lonna Grewing, are reaching out to recipients in the coming days, via phone, Internet messages or any other means, to ensure all 70 baskets go to worthy homes.
“And we’re still accepting names,” she said. “We don’t want anybody to be bashful. All we ask is if somebody is gracious enough to accept our help, they need to make an effort to come meet us.”
Those in need of help, or those who know somebody in need, are urged to call Callaway at 620-380-1993, Teresa Grewing at 228-2861 or Lonna Grewing at 365-0601.
PREPARATIONS for the 2015 basket giveaway actually began last Christmas, as the final families were accounted for in 2014. To ensure the lodge had enough resources for the food baskets, Callaway and the Grewings upped the number of fundraisers.
“We had five of them this year, including Christmas in July, we did something for Easter, we had a Pampered Chef drawing and a pie auction,” Callaway said. “The response has been overwhelming.”
Callaway, et al, have been meeting on a weekly basis most of the year to sort through names of recipients. They start with last year’s list, then branched out to find others.
“We have some repeats,” she acknowledged. “The new names get the higher priority. We know there are people who truly need this, but we know some make it a habit.”
Organizers have enough cash on hand to put even more goodies in the baskets, adding more fruits, vegetables, another loaf of bread, boxes of cereal, peanut butter and cheese.
Callaway noted the late Judy Thompson made a point to stock the baskets with beans since each already had a bone-in ham.
“We’re going to keep up that tradition,” Callaway said. “We’ll add some cornbread, too.”
“It’s important to remember that these families will need food for more than Christmas Day,” Teresa Grewing added. “They’ll have kids at home for the holidays. We want to make sure they have plenty.”
Organizers should have leftover funds to get a head start on the 2016 food basket giveaway.
RECIPIENTS aren’t limited to Iola, Callaway stressed.
“We delivered one basket to Eureka last year,” she said. “We’ve gone to Stark, Blue Mound, Yates Center, Moran, and of course, Iola, Gas and LaHarpe. We just hope everybody has a good Christmas.”
