His pickup was old and covered with dents. The bumper was hanging on by a thread. With a slow gait and slight hunch, the elderly gentleman walked through the front doors. Most assumed he needed help with food, or perhaps with a bill.
Instead, he walked straight up to the receptionist and handed her a $10 bill. He wanted to make a donation. About a week later he was back with another $10.
A few days before, a gentleman was waiting at the door after the offices had closed for the day. In his hand was a check for $200. No, he said, he didn’t need a receipt. He just wanted to leave his donation.
A widow came in and wanted to make a donation to The Deer Project. She said she wanted to help a program that is feeding people. Her donation was $4. It was priceless.
No one may ever know what these donations cost each of the givers. Maybe it was spare change. Maybe it was much more.
Either way, each donation will go a long way toward providing food for friends and families who have fallen on hard times.
Already in the first seven business days of December GSM has seen 760 families who have picked up their Christmas boxes along with their grocery staples. That’s roughly 108 families per day! That’s families, not individuals.
In addition to regular grocery staples, families receive a box with most of the ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner.
“The only thing we ask those who come to the food pantry is to only do so if there is a real need,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of GSM. “And, quite honestly, most of the time there is, especially with the holidays here and so many other things stretching the finances.”
For many families living paycheck to paycheck, all it takes is the slightest change to overturn the delicate balance of a tight budget: a doctor bill, car repairs, an increase in grocery prices. Then when Christmas is added to the mix — extra groceries, Christmas presents, and, with family visiting, more mouths to feed – things can really begin to fall apart financially.
“We hope we’re able to lighten the load so families can enjoy this special time and enjoy being with their loved ones without worrying about how to feed them,” Bostick said. “We will be giving out grocery staples and Christmas boxes until 2 p.m. Friday, December 23.”
During December, GSM has extended their regular hours to accommodate the inevitable increase of families who need help.
GSM holiday hours are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 to 6 p.m.
Good Samaritan Ministries will close at 2 p.m. December 23 and reopen at 9 a.m. Monday, January 2 in order to give staff and volunteers time to spend with their families.
“We will reopen Monday, January 2 at 9 am to continue our mission of ministering to the basic physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors in Brown County in the name of Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas and throughout the year,” Bostick said.
Donations of clothing, household items, food or money may be made at 305 Clark Street during that time. Thirty-five dollars will provide a Christmas box to one family. Donations may also be mailed to P.O. Box 1136, Brownwood, TX 76804 or made online at goodsambwd.org. Boxes are also located at the following businesses if anyone would rather donate food items: American State Bank, Bank of America, Brownwood City Hall, Brownwood Police Department, Citizens National Bank, Coggin Avenue Medical Park, Davis Morris Funeral Home, Fit by Faith, McCoy’s, Mills County State Bank and Texas Bank.
