Giving People a Christmas
As the holiday season arrives, we’re reminded of friends and neighbors who could use some help. This fact isn’t lost on Needy Basket of Southern Miami County, which maintains a food distribution center at 330 South Fifth Street in Tipp City. The non-profit organization operates year-round, providing food for those in need, but kicks into high gear this time of year.
Of historical note is that Needy Basket held its first Christmas food giveaway in 1946. They served four families that year from the basement of the America Legion. Compare that to this year’s requests, and you’ll see that things have changed significantly since then.
The Gazette recently spoke with Gerry Wyen, who serves as Coordinator of Services. “This year we have 253 families that we’re serving, which is up slightly from last year. With the cost of groceries being so high, I thought we’d get more requests. The families are up this year, but the individuals are down. Although we do have six families that have nine-plus members, this is breaking the trend a little bit. There seems to be a shift from last year where we had bigger families, but you never know from year to year what you’re going to get.”
Those wishing to receive assistance need to pre-register and provide a photo ID, proof of residence in Tipp City, Monroe Township or Bethel Township, and proof of income level, according to the guidelines set by Miami County Jobs and Family Services. Each family that registered in advance of the pick-up date will receive a full box of food with ingredients for a complete dinner, plus a turkey or a ham, depending on what they requested. A small family will get a boneless turkey breast, while a large family will get a breast and a full-size turkey. There will also be a box of toys for kids, if requested.
“As coordinator, my job is relatively easy,” Wyen said. “I get the information from the registrations and put it together. The people working on the floor make it happen. Marilyn McClurg (the Toy Coordinator) really does a good job getting the toys and matching them up to the kids. We’ve got a lot of good people working for us, and they all make my job a lot easier.”
The toys are courtesy of the Toys for Tots program, Menards, Tipp Monroe Community Services, and individual donations from the public. One hundred seventy-one kids signed up to receive toys this year. Newborns to 10-year-olds get toys, while kids aged 11 to 15 get a gift card. Items include puzzles, coloring books, crayons, games, craft kits, and balls. For those who would like to contribute next year, hats, mittens and gloves are always welcome.
Food purchases are made possible by contributions from The Paul G. Duke Foundation, The Tipp Foundation, Miami County Foundation, Meijers Simply Give program, Miami County Commissioners, and the Tipp City Eagles, among other community contributors. There’s also another participant in the giveaway process. The Clothesline, located at 22 N. Second Street, Tipp City, is a clothing resale shop run by volunteers from area churches. They provide Needy Basket with vouchers to include with the food parcels.
“Each family gets a voucher for $10 per person,” Wyen said. “They take it to Clothesline on December 30th and pick out the clothing they want. Ten dollars goes a long way in there. The people at Clothesline screen the clothes that are donated, and it’s all top quality. It’s part of what we send out with the food. I’ve been involved with the Christmas program since 2005, and they’ve been there since the start of it.”
Jim Sommer feels that the system they’ve developed helps the whole process run smoother.
“We have designated hours for pickup on December13th and 14th,” he said. “People will drive to the rear of the building, and we’ll load the boxes into their car. They must come in before the deadline and fill out a form with all the family information, and they’re supposed to bring it back with them. We had to give them something on paper that we could track. Just because one person signed up, it might not be that person who comes in for pickup. Once they’re in the database, the only questions they have to answer are how big the family is and whether they want ham or turkey. That’s how we know how much meat to buy. We have a pretty good idea based on past history, but this year, ham seems to be popular.”
Although they encourage people to come to the center to pick up their parcels, Sommer says they make an exception each year. One of Needy Basket’s recipients is Liberty Commons, a federally subsidized apartment community that offers housing for disabled adults, as well as people aged 62 and older.
“We’ll take parcels over there after the distribution date and deliver to the residents. That’s grown over the years, too. The staff has been very receptive to it. We’ll take 40-some meals, and that’s included in the 253 total. Depending on the size of the family, they get different boxes. Everybody gets a primary box, then if the size of the family goes up, they get more.”
This annual project brings many parts of the community together to provide a much-needed service.
“Basically, we’re giving people a Christmas—toys and a meal,” Sommer said. “My fear when I’m putting this together is that we’ll miss something. I operate on the premise that this is what they’re getting for Christmas. It makes Christmas special for the kids.”
For more information about Needy Basket of Southern Miami County and their services, visit their website, www.needybasket.org, or their Facebook page. You can also reach them by phone at 937.667.1977.