North Carolina Chapter Hosts ‘Christmas to Remember’ for Homeless Shelter Residents

When it comes to organizing community events, North Carolina Chapter 46 President Brenda Griffin likes to “take it a step further.”

It was this motivation to go above and behind that led Griffin to introduce the Christmas to Remember in September event at the Friends of the Homeless Emergency Shelter in Kinston, NC. There, WoodmenLife members, community volunteers, and residents came together for an evening of giving and joy.

Hope for Those in Hardship

Griffin and her husband, George, started volunteering at the shelter earlier this year.

“My husband and I had been volunteering with the shelter, and through WoodmenLife we decided to sponsor a meal once a month,” she said. “We wanted to take it a step further and talked with the operators at the shelter and asked if we could prepare a homecooked meal for residents. They were thrilled!”

While providing homecooked meals to residents, Griffin and her husband were able to bond with residents, one of whom dubbed George the “grill man.”

“It was really a blessing to get to know them and to see that, even though they’re in hardship, they appreciated all the little things we did,” she said. “They told us, ‘You and your husband bring love every time.’ It encouraged me so much.”

Spreading Holiday Joy

Over the summer, Griffin decided she wanted to do a special event for the shelter as part of Chapter 46’s quarterly shared commitment project.

One idea she thought of was to provide shelter residents with a joyous, present-opening experience. Thus, Christmas in September was born.

Griffin and a team of volunteers compiled a wish list for all the residents before doing some online shopping. On the day of the event, WoodmenLife arrived with presents and steaks for residents to enjoy.

But, again, Griffin wanted to go the extra mile: She asked permission to push tables and chairs together so residents could all come together. They ate like a family, created ornaments for the Christmas tree, received presents from Santa, and wrapped up the evening by playing Christmas bingo.

A Christmas to Remember

Eric Pilson, Community Outreach Advisor for North Carolina East, said being able to provide for residents was a joyous occasion.

“A lot of these people, they’re not going to get a Christmas, so it was a big deal for them,” he said. “And that’s how Brenda and the chapter treated it — we wanted to make this something they could remember.”

One moment that touched both Griffin and Pilson was when a young resident who, upon receiving his wish list item of a Carhartt jacket, cried tears of joy.

“I’ve been to a lot of events like this with WoodmenLife,” Pilson said, “but this was unlike anything I’d ever seen. These guys come every month — they really wanted to make it special. It was great to be a part of.”

‘A Little Extra Special’

Pilson said the Christmas to Remember in September event showcased just how much WoodmenLife cares for the communities we serve.

“We look at our local communities and find where there’s a need, and do what we can to meet it,” he said. “They took it to the next level with this. We’re going to ask our other chapters to do this — there are people who don’t have homes in every community, big and small.”

As a lifelong WoodmenLife member, Griffin said she is proud to volunteer alongside WoodmenLife while also exemplifying its values: family, community, and country.

“This was a wonderful event for our chapter to sponsor just to touch the lives of those people and encourage them for that night, and to make them feel special,” she said. “We enjoy every shared commitment project we do, but we wanted this one to be just a little extra special, and it was.”

Written by: Cheyenne Alexis, Communications Strategist

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