Minnesota Community Foundation & The Saint Paul Foundation: Two Foundations One Direction

Joseph's Coat: Christmas in May

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A little after nine one rainy Tuesday morning about a month ago, the doorbell rang. We opened the door to find several cars lined up to drop off. There was a flurry of activity! One after the other, people came in carrying boxes and bags. A number of new umbrella strollers came in along with big bags of new socks and underwear. Financial donations and some Cub gift cards were presented. It was like Christmas! Unbelievable!! Mary and I just looked at each other and shook our heads in amazement. We could hardly wait to begin giving it away.

That same day, a gentleman stopped by to ask if we had any work boots. He said he had a job but couldn’t start until he had work boots. We checked, but there weren’t any on the shelf. I invited him to come back the next day and told him I would be happy to write a grant for work boots. Meanwhile, I gave him a token and asked him to go to Wal-Mart and select a pair of boots that he liked, take them to the cashier and get the necessary numbers and the price of the boots on a cash register slip and bring it back to me. He smiled, nodded and left.

The next morning, there were lots of moms with small children and babies in the line. One mom, who was really struggling with three wiggling little ones was so delighted with the new stroller we offered her that she gave me a huge hug as soon as her happy toddler had climbed in.

The morning zipped by and the gentleman who needed the work boots came in about noon. We went to the gathering space to sit down. I asked him to tell me a little bit about himself and why he needed the boots. He explained that the mother of his 15-year-old son had asked him to come to Minnesota and be more involved in the life of their child. He was glad to be there and had gotten a job as a custodian in a church but couldn’t begin until he had work boots. I called the church to verify - he could begin as soon as he had the boots. I filled out the form and faxed it to Community Sharing Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation for their consideration.

This fund is an unbelievable gift to the poor. You can’t even imagine all the good that they do. I don’t use this fund very often but each time I have made a request for work boots, my request has been approved. I am always thrilled to be a tiny part of empowering someone to work.

While we waited to hear from the foundation, a volunteer came in with a treat. I offered coffee and cookies to my guest. He ate what I offered immediately. The phone rang; it was Michael from the foundation, affirming my request.

I wrote a Joseph’s Coat check to Wal-Mart for the amount of the boots, knowing that the Foundation would reimburse us and gave it to our client. Smiling, he thanked me and began to walk out onto the store floor.

As I got up, the stack of Cub gift cards that had come in the day before, caught my eye. I selected two, and hurrying to catch up, walked out onto the sidewalk with him. I quietly asked if they had enough food at the house now that there was an additional person to feed. He looked at me as I handed him the cards. “For groceries,” I said. Nodding, his eyes brimming with tears, he turned and walked away.

About a week later, I saw him in the line at the store in the morning and greeted him. “Look at my boots,” he said, looking down. “My feet feel so good now!” I gave him a hug and my best smile. I haven’t seen him since. He’s probably working!

This story originally appeared in the Joseph's Coat June 2009 newsletter and is reprinted with permission.

It takes as little as $25 to have a huge impact on someone's life. Make a donation to the Community Sharing Fund and help another family avert a crisis.