Seventeen years in the past, Fred Jordan, a manpower administration analyst at USFFC, began a vacation reward drive for native households in want. This gesture become an annual occasion supported by dozens of volunteers serving to over 50 households.
“It began with one household,” mentioned Jordan. “We have gotten as excessive as 4 households, so it grows primarily based on what is required.”
Jordan reaches out to space social service places of work to obtain an inventory of households in want his group can help. He and his fellow volunteers work to boost cash for the challenge.
The donations are given by workers previous and current of USFFC and surrounding instructions who ask to be on a donors checklist.
“Through the years, we have constructed up an inventory of people that have donated prior to now,” mentioned Dwayne Thompson, a fleet manpower officer at USFFC. “Regardless that a few of them have transferred away or retired, they nonetheless wish to take part, so Fred sends out an e mail, and begins amassing.”
For the previous two years, the drive raised sufficient cash to assist two households for each Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their efforts don’t simply present toys and turkeys. Typically they assist make lease funds over the vacations or buy needed home goods like washers and dryers, no matter could also be wanted to assist the households throughout the vacation season.
This yr, two moms are receiving cash donations and presents for his or her youngsters.
“We’re serving to one household from Virginia Seaside, and one from Chesapeake, seven youngsters all collectively,” mentioned Thompson. “So the 2 similar households that we’ve for Christmas, we did at Thanksgiving. With the $250 we collected, we gave them a Navy Federal reward card to go purchasing for meals or no matter they wanted for Thanksgiving.”
Thompson attributes this system’s persevering with success to the reactions of the recipients.
“They’re overwhelmed, tearful, very grateful, each one in all them,” mentioned Thompson. “Typically the mom will ship us a letter or card, simply saying how grateful and grateful they’re.”
Jordan recounted the story of a single mom of three placing herself by means of faculty who his group assisted throughout onerous instances. Only a yr later she contacted him to say she graduated, discovered job, and was now following his instance by serving to a household in want for the vacations.
The group’s work isn’t restricted to the vacation season. With the overwhelming quantity of group assist, Jordan’s volunteer group is ready to assist a number of households in want all year long, together with a single mom with a particular wants youngster.
“We had been capable of ship a particular wants youth to summer season camp, which was essential as a result of the mom labored two jobs. This summer season camp was 5 days per week and will cowl throughout the time that she labored,” mentioned Thompson. “It was for six weeks, and it could assist her till she discovered a daycare for the kid. And so the summer season camp got here alongside and we greater than willingly jumped on prime of that.”
That is Jordan’s last yr because the organizer of the drive as he’s retiring in March 2023. He leaves the accountability of subsequent yr’s drive within the arms of Tina Harrell, a USFFC manpower analyst, who seems to be ahead to taking the reins after contributing to the hassle for the previous two years.
“Fred Jordan is Santa for actual,” mentioned Harrell. “For 17 years he has devoted yearly after which some to creating positive these households and youngsters have one thing for Christmas to open up. He is about paying it ahead. He treats everyone with kindness and respect. I’ve discovered rather a lot from working with him; he is a outstanding particular person. I simply hope I can do a tenth of the job that he has completed for these households.”
Our hats are off to Jordan and the efforts of his volunteers to deliver pleasure to households throughout the holidays. If you need to study extra about how one can make a distinction within the lives of others, attain out to a neighborhood charity group to donate or volunteer at this time. It solely takes one small act of kindness to vary a life without end.
