During my nearly two decades at the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, I got to do a lot of cool things.
One of the very coolest, though, was growing the paper’s Empty Stocking Fund.
Started sometime in the 1960s by then-publisher Allen Nequette, the fund aimed to make the holidays happy for all Livingston County kids.
When I was named editor of the Livingston County Press in 1994, I soon learned that in addition to putting out the paper, I was also responsible for the Empty Stocking Fund. It was small, way back then, and my goal was to grow it. Over the 16 years that I ran the fund, the amount of money collected soared from around $1,000 a year to nearly 20 times that at its peak. The lesson I learned — much like that in “It’s a Wonderful Life” — is that when you ask for help on behalf of those in need, this community opens its heart and pocketbook like no other.
Just because I’m not at the paper any longer doesn’t mean I can’t bang the drum for the Empty Stocking Fund, so consider this an official plea for help.
This is going to be a difficult holiday season for lots of our friends and neighbors. Those of us lucky enough to have jobs and homes can’t lose sight of the reality that many others haven’t fared quite so well, through no fault of their own.
I find myself smack dab in the middle of these two groups. Losing my job was a financial body blow, but we’re getting by as I work hard to grow this website and do freelance work. But there are no warm-weather getaways in my winter, nor will there be expensive gifts under my Christmas tree or big vacations come summer. That I have a roof over my head and food on my table is reason enough to celebrate each and every day as I cross my fingers and await the recovery to trickle down to me.
In honor of my spot in the middle of the financial meltdown, I am asking for your donation to the Empty Stocking Fund, a wonderful place to give the gift of hope and the spirit of the holiday season to those who have so very little.
Forego a fancy coffee once a week this month and send $15 to the Empty Stocking Fund. If that’s too much caffeine to go without, do it only once and send $5 to the fund.
If you’re lucky enough to have a job, pack a lunch once a week and donate the money you’ll save over the month to the Empty Stocking Fund. By conservative standards, that could be $30-$40, maybe more.
If you like LivingstonTalk.com, send a couple bucks. If you don’t like LivingstonTalk.com, send double the “like” amount.
If you are struggling, but you’ve got a place to live and food to eat, collect your spare change for a week and send it to the Empty Stocking Fund. Pennies quickly become dollars.
But don’t send pennies, please.
Instead, make your check payable to the “Empty Stocking Fund” and mail it to: Empty Stocking Fund, c/o Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, 323 E. Grand River Ave., Howell, Mich. 48843.
Every little bit will help.
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