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After being displaced by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and having a lousy holiday, 3-year-old Bridges and his mother, Christie, were due for a positive experience.

And this Christmas had all the signs of being a good one.

Christie had saved and bought Bridges new toys and clothes. She was excited to surprise him on Christmas morning. As part of the holiday spirit, she encouraged him to gather up toys he had outgrown to give to charity.

New and old, everything was locked in Christie’s car overnight to keep Bridges’ curiosity at bay.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Thieves broke into Christie’s car and took everything as part of a burglary spree in her neighborhood. Christie was distraught and heartbroken.

She had renter’s insurance and called State Farm Claims. The record of her call showed up in Agent Lad Drago’s office in Spanish Fort, Ala.

Agent Team Members Rebecca Grizzle and Cat Holladay saw the claim first that morning.

“It immediately pulled at our heart strings,” Cat says. “Because her deductible exceeded the value of the items stolen, we couldn’t help from an insurance standpoint, but we still wanted to do something.”

With Lad’s permission, Cat and Rebecca pooled their money and asked other agent team members if they wanted to donate. The pair went shopping over their lunch hour and that evening, wrapped the gifts at home that night and brought them back to the office the next morning.

The next day, Rebecca called and told her they had a few questions about the break-in and asked her to stop by the office.

“She came to the office that morning and brought Bridges with her,” Cat says. “We sat her down, and Lad told her all the gifts under the tree were for Bridges. She broke down crying right there in the chair. She kept saying over and over about how no one had ever done anything like that for her.”

“It made my holiday season that we could do this for her,” Rebecca says. “Her face was so full of gratitude.”

“I know I have a great team,” Lad says. “But it was a reminder of how much they care about customers and people in general.”

And this Christmas had all the signs of being a good one.

Christie had saved and bought Bridges new toys and clothes. She was excited to surprise him on Christmas morning. As part of the holiday spirit, she encouraged him to gather up toys he had outgrown to give to charity.

New and old, everything was locked in Christie’s car overnight to keep Bridges’ curiosity at bay.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Thieves broke into Christie’s car and took everything as part of a burglary spree in her neighborhood. Christie was distraught and heartbroken.

She had renter’s insurance and called State Farm Claims. The record of her call showed up in Agent Lad Drago’s office in Spanish Fort, Ala.

Agent Team Members Rebecca Grizzle and Cat Holladay saw the claim first that morning.

“It immediately pulled at our heart strings,” Cat says. “Because her deductible exceeded the value of the items stolen, we couldn’t help from an insurance standpoint, but we still wanted to do something.”

With Lad’s permission, Cat and Rebecca pooled their money and asked other agent team members if they wanted to donate. The pair went shopping over their lunch hour and that evening, wrapped the gifts at home that night and brought them back to the office the next morning.

The next day, Rebecca called Christie and invited her and Bridges to stop by the office.

“She came to the office that morning and brought Bridges with her,” Cat says. “We sat her down, and Lad told her all the gifts under the tree were for Bridges. She broke down crying right there in the chair. She kept saying over and over about how no one had ever done anything like that for her.”

“It made my holiday season that we could do this for her,” Rebecca says. “Her face was so full of gratitude.”

“I know I have a great team,” Lad says. “But it was a reminder of how much they care about customers and people in general.”

Until then, life ran smoothly for the Phillips family. Their children excelled in school. They were healthy. There was no shortage of food, warmth and love under their roof.

"Then one day, everything changed," said Phillips.

With their two income household now down to one, the family finances began to dwindle. "Mark began rehabilitation therapy - and we have five children to raise," said Phillips. "I did everything I could to keep this household running. I rationed, cut coupons, shopped at thrift stores. Failure was not an option."

But fatigue was.

Frustration, exhaustion, and feelings of hopelessness swept over the Phillips family. They wanted their world to be normal. They wanted their children to thrive. As their worries deepened...a different surprise came along...“This time it was a good surprise,” smiled Stephanie. “We met the Promise Council.”

The Promise Council is a network of caring adults who assist children and families in central Illinois schools. Volunteers donate their time, talents and resources to ensure families have basic essentials like food, clothing and shelter.

“The Promise Council is positioned to meet the unique needs of students,” said volunteer Garry Hendricks. “If a child needs a    winter coat and hat, the Promise Council provides it. If they need a mattress to sleep on, we’ll get one to the family. If there’s a shortage of food for the weekend, – we’ll send them home with a backpack of healthy items.”

“There are so many needs in front of us – it’s eye opening,” added Promise Council volunteer Reg Washington. “We help with clothing, hotel vouchers, transportation – we even purchased a small refrigerator for a family after learning they’d been filling a sink with ice to keep milk cold for their children. At the time, that’s the only solution they had.”

Both Washington and Hendricks have been Promise Council volunteers for nearly a decade. By day they work at State Farm^®. By night they join forces with caring adults across their central Illinois community to help students and families thrive. “Parents and children should not have to face this kind of worry,” said Hendricks. “The Promise Council assists so parents can focus on getting ahead and students can focus on learning.”

A light at the end of the tunnel

As for the Phillips family, the Promise Council gave Stephanie and Mark gas cards to fill up their van. Their children also received food, clothing, classroom supplies and after-school mentoring.

“The generosity helped us immensely,” said Stephanie. “With the gas cards, we could get to doctor appointments, run errands and I could go to work. The clothing and food also eased our strained budget. We started to breathe easier.”

As the weeks went by, Mark began to heal. The kids made honor roll.

As for Stephanie?

“I became a recess supervisor at the school,” she smiled. “It was my second job, and a way to support the place that gave us so much.”

Today, the Phillips family has made it their mission to give back to the Promise Council. They donate food, clothing and are involved in school activities.

“We want to pay it forward to the Promise Council so it can continue lifting families up,” said Stephanie. “Mark and I tell our kids, no matter what obstacles you face…never give up.”

For this family, the spirit of giving is a lifelong promise.

“And we plan to keep that promise,” said Stephanie.

On top of it all, Jeni manages to volunteer weekly at a local food bank. “I love being here,” she smiled. “It gives me purpose.”

From its sky-high shelves stocked with breads, grains and beans, to coolers of milk, cheese and juice, some might say this place, called Midwest Food Bank looks like a mega supermarket.

But the food here is donated. There are no cashiers and checkout aisles. Instead, you’ll find volunteers. Lots of them.

Each week they give their time and talent to help people in need. They sort and distribute donations. They laugh and form friendships.

“I love organizing the shipments of food we receive,” Jeni smiled. “Semi-trucks deliver the items and each box is a mystery. Opening them is like unwrapping a gift!”

While these boxes don’t come in pretty paper or fancy bows, it’s the items inside that make eyes light up and lift spirits.

“This food does more than prevent hunger. It lets people know they’ll be okay,” said Jeni. “It lets them know others care and are there to help.”

Sometimes the boxes contain rice, or grapes, or lettuce. Sometimes they’re filled with medicine or shoes. And once in while…they contain something a little sweeter.

“Once, we received bags of mini-marshmallows…like the kind you find in kids’ cereal,” Jeni explained. “And while we can’t just give mini-marshmallows to those in need, we can combine them with other items – like veggies, fruit, and yogurt for more balanced meals. We’re grateful for what we get.”

Bill Curtis, a longtime Midwest Food Bank volunteer agrees. “It amazes me how many hungry people are out there. When you work here…you know you’re making a difference. We even started a food bank in Kenya to help communities near and far.”

But beyond the food and fellowship found within these walls, Jeni says you’ll find something else too.

HOPE.

Most feel it the moment they walk through the doors.

“You see hope in the faces of children and families who come here for assistance,” Jeni explained. “You see it radiate from our volunteers – in their energy and enthusiasm.”

Jeni herself understands the impact of hope and a helping hand. Six years ago she fell on hard times, in need of both food and shelter for her family.

With the assistance of not-for-profit organizations and charities (many of which receive supplies from Midwest Food Bank), Jeni managed to rebuild her life. She regained independence and started a new chapter for herself and her sons.

“Those were incredibly tough times,” she said softly. “But we didn’t give up. We survived because help was there, and I am so grateful.”

Today, Jeni continues to pay it forward at Midwest Food Bank because she knows, through help and hope…comes healing. “Now that my boys are old enough, I bring them to volunteer and they love it,” she smiled. “It’s our turn to give back.”

And, through the support of businesses like State Farm – Midwest Food Bank will continue to nourish neighbors near and far.

STORY UPDATE: Effective January 2018, Jeni is now the Operations Manager at Midwest Food Bank. She says hope comes in many forms. Sometimes it's a smile. Or a box of mini-marshmallows. Or a new pair of shoes. But no matter the way in which it's received, care and love are the end result. 

"Creating good in this world...is priceless," said Jeni. 

To find volunteer opportunities in your community, visit NeighborhoodofGood.com®.

(This story was first published November 2016)

Residents of Murphy, Texas log onto Facebook for the same reasons as millions of others across the country – for entertainment, gossip, conversation and to share news big and small.

But what makes one group of women in this Dallas suburb stand out is they’ve also tapped the power of social media to help their real-world neighbors. From helping families in need to sock drives for the homeless, they have made a major impact in the lives of hundreds of deserving people.

Coining themselves the Moms of Murphy (MoMs), the secret Facebook group was started in August 2012 by Hedy Berg as a hyper local buy/sell site. A short while later, Hedy connected with a fellow photographer, Sarah Toth who became the second admin for the page.

With Sarah taking on a leadership role, the focus of the group shifted as well. In addition to its buy/sell origins, the group began to focus on networking and philanthropy.

“It’s not all about selling baby clothes anymore. People are so eager to be a part of the group now. We had to limit membership to Murphy residents only,” shared Sarah.

All through online organizing, Moms of Murphy have held several drives and craft fairs to help those less fortune. Recently they held a sock drive.

“We learned the most needed but least donated item in shelters were socks. So we pulled together and donated more than 2500 pairs of socks to area shelters,” said Sarah.

In 2013, Sarah had an idea to take their positive impact via social media even further.

“We have a community that is very giving and has the ability to do so,” Sarah said. “So, let’s give someone a great Christmas; let’s bless a family.”

Since the initial idea, every holiday season, the MoMs “Bless a Family” with a connection to Murphy. The first year, they helped two families who were in dire need of help.

One Garland, TX family was led by a grandma raising her deceased daughter’s three children. The MoMs gave them a memorable Christmas and even paid for daycare for the two younger children for five months.

All through networking and organizing via the Facebook group, the MoMs were able to turn the family’s water back on and fill their house with much needed furniture, groceries and Christmas presents.

In 2014, the MoMs selected the Mullen family. The parents of three children both had stage four cancer. The MoMs went above and beyond for the Mullen family by paying several months of their mortgage, donating and buying children’s furniture and clothes, and cleaning out and re-organized the garage and pantry, ultimately stocking both with groceries.

“It all came from the MOMs and our connections. Sadly, Dwayne Mullen, lost his battle with cancer in March 2015. We still help out the family with meals and other things as needed,” shared Sarah.

Throughout the year they adopt “mini-bless a families.” Recently the home of a family member of a MoM was hit by a tornado and another local family had a house fire. The MoMs stepped up to help.

What the MoMs are doing has grabbed national news attention., but they are humble and continue with their good works.

This year, through a new application process, the MoMs picked a family from neighboring city Sachse with ties to Murphy to bless this holiday season. Mom Kristina has breast cancer and the financial and caretaking impacts of the disease have hit the family hard.

The MoMs came together and have been able to grant the family almost everything on their Christmas lists, something the family will NOT be expecting on Christmas morning.

The MoM who nominated them, Shari, was even able to take the girls on a shopping spree to get some wardrobe essentials, thanks to the money raised at the MoMs November Craft Fair and other generous contributions by members of the group.

“We have been able to take some of the stress out of the holiday season,” said Sarah. “Not only from a financial standpoint, but physically having to worry about shopping for the three children, wrapping gifts and all the details that go into making a holiday great.”

Kristina finished her last round of chemotherapy in mid-December and was thrilled to “ring the bell” which indicates the official end of her chemo treatment.

To date, the group has more than 1700 members, several who work for State Farm. State Farm is one of the larger employers in the Dallas area, with approximately 7,000 employees. Jodi Wooten, is one of those MoM/employees.

“Being a part of the MoMs of Murphy is a natural extension of being a State Farm employee,” shared Jodi. “Both my company and my Facebook community really believe in giving back and serving.”

“The Bless a Family events are an outcome of Sarah’s great idea but that’s the great thing about the group - someone brings up an idea and then says, ‘Hey would you like to join me and make this happen in our community?’ The power of social media to do good is amazing,” shared Jodi.

The MOMs encourage other towns and Facebook groups to take the initiative and make a difference year-round!

Look for opportunities right around you – you can also make the most impact on your immediate neighbors. Whether it’s donating socks for the homeless, taking a meal to someone in need or organizing a charity event – it will make a difference!

As far back as I can remember my family has always flocked to the kitchen during the holidays – a beloved and common occurrence in most Latino homes. Over the years this gathering became an annual, multigenerational holiday celebration in our family that still carries on today.

Each year, we came together to prepare tamales – a traditional staple for Hispanic holiday fiestas. It’s a recipe that required everyone to help out, including the children. As a result, my abuela enforced certain rules to avoid the risk of cooking fires. Here are some of the rules and tips I learned from her and apply in my own kitchen with my family.

Maintain a “kid-free zone”

My abuela kept us children away from the heat and open flames of the stove. As a young girl, I was often assigned small, yet safer tasks, like washing banana leaves used to wrap tamales.

Keep flammable items away from your stovetop

Cooking with open flames is a common method of cooking for Hispanic families. Items that can easily catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils or food packaging – should be kept at a safe distance. I can still remember the slightly singed dish towels and potholders in my mom’s kitchen. They were a good reminder to remove stovetop clutter.

Take precaution when cooking with oils

Many Latin dishes involve cooking with oils, and my home is no exception. My abuela abided by a few important rules: always keep an eye on what you’re frying, add food gently to your cooking oil and lay a net guard, screen or lid on top of the pan.

Keep your eye on the stove

Another important tip I share with my children today is to never leave a stove unattended and here’s why. A friend of mine, Lori, needed to boil water a few Fridays ago. She put the water to boil and then went to the living room to watch the evening news. 

About 10 minutes later she smelled what seemed to be a match burning. She turned back, and the kitchen was filled with thick white smoke. Turns out she had turned on the wrong burner. One that had a plastic container sitting on it and the container was on fire.

Lori didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and the smoke detection system (remember to check your smoke detectors twice a year!) for the front of the house had not gone off. Had she fallen asleep, this situation could have turned out very different.

Always check the oven before you preheat

If you are like me and my friend Marcia’s grandma, you keep unused kitchen items, like pots and pans, in your oven. And sometimes you forget they are in there when you preheat your oven.

Marcia’s grandmother was living by herself in an apartment with limited space compared to her home that she lived in for years. So to make space, she stored pots and pans in her oven.

Over the holidays a couple of years back, she was heating the oven to make a pie but she forgot the items were in the oven. One of the items was a plastic microwave pot with lid.

Well, you can imagine what happened next. Fire in the oven…luckily, Marcia was there and saw it and called 911. Two fire trucks and about 10 firemen later…the small fire was extinguished. There was no damage to the apartment but she learned to never store anything in the oven again!

From my kitchen to yours, please enjoy the holiday season with your families and kept your loved ones safe!