‘People Want To Help’

Home Center Organizes Toy Drive Effort

Christmas miracles have been happening in abundance this year. Among the places where this has been most apparent is Spencer Home Center. Owner Eric Spencer, his employees and customers are seeing to it that hundreds of children in need in our community and in flood-ravaged areas of North Carolina are receiving specifically selected Christmas presents.

Overseeing these efforts is Spencer employee Tammy Reid, who says the holiday beneficence has been extended to approximately 350 children – 25 from a Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services foster program, 22 from the CarePortal prison ministry, 77 in Morganton, N.C., 98 in Spruce Pine, N.C., and 115 students from Mountain View, Natural Bridge and Waddell elementary schools whose families are struggling financially.

Reid and other local benefactors have traveled to North Carolina multiples times since flooding from Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction this fall. The past two weekends they traveled to Morganton and Spruce Pine to serve meals to families and distribute gifts to children.

“The beauty of our mission is that it is personal,” explains Reid. “We have information on each and every child that we help and, in some cases, we have the opportunity to meet them and give them their gift. We are not just buying toys. We are meeting needs, impacting families, making a difference.”

She credits the generosity of numerous folks right here in the Rockbridge area. “Without the support of our community -- local businesses, churches, family friends, co-workers -- we would not have been able to reach this many lives. This year we were able to reach farther and wider because of our community. People want to help!”

She recalls: “I would receive donations and then shop and be finished and make my mind up that I am not doing anymore and I was at my limit. Then, someone would call me and ask if I could help them, or Katie from North Carolina would text me and tell me she had some families that were still sleeping in tents, and could we help them? Without even thinking, I said yes, not knowing where I would get the money.

“Then, I would get to work and someone would show up and give me donations to help. This happened time and time again and we kept taking every child that was given to us. I made my mind up this year I was not turning any family away and we didn’t. We have been able to help every child and family that we were asked to, all because our community wanted to make a difference. Every time I said I am done, God would tell me, ‘You are not finished yet.’ ” She continued: “Over the last couple of weeks we have literally had individuals walk into Spencer Home Center and look at all we have been doing and see gifts from the front door to the sales counter and they would get emotional. I have seen miracles this year. I am so thankful to be a part of it.”