CORBIN — By Jeff Noble / Staff Writer

On the day the “Angels Unaware” program was giving out food and gifts for needy families at Christmas, volunteers Hope Hammons and Gayeda Smallwood were going over a checklist.

It was a simple checklist, but the items listed on the pinkish—red piece of paper mean a lot for those who need a helping hand for the holidays.

On the list, in order, were a “coat,” then “fruit,” a “book,” a “blanket” — 1 per child,” then a “box of food,” followed by a “ham,” and a “turkey — till we run out,” and finally a reminder to have the volunteers get those who were being helped to “Have them sign before leaving.”

Both Smallwood, who works as a Housekeeper at Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, and her daughter, Hammons, look over the list like hawks then go to areas where the turkeys are located, the books are put up, the coats are hung, and the gifts are bagged and ready to go. A needy family comes in, is greeted by the mother and daughter team as well as two other hospital staffers, and watch as the food and gifts are put into a shopping cart. “Merry Christmas” greetings are exchanged between the family and staff, and both Hammons and Smallwood roll the cart out to the family’s vehicle to load the items inside.

This kind gesture of “service with a smile” was in full force Monday, as the Angels Unaware program held its seventh annual giveaway in South Corbin. Some 90 families and 200 children in the Corbin/Tri—County area were helped by the group, which is operated by Baptist Community Health Services, and is associated with the Baptist Regional Medical Center (BRMC).          

“The families we help all get a meal, which is a ham and a turkey, until we run of out of turkeys, plus those things that were mentioned on our checklist, like a coat, blanket, box of food and other items,” said Lee Richardson, who’s the community service coordinator at BRMC.

Like several groups and organizations helping those less fortunate during the holidays, the families Angels Unaware are helping have also increased, said Teresa Stump, who works for BRMC in community service. “The economy is one reason, but we have more single families in need now. And there’s more grandparents who are raising children these days. You can live, but extra things cost more. You have to set priorities. Hopefully, we can make it a little sweeter.”

Angels Unaware receives funding from the BRMC employees’ Unified Campaign, as well as donations from the general public. But Richardson told the Times—Tribune one novel idea to raise money by hospital employees has given new meaning to the term “Casual Friday.” “Hospital employees donate money to this cause, and if they do so by paying $2 on Friday, they can wear blue jeans to work that day. Or, if they buy a button for $48, that covers them year—round. That way, they can wear their jeans every Friday of the year. Whether it’s done on Friday, or paid for a year, everybody wins.”

Nowadays, volunteers with Angels Unaware take the gifts out to the family’s car or truck. But when the movement started in 2004, the gift—giving was more of a surprise, according to Stump. “It originally started when some hospital employees left a box of groceries and clothes on some needy family’s front porch. So the family involved was ‘unaware’ of Christmas ‘angels’ helping out.”

Just as Stump finished speaking, a family of four came inside. They were taken care of very quickly, and the staff and volunteers were extremely friendly with them. A cheerful and heartfelt “Merry Christmas” greeting was given by the group to the family, which was returned in kind by the foursome, with one of the family members quietly saying, “God bless you.”

“The people we help are very appreciative,” said Stump.

And the volunteers are appreciative of the cause as well. “I volunteer here by day, and work at the hospital at night. I love to see them come in because they make my heart smile,” said Smallwood, as she wheeled over another shopping cart for a waiting family. “This crew works very hard at helping others, and the people we help are really thankful for what we’ve done.”

Hammons, her daughter, agreed as she picked up a turkey to go inside the cart. “A heart that smiles?  It’s my favorite saying. It fulfills me at this time of year. If I could help every needy family and especially every needy child year—round, I would. But with children of my own, it’s hard to do year—round. So I do it now — at Christmastime.”



     

     

     



     



It was a simple checklist, but the items listed on the pinkish—red piece of paper mean a lot for those who need a helping hand for the holidays.

On the list, in order, were a “coat,” then “fruit,” a “book,” a “blanket” — 1 per child,” then a “box of food,” followed by a “ham,” and a “turkey — till we run out,” and finally a reminder to have the volunteers get those who were being helped to “Have them sign before leaving.”

Both Smallwood, who works as a Housekeeper at Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, and her daughter, Hammons, look over the list like hawks then go to areas where the turkeys are located, the books are put up, the coats are hung, and the gifts are bagged and ready to go. A needy family comes in, is greeted by the mother and daughter team as well as two other hospital staffers, and watch as the food and gifts are put into a shopping cart. “Merry Christmas” greetings are exchanged between the family and staff, and both Hammons and Smallwood roll the cart out to the family’s vehicle to load the items inside.

This kind gesture of “service with a smile” was in full force Monday, as the Angels Unaware program held its seventh annual giveaway in South Corbin. Some 90 families and 200 children in the Corbin/Tri—County area were helped by the group, which is operated by Baptist Community Health Services, and is associated with the Baptist Regional Medical Center (BRMC).          

“The families we help all get a meal, which is a ham and a turkey, until we run of out of turkeys, plus those things that were mentioned on our checklist, like a coat, blanket, box of food and other items,” said Lee Richardson, who’s the community service coordinator at BRMC.

Like several groups and organizations helping those less fortunate during the holidays, the families Angels Unaware are helping have also increased, said Teresa Stump, who works for BRMC in community service. “The economy is one reason, but we have more single families in need now. And there’s more grandparents who are raising children these days. You can live, but extra things cost more. You have to set priorities. Hopefully, we can make it a little sweeter.”

Angels Unaware receives funding from the BRMC employees’ Unified Campaign, as well as donations from the general public. But Richardson told the Times—Tribune one novel idea to raise money by hospital employees has given new meaning to the term “Casual Friday.” “Hospital employees donate money to this cause, and if they do so by paying $2 on Friday, they can wear blue jeans to work that day. Or, if they buy a button for $48, that covers them year—round. That way, they can wear their jeans every Friday of the year. Whether it’s done on Friday, or paid for a year, everybody wins.”

Nowadays, volunteers with Angels Unaware take the gifts out to the family’s car or truck. But when the movement started in 2004, the gift—giving was more of a surprise, according to Stump. “It originally started when some hospital employees left a box of groceries and clothes on some needy family’s front porch. So the family involved was ‘unaware’ of Christmas ‘angels’ helping out.”

Just as Stump finished speaking, a family of four came inside. They were taken care of very quickly, and the staff and volunteers were extremely friendly with them. A cheerful and heartfelt “Merry Christmas” greeting was given by the group to the family, which was returned in kind by the foursome, with one of the family members quietly saying, “God bless you.”

“The people we help are very appreciative,” said Stump.

And the volunteers are appreciative of the cause as well. “I volunteer here by day, and work at the hospital at night. I love to see them come in because they make my heart smile,” said Smallwood, as she wheeled over another shopping cart for a waiting family. “This crew works very hard at helping others, and the people we help are really thankful for what we’ve done.”

Hammons, her daughter, agreed as she picked up a turkey to go inside the cart. “A heart that smiles?  It’s my favorite saying. It fulfills me at this time of year. If I could help every needy family and especially every needy child year—round, I would. But with children of my own, it’s hard to do year—round. So I do it now — at Christmastime.”