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Live United by Erin Haag

I often start my day early at home. Thursday morning, I was on the phone, talking with someone about a work issue I’ve been mulling over. As we talked, I worked on putting my dishes away. I opened up a drawer, and it was stuck. I jiggled the drawer open and found the culprit — several things that didn’t belong in there. Where did this garlic chopper come from? I’ve never used it. Oh here’s another random water bottle my kids brought home as a prize from somewhere. So I did what any mama would do. I started a donation box. In goes the fancy garlic chopper, the random water bottle.

Since I was still on the phone, I kept going. I walked through the house, gathering up things for that donation box. The clothes we’ve been pulling out as we do laundry that no longer fit or are worn. As I ventured into our laundry room, I spotted a pair of boots. Every year, I talk myself out of getting rid of the boots because they fit me, and they are warm. They’re a great brand, but I just don’t love them. I decided on the spur of the moment that I was going to bring them to work. The day sped by. I gave a presentation, and that’s when I learned about the winter storm. The last I knew, it was going to snow maybe a couple of inches. Suddenly the cancellations are rolling in. We figured that the weather alert would either make the pantry very quiet or very busy.

The hardest part about saving the world is that you can’t save everyone.

Our first shopper came through the door. She’s a familiar face to us, and she told me, “Are there any shoes? These shoes aren’t mine, I borrowed them because I only have slippers.” We have two shelves of shoes, but not in her size. But wait! Those boots I grabbed this morning? They were still in the bag I carried to work, thrown in the corner of my office. I grabbed them and sure enough. They were her size.

The night carried on. We were steady and busy, but it hadn’t tipped over to that crazy level of busy. Pantry shopping smoothly rolled on, but the night had a little different flavor. There’s always a different flavor on a dark and bitterly cold night, the moment before a winter storm hits.

The stories start coming out in different ways. It’s a night when we learn and when we realize what is the everyday reality for many. Watching someone walk down the street with their groceries on a crisp fall evening is different than watching someone walk through a bitter cold dark night with their groceries wearing just a sweatshirt and shivering. It’s a night when we realize that a woman living in a domestic violence situation is homeless. A night when I have to affirm to a volunteer that no, there really isn’t a warming house or shelter here in town. Volunteers ran in and out into the dark night, loading up cars as quickly as they could to get people home and warm. When a volunteer would conveniently disappear for a few minutes, we knew they were making someone’s night a little bit better, a little bit warmer.

Our last shopper came in. She wore a gray sweatshirt and was alone. I brought her in and explained to her what to expect. There’d be a little bit of a wait, but we wouldn’t run out of food. She could expect milk and eggs and meat and produce along with the shelf stable foods. She’d get to choose her own food.

While she waited, she could look around the items we had set out for anyone to take home, and we encouraged her to take home whatever hats, scarves, blankets and clothing she found that would be useful to her. She was quiet, but listened intently and thanked me. A while later, she asked if there was any possibility that we had a coat. I asked her what size she needed and she lifted her shoulders and let them fall, saying, “my size?” I told her we were going through some new donations and to let me check with our volunteers doing inventory.

Alongside Rosemary and another volunteer, we quickly went through what we were working on inventorying. I tried on coats, attempting to estimate what might work for her. We finally found two men’s options that we thought might work. They weren’t pretty, but they would be warm.

I grabbed them along the scarves and hat and gloves and dashed back to the pantry. She was gone. I dashed out the door, trying to see which cars she might be getting into. A volunteer waved at me, “She’s over here!” We stood beside her truck as she tried on both coats. Sadly, they didn’t fit through the shoulders and weren’t going to work for her. I asked her, “do you have blankets at home?” “Oh yes, I have those. I’m a quilter. When my son was born — he was born early — so we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house. They gave us blankets, and it meant so much to me that I learned to quilt. So now I make little baby blankets for them. “I smiled and shared that I’ve stayed with my son at Ronald McDonald House. She smiled back and said, “Aren’t they such a blessing?”

Then she thanked me, and drove off into the night.

The holidays are over, and our Community Distribution Days are over for the Winter Gear Drive. It’s important to know that we still hand out blankets, quilts, hats and gloves as needed. Our local pastors, first responders and human service providers know they can call us if they need it. We keep a running tally of what’s needed on our community needs page, which has been updated. You can visit that at http://unitedwayfc.org/communityneeds

Stay warm and safe this weekend. If you’d like to volunteer or fill a need, give us a call at 507-373-8670. If you happen to drive by, look for our little snowman welcoming people to the front door. The United Way children have plans for a giant snowman if we get enough snow. The plans are elaborate enough that they’re considering asking the building maintenance person if they can push snow over with the tractor. Not this weekend, though. This weekend, we’re staying warm and safe in our blanket forts sending out wishes into the world that everyone could feel this safe and warm with their families.

Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.