Lady turns tragedy into labor of love
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Every Monday and Wednesday morning Emma Thompson greets visitors to the Upshur County Shares Food Bank with a warm smile and friendly hello.
She gives each child who comes in a soft and cuddly stuffed animal to love.
Mrs. Thompson came to Gilmer about two years ago as an evacuee of Hurricane Rita.
“I brought nothing but me,” she said.
She lost everything she had in the hurricane, including her husband, who attempted to weather out the storm.
But she turned the tragedy into a mission of love.
She began her project with animals from Goodwill stores. But as people learned of her project, donations started coming in.
Each animal is carefully cleaned, and mended before it goes into the box for the children.
Mrs. Thompson carries her animals to the Diana United Methodist Church every second Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon, and to the Trinity United Methodist Church in Longview on every fourth Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. She estimates that about 175 people visited the Trinity UMC location in November. The Rev. Ed Blackstone is pastor of both churches.
She says it gets so busy At Trinity UMC that each person is issued a number when they arrive. Then they are invited to sit in the church sanctuary while they wait for their number to be called.
“The church organist plays while the people wait,” Mrs. Thompson said. “Who knows, this may touch someone’s heart.” She added that the young daughter of one of the church members volunteers to pass out goody bags to the children while they wait.
Mrs. Thompson recently filled a doll cradle with stuffed animals and carried it to the Gilmer Police Department to give to children who may need comforting.
“They recently brought my cradle back empty,” she said. “I’m going to fill it up and take it back!”
“I enjoy it very much,” Mrs. Thompson said. “To me, it’s just a way of giving back.”
Mrs. Thompson welcomes donations of stuffed animals or any good toys.
When she receives dolls, she takes them home, cleans them, mends them if necessary, and makes new clothes for them before adding them to the children’s box.
Located on Buffalo Street just west of the courthouse square, the food bank is operated by the Gilmer Area Ministerial Fellowship.
She gives each child who comes in a soft and cuddly stuffed animal to love.
Mrs. Thompson came to Gilmer about two years ago as an evacuee of Hurricane Rita.
“I brought nothing but me,” she said.
She lost everything she had in the hurricane, including her husband, who attempted to weather out the storm.
But she turned the tragedy into a mission of love.
She began her project with animals from Goodwill stores. But as people learned of her project, donations started coming in.
Each animal is carefully cleaned, and mended before it goes into the box for the children.
Mrs. Thompson carries her animals to the Diana United Methodist Church every second Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon, and to the Trinity United Methodist Church in Longview on every fourth Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. She estimates that about 175 people visited the Trinity UMC location in November. The Rev. Ed Blackstone is pastor of both churches.
She says it gets so busy At Trinity UMC that each person is issued a number when they arrive. Then they are invited to sit in the church sanctuary while they wait for their number to be called.
“The church organist plays while the people wait,” Mrs. Thompson said. “Who knows, this may touch someone’s heart.” She added that the young daughter of one of the church members volunteers to pass out goody bags to the children while they wait.
Mrs. Thompson recently filled a doll cradle with stuffed animals and carried it to the Gilmer Police Department to give to children who may need comforting.
“They recently brought my cradle back empty,” she said. “I’m going to fill it up and take it back!”
“I enjoy it very much,” Mrs. Thompson said. “To me, it’s just a way of giving back.”
Mrs. Thompson welcomes donations of stuffed animals or any good toys.
When she receives dolls, she takes them home, cleans them, mends them if necessary, and makes new clothes for them before adding them to the children’s box.
Located on Buffalo Street just west of the courthouse square, the food bank is operated by the Gilmer Area Ministerial Fellowship.
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comments (1)
« Cathy Chalk wrote on Tuesday, Dec 08 at 12:07 PM »
May God Bless her and keep her for doing such a wonderful thing.