Fireside Fund donations keep the heat on for divorced Sumter mom with cancer, 2 teens

Have you ever had a "big ask" for Christmas? Gaming consoles, new phones, things that sparkle or maybe something with wheels … many of us have had those desires, maybe even asked, maybe even received a big gift at Christmas.

It might be the most human experience ever to so quickly become disinterested in the shiny, new and expensive when life takes more serious turns.

At the Crisis Relief Ministry, one of the interesting conditions of what we do is the surprise element of never knowing what stories we will hear on a given day.

Recently, a woman came to ask for help to avoid losing electricity in her home (she heats her home solely with electric heat). She was very thin, especially in her face, and by her dress I wondered what may be happening in her life.

As the intaker shared the details of the interview with me in review, it felt like a wet blanket. She has been divorced for just two years, having custody of her two teenage kids. Just a few months prior, she started feeling poorly and went to see her doctor. She was diagnosed with cancer, a heavy blow. She was told it has spread to her bone tissue, a heavier blow. She was given an estimate of one year to live. This may be her final Christmas, she said.

In moments like these, you could not care less about gifts. There is nothing wrong with nice, even extravagant, gifts. However, life has a way with reminding us of the need for perspective and what truly matters.

This client has no income for bills, only SNAP benefits for food. It gave us great joy to ensure that she would continue to have heat and electricity for weeks to come. In fact, it is somewhat against procedure, but since her disconnect amount was so low, we paid enough to get her through the next two months. I am grateful for encounters like this to remind me how precious a gift life is and how quickly I can take it for granted.

The volunteer prayed for her healing and strength, knowing that only God knows where the period will be placed in the story He is writing of her life. She expressed hope and has every reason to have it. On that day, her community showed love for her and helped her when she needed it most. When you contribute to the Fireside Fund, you allow Sumter United Ministries to continue to encourage those who need it most. Thank you!

Kevin Howell is the director of the Crisis Relief Ministry at Sumter United Ministries.

ABOUT THE FIRESIDE FUND

Each winter since 1969, The Sumter Item has run a fundraiser to collect money from its readers to be donated entirely to Sumter United Ministries.

The faith-based nonprofit provides emergency and life-rebuilding services ranging from food, shelter and clothing to final-notice bill pay, access to educational opportunities and a medical clinic.

The Sumter Item recognizes and appreciates every ministry their staff and volunteers run, but the Fireside Fund was created to focus on one area that becomes critical for the next few months: heat.

Every penny donated will directly help people who live in Sumter by preventing heating services from being turned off, allowing access to propane or other heating sources and, when enough funding is available and the need is there, funding long-term housing fixes to make homes more efficient.

IN HONOR OF

Each year, The Item's leadership team picks a person who has recently passed away to which the year's campaign will be dedicated. The person honored is someone who made a positive impact in the community, whether through service or philanthropy or business leadership.

This year, Sumter lost two stalwarts in local business and community support on the same day, Billy McLeod of Piggly Wiggly and Carl Simpson III of Simpson Hardware Co.

McLeod was 93 when he died April 4. His father, Gilbert McLeod, founded Mac's Supermarkets, which changed into Piggly Wiggly in the mid-1950s, and McLeod worked in the stores for 70 years, dating to 1954.

Mac's Supermarkets started with two small stores in Sumter. The McLeod family currently owns three Piggly Wigglys in Sumter and eight total. At one time, the family had 16 stores.

Simpson was 82 and died suddenly. Simpson's father, Carl Simpson Jr., founded Simpson Hardware Co. in 1951 with the purchase of stores in Camden, Hartsville and later Sumter. Simpson opened a second location at Palmetto Plaza in Sumter in 1963. Currently, Simpson Hardware has five locations: three in Sumter, one in Manning and one in Lake City.

New donations as of Dec. 10: Blane Lawson, $100; Dr. John J. Britton, in memory of Connie Britton, $100; Jack Osteen, in honor of the Mt. Vernon Coffee Club, $250; Sumter County Masters Gardeners Assn., $500; Honey Truesdale, in memory of Harold Truesdale, $100; Vickie Saunders, in honor of Rita Lenoir, $85; Immanuel Lutheran Church of Sumter, SC, $284; Sandra Wallace, in memory of Mary L. Hinson, $100; Sandra Wallace, in memory of Melvin H. Wallace, $100; Marie Burns, in memory of Patricia Burns, $100; Anita Alexander, in memory of Mike Alexander; $100; Harold and Susan Chandler, in memory of Carol Zieker, $250; Harold and Susan Chandler, in memory of Judy Lessard, $250; and Harold and Susan Chandler, in memory of Connie Wallace, $250.