In a corner of the vast garage space at the Armory building you could find Bobby Bryant and Adam Telford sorting thousands of canned goods.
In an opposite corner of the garage, Dallas Kelly helped box groceries for the families who finished snaking their way through the line and were ready to head out to their cars.
Jim Otey and Bruce Mahr were outside helping direct traffic and assisting patrons with getting their grocery carts down the steep grade outside of the garage door of the armory.
And sitting on a stool next to more than 1,000 loaves of bread was Elayne Launius, who spent the morning wishing a Merry Christmas to those who passed by with their carts full of food near the end of the line.
Without the more than 100 volunteers who helped do everything from planning the event, breaking down boxes, loading food, sorting cans and directing traffic, Terry Cook said the Newton County Food Basket Brigade would not be the well-oiled machine it has become while serving more than 1,200 families a Christmas meal and two weeks worth of food staples for the holiday season. This is Cook’s first year as president of the Newton County Food Basket Brigade, and he was all smiles Saturday morning as the operation was running smoothly and the patrons on the giving and receiving ends were happy.
“We have volunteers who come out here year after year and they have their own specialties,” Cook said. “We have a lady who comes down here every year and she hands out Jell-O every year. The volunteers — they are unreal. We just count our blessings. We have been doing this since 1988, and every year we get people to come out and volunteer. (Neosho) is an awesome place to live.”
Bob Foster said he has been volunteering at the Food Basket Brigade for about seven or eight years, and does so to help others in his community.
“It is amazing to see this year after year,” Foster said. “It is amazing the amount of money, and the food that is donated. It makes you feel good to help 1,100 or more families. A lot of the people come through and say thank you or Merry Christmas, and a lot of the people appreciate it.”
For Bobby Bryant, the satisfaction of giving back to his community is why he has been volunteering at the Food Basket Brigade since 2002.
“We are just recognizing that there are less fortunate folks that need our help, and that need food, clothes, coats, and I just want to be a part of it,” Bryant said. (“Neosho) has supported my family through business, so I just want to give back.”
Bryant said the organizers of the Food Basket Brigade deserve praise for their good work.
Working with Bryant sorting canned goods was Adam Telford, who admitted he was setting aside his insurance allegiance to Shelter by working next to an agent with American Family. On a serious note, Telford said he came out to volunteer Saturday to help his neighbors in Neosho.
“It feels good helping people out,” Telford said. “We are just doing what we can to help. In a small town, you have to take care of each other. Many of us are related, so you know someone who may be in a bad situation, so you just try to help them out.”
For Telford, “giving back” is what Christmas is really about.
“(Christmas) can get so materialistic and everyone is worried about getting or giving the perfect gift, and for most people they just want something to eat and a little something under the tree,” Telford said.
Helping box the food for patrons who finished going through the line was Dallas Kelly, who has been volunteering for nearly a decade. Kelly, working alongside his son, Steve, said there is a satisfaction in helping someone who needs help, and was proud how Neosho stepped up in a down economy to raise more money and canned goods than last year.
“Donations were up, and people in the community really responded to a need,” Kelly said. “Being in education most of my life, it is also great to see so many young people here helping today.”
Two of those youth volunteering by passing out bags of chicken to families were Neosho High School seniors Addison Rainwater and Ryan Padilla.
“We are just fortunate to have blessings and opportunities to give back to the community — it feels real good,” said Padilla, who volunteered at Shop with a Cop, now Shopping with Heroes, last year.
Just a few stations down from Rainwater and Padilla was Elayne Launius, who spent the day passing out loaves of bread to those in need. She was one of five family members volunteering their time.
“We all come out, got here at 6 a.m., and we know what needs to be done,” she said. “We stay until it is done, and we like to do it. It is a lot of fun. For me, I just enjoy helping everyone and knowing that they will have something to eat when they need it. A lot of these people don’t have anything, you know.”
But after the efforts of the organizers of the Newton County Food Basket Brigade and the volunteers who helped on distribution day, those same people now have a cupboard and refrigerator full of food for the upcoming Christmas season.
