‘Giving community’
Christmas Boot Drive new name for firefighter charity
The name of the annual drive has changed, but the firefighters’ mission is the same — to provide clothes, shoes, toys and food at Christmas for hundreds of Faulkner County children.
The Conway Firefighter Union 4016’s Fill the Boot drive has grown so much over the past 16 years that a new nonprofit was formed to reflect that, organizer Billie Carter said.
“Realistically speaking, because of growing pains — and it’s good pains — we outgrew the name,” he said.
The name of the new nonprofit organization is the Central Arkansas Firefighters Christmas Boot Drive. It has a 15-member executive board, of which Carter is the director.
Firefighters will be out in Conway, Greenbrier and Vilonia through Dec. 13 holding firefighter boots for people to drop in donations. Since the effort started in 1998, firefighters have raised $390,000 and helped 11,000 kids.
That’s a long way from the drive’s low-key beginning.
“We were at one location, right there at Central Fire Station (in Conway), and it didn’t take very many guys,” Carter said. “A handful of firemen stood out at the four-way at Caldwell [Avenue] and the fire station, and the rest is history.”
They raised $1,700 that first year and bought food boxes for about 24 families, he said.
“It exploded from that point on and in 2000 became a union-sponsored event,” he said. Carter said the drive has averaged helping 270
families a year and 1,000 to 1,100 children.
Each child gets a shirt, pants, shoes, a toy and dental supplies. The families get a “huge food box,” he said.
Carter said one of the items he’s most proud of providing for each child is a Bible. The Bibles are donated by state Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, and Holy Ghost Ministries.
“We hand-write their name in that Bible, and that makes that Bible special. That’s lowkey ministry for us,” Carter said. “We put the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their hands. That’s the main reason I enjoy doing it, and I’m tickled to death with the donation of the Bibles. What better way to put the exclamation point of Christmas in their hands?”
The Christmas drive went countywide several years ago, Carter said.
“We did it on faith. We were prepared to do it, but realistically speaking, we stepped out there and put it all in God’s hands, and it happened,” he said.
Greenbrier and Vilonia firefighters got involved, but the organization’s name still just had Conway in it.
“It was just a natural transition to encompass everybody,” he said of the name change. Carter said some of his fellow firefighters suggested making it Faulkner County firefighters, but he was thinking ahead. “Being the eternal optimist I am, instead of going through all the red tape to change the name … if it expands outside Faulkner County, I said, ‘Let’s go with Central Arkansas Firefighters Christmas Boot Drive.’”
Expanding into other counties is something Carter said he’s wanted to do for years.
“And it may not happen in the next year or two, but I see it happening,” he said.
However, firefighters and volunteers will concentrate on taking care of needs in Faulkner County during this year’s 17th annual drive. The firefighters work exclusively with Faulkner County school districts to get names of needy children from school counselors.
Tanisha Minter, counselor at Florence Mattison Elementary School in Conway, said the firefighters make a big difference in students’ lives.
“I always ask for the most. They take about 10 families from us; I always turn in about 20. It’s an ongoing joke now,” Minter said.
However, she said, the need is no laughing matter.
Florence Mattison serves f ree and reduced- price lunches to 78.5 percent of its students, she said.
“It’s always a struggle with trying different places to send people [for help], and people start calling in October wanting the school to help them with Christmas,” Minter said. “The people who are nominated are very grateful, whatever it is they get, especially the food baskets they get.”
Donna Wilchie, counselor for Ida Burns Elementary School in Conway, said the firefighters take care of about 10 families from that school each year.
“That could be anywhere from 10, to 20 to 25 kids,” she said. The firefighters provide for all the children in the family, from infants to age 13.
“It helps us out quite a bit to get families things for the holidays, for Christmas,” Wilchie said. She said about 73 percent of students at Ida Burns qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
Wilchie said she and the teachers make a list of students they think qualify for assistance, and letters are sent home to the families, asking if they need help.
Carter said those names are gathered from every school and screened.
“We have in our hands every single name we’re going to take care of before we stand out with a boot in our hand,” he said.
Carter said people ask how they know they can cover all the children’s needs before collecting the money. He said it’s all about faith.
“I can’t explain it, but it happens,” he said.
Firefighters started collecting money the day after Thanksgiving, and they will be out in Conway, Greenbrier and Vilonia from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 13.
Collection locations in Conway include Conway Commons, the Conway Towne Centre, Kroger on Salem Road and the entrance to First Security Bank on the Old Morrilton Highway.
Firefighters will also take donations at U.S. 64 and Arkansas 107 in Vilonia, and in Greenbrier at Harps, Fred’s, Cash Saver and the Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Monetary donations can be mailed to Christmas Boot Drive, 2504 Batesville Mountain Road, Damascus, AR 72039.
Also, businesses can participate by having a boot displayed to collect money, and there is a competition each year to see who can raise the most funds. A traveling boot trophy is given to the winner.
Carter said some people have expressed concerns that the need will be much greater this year because of the deadly April tornado in Vilonia and Mayflower.
“We live in the most caring and giving community in the world,” Carter said. “Those people in Mayflower and Vilonia have not only taken care of their own, but the people here in central Arkansas have stepped up, also.
“That’s the big thing — I’ve said this in the past, too — we’re not the only organization out there. We all have the same goal in mind, which is to help others, so if you don’t want to put money in a boot, go drop money in a kettle. Get out there and help. Pay it forward,” he said.