GIVING THANKS
Mother, son team up with Trenton community to give thanks for 35th year >>
TRENTON » For 35 years, it has been Clara E. Sampson and her son’s mission to help the needy.
So this week, it was no surprise that the Willing Workers volunteer-based organization that Sampson founded was back at it again to put together Thanksgiving baskets for the less fortunate out of the Jerusalem Baptist Church in Trenton.
“On Monday, we gave out 85 Thanksgiving baskets that included the whole works plus the turkey to needy families around Mercer County,” Sampson’s son, Brian Blakely, said Tuesday night, noting the group raised about $1,800 to fund the baskets. “It’s really just a group effort that we go through every year.”
Since the church that Willing Workers is based out of has a very small membership, Blakely reaches out to the local community to chip in.
This year, Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson donated 10 turkeys, Mercer County Freeholder Sam Frisby provided 10 turkeys, Freeholder Anthony Verrelli ponied up another 15 birds, and donations were made from Trenton Council President Zachary Chester, Councilwoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Freeholder Pasquale “Pat” Colavita, including a couple hundred monetary donation from former Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer.
“Everyone that can help should do what they can do,” Palmer said Tuesday night. “And I’m glad to do what I can do and hopefully it will help.”
Not to be forgotten, the biggest annual donor is Samuel Gaylord, of Gaylord Popp.
“He and his son, Ben, came and helped put the baskets together,” Blakely said. “It’s a number of politicians that we get donations from every year. We had a group of Boy Scouts that came to bring the turkeys into the building, Boy Scout Troop 431 and 33.”
To be on the list of recipients for a basket, people call the church, Sampson or her son. But the giving doesn’t stop there.
“Then, you have people that hear about what we’re doing and they come and sit in the church and they hope somebody doesn’t show up to get a basket so they could get one,” Blakely said. “But we wound up having extra turkeys just sitting there and some more supplies so we wound up making up extra baskets. I had families that sat there on Monday for two hours just waiting to see if they were going to be able to get a basket. They were so grateful — it was astounding to make sure that they did not leave without something. Everybody left with a turkey or with a turkey and a basket.”
Dishing out kindness at Thanksgiving is not the only time of the year this grass-roots organization is busy at work.
“We feed the homeless once a month, every month, and have been doing it for
35 years,” Blakely said, noting the next homeless dinner is on Dec. 16. “(Former NBA star and Trenton native) Greg Grant is the sponsor for next month’s dinner. He has the Trenton High basketball team coming over to help serve the homeless people.”
At the same time, Willing Workers is also planning a coat drive to add to the continuous list of good things the organization does for the community.
“Once I get done with the turkeys, then I’m starting to concentrate on the winter coats,” Blakely said. “Me and my mother will be going to Philadelphia to a warehouse down there, buying socks, hats, T-shirts, and gloves to give out to the homeless. This is what we do every single year.”
Willing Workers started from humble roots.
“My mother was diagnosed with cancer twice during my lifetime,” Blakely said. “In 1981, she was really sick and she prayed and asked the Lord if he got rid of her cancer, then she would do something to
help out the community. In 1982 when she was finally cleared of cancer, she started the Willing Workers organization.”
And the community has taken notice.
In September 2016, a street was named after her, Clara E. Sampson Way, at the corner of North Clinton and Lincoln avenues, where the Jerusalem Baptist Church stands.
At 80 years old, don’t expect Sampson or her son to stop anytime soon.
“At the end of the day, everybody that we can help, we help,” Blakely said. “You’re going to get your rest later on and that’s the way we both feel. We never get to the point where we want to quit.”
Funding, however, has been an issue.
“We don’t have the funds to feed the homeless every month,” Blakely said. “So I have to go out and get private sponsors every month.”
Blakely will then reach out to politicians and ask for help on social media.
The response is always overwhelming.
“I am usually shocked by the response we have been getting,” said Blakely, a Trenton resident. “It’s amazing because you could start out on Dec. 15 trying to raise some money for January. And you get no response and then you look up around the end of December, you got so many people knocking on your door, wanting to help. That’s the amazing thing.”
For example, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12) has been sponsoring the homeless dinners in January.
“We move on down the line, trying to get people to sponsor a month,” Blakely said. “It costs $350 to feed 300 people and that includes a full-cooked meal and a second helping.”
Need is what keeps Sampson going.
“When you see the need of the people and you see that there is a need when a parent comes in and she turns to me and she says, ‘Look at the coat on that kid,’ and she’ll go get them a new coat,” said Blakely, who is 50. “I think it’s seeing people smile and laughing and talking. When they came in the door with a disparaging look on their face and they’re leaving and they’re telling you, ‘Thank you. We appreciate it and we’ll see you next month.’ That’s what keeps her going.”
Blakely hopes his mom, who lives in Hamilton, will live another 80 years.
“Whatever winds up happening, I plan to make that my life mission,” Blakely said of continuing to run Willing Workers. “I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to let her dream stop at all.”