Empty Stocking Fund still feeding local families

Published 9:30 am Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Many people do not have the financial ability to stack presents underneath their Christmas trees and stuff stockings hung by the fireplace.

The Empty Stocking Fund, a charitable effort established by the Milledgeville downtown merchants association in the late 1980s, continues helping local needy families with another costly holiday-time expense — a nice meal to enjoy with loved ones.

Throughout its over three-decade-long history, the Empty Stocking Fund has evolved a couple of times, but the mission remained the same. This year marks another slight evolution in the Fund’s life, though removing the costly burden of a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal is still the end goal.

A shortfall in donations last year coupled with rising grocery prices forced Empty Stocking Fund overseer Justin Jones to alter the process for 2023. In the past, Johnnie McDade Grocery workers stuffed upwards of 400 boxes with holiday food items. Those boxes were picked up by local families who had been given vouchers through the program. The Empty Stocking Fund covered the food costs.

“Last year we didn’t come up with enough donations to completely cover the cost of the boxes,” Jones said. “I put some money in personally and Luther (Minor) down at Johnnie McDade’s took a little hit on it to make it work.”

That caused the two to take a look at how the program is administered, and a solution was reached that should ensure no further shortfalls occur. Rather than committing to a large number, Jones has been printing out gift certificates for food items at Johnnie McDade’s as donations come in. The gift certificates are given out to several organizations around town that provide resources to those in need.

The organizations use their knowledge to distribute the certificates to families they know that could use help paying for a nice meal around the holidays. The recipients can then go to the southside grocer and pick out the items for their meals.

“It’s evolving,” Jones said of the Empty Stocking Fund. “I’m going to keep it going one way or another, it just may be a little different.”

The Empty Stocking Fund’s true reach is unknown beyond the number of gift certificates printed out. Upwards of 400 families have benefited in the past, though that number can then be multiplied by the amount of people sitting around the beneficiaries’ tables. Eighty gift certificates were printed out late last week and given to Communities in Schools of Milledgeville-Baldwin County to in turn give them out to local families.

Jones has overseen the local effort the last few years. He knows it wouldn’t be possible without the people at Johnnie McDade’s.

“I’m still very thankful for their participation and their help,” he said.

The Empty Stocking Fund has many donors who give regularly over the years.

“I’m always thankful for the donations that come in,” Jones added. “I think it’s a good cause, and I feel like it’s going to the right people that genuinely need help. I think it’s a good thing for the community if we can keep it chugging along.”

Donations are still being accepted to help more families this year. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the local effort can make a check payable to the Empty Stocking Fund and take it to Jones at his place of employment at J.C. Grant Company downtown. Checks may also be mailed to the business at 116 S. Wayne St.