Lakewood Ranch community rallies to support seniors with shoebox event

Amy Towery, the vice president of development for Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, was looking into the back of a van that was being packed by her sons, 14-year-old Maddox and 16-year-old Lou.

The Towery boys were packing shoeboxes filled with gifts for homebound seniors that were being delivered to the Lakewood Ranch Elks Club by the public. The occasion was the 20th annual Community Holiday Shoebox Collection Drive and Reception Dec. 13.

As the shoeboxes filled every inch as they crept toward the back of the van, Amy Towery was asked if she had another van waiting to be loaded.

She shook her head no.

It was a wonderful problem to have.

Maribeth Phillips, the CEO and president of Meals on Wheels Plus, started the Shoebox Collection Drive in 2006 at her Greenbrook home. She remembered packing 37 shoeboxes with Alice Hein, two years before Phillips connected with Meals on Wheels Plus to deliver them.

In that first year, no van was needed.

It didn't matter.

"We were so proud," Phillips said.

In this, the 20th year of the drive, 1,600 shoeboxes already had been collected before the reception. Phillips was hoping for another 1,000 shoeboxes Dec 13, which would set a record for the collection.

Last year, Meals on Wheels Plus distributed 2,400 shoeboxes filled with gifts to homebound seniors along with those seniors who have no family. Phillips said several large groups, such as Grace church, the Esplanade of Lakewood Ranch neighborhood, and the Cascade Women's Club, organized neighborhood drives to help stock the collection.

Judi Bjork, a former vice president at Meals on Wheels Plus who worked 16 years for the nonprofit, was selling raffle tickets at the Elks. She remembered the joy of delivering the shoeboxes to seniors.

"You give a homebound senior a gift, and you see the reaction," she said. "You see the tears. We get letters and notes from them about how much it means. We get so much feedback."

Back in 2006, Phillips had a thought that led to the Shoebox Collection Drive.

"I thought to myself,'There are a lot of seniors by themselves,'" she said. "It makes me so happy to bring joy to seniors who are forgotten. In many cases, it is the only gift that senior will see. They are mostly homebound or in nursing homes. And every year it has gotten bigger." 

Elks Secretary Brett Davis was attending a Shoebox Collection Drive reception six years ago when he was impressed by the care that went into the drive. He brought the reception to the Elks.

"We have had the reception in several different places, but we have been (at the Lakewood Ranch Elks) the last five years." Phillips said. "They are so accommodating and this is a perfect venue."

Jerry Ditty heads the Elks' committee that works with Meals on Wheels Plus on the drive.

"We want to get these gifts in the elderly's hands," Ditty said. "We do it because we can. We want to spread the word that the Elks care. This is what we do for our community." 

Phillips dropped off 100 shoeboxes at the Elks Lodge to be filled. Days later, she needed to deliver more.

But the entire collection takes a village. Phillips said so many organizations are involved in some way, such as Girl Scout Troops, Realtors, and Dillard's department store, which donates shoeboxes and has more than 20 of their employees wrap the shoeboxes. The shoeboxes are delivered to the public, and then are filled with gifts.

Gifts could be items such as lip balm, flashlights, hand lotion, pencils or notepads, word puzzles, slipper socks or even gift cards. Each shoebox is marked for either a male or female.

The business community supports the drive, often by donating items that are added to raffle baskets. The reception had more than 50 raffle baskets and silent auction items that were donated.

Karen Gooden is a member of the Bradenton Elks Club who was visiting the Lakewood Ranch Elks event for the first time.

"I am so impressed," she said as she browsed through the raffle baskets. "I am a nurse practitioner at Centerstone, so I love this. During the holiday, you see so many older folks who don't have family. People forget that."

Lynns Spins donated their musical services for the event with Chuck Stolteben singing for the crowd.

Then the volunteers who deliver the items often have developed relationships with the seniors, so the briefs visit is one of the best gifts of all.