Ernie Dale wasn’t even aware that it was something called “Giving Tuesday,” a new designation started last year as a follow up to “Black Friday,” “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday.” Nevertheless Dale was at the Peters Creek Road Bojangles on Tuesday night, donating a $2000 check from Modern Woodmen, a fraternal organization that also sells financial products, to RAM House.
Diners at two seatings that night also saw a portion of their meal payments go to RAM House; they were entertained by an older “Elvis” who came through the door leaning on a decorated walker (e.g. gold records for wheels) and by the Christian musical group Lifesong.
RAM House – Roanoke Area Ministries on Campbell Avenue downtown – is a day shelter that provides one meal a day to those that come in. They also have a program to provide help when families have trouble paying utility bills, finding housing or paying for medicine.
Martha Sidow, volunteer coordinator for RAM, said the $2000 check from Modern Woodmen would go specifically for the financial aid program. “We help people in crisis from having their utilities cut off, or to keep from being evicted,” said Sidow. The additional funds raised by the Bojangles dinners sold were headed for the fuel oil assistance program. Times have been tough in recent years for RAM House, as it has for many non-profits that deal with struggling, lower income people.
Sidow had been away from her position for a while; when she came back and saw the slim pickings in the RAM pantry she said, “Oh my gosh. It was very, very low. It is much harder to get funding and donations now then it was [before].” Almost everything at RAM House is organized by volunteers – there are only nine full or part timers to help the hundreds seeking assistance. Most of those who work in the kitchen, for instance, are volunteers.
Some of that $2000 check was raised by a trip to the Biltmore mansion in North Carolina, an excursion organized by Dale, who plans many other bus trips throughout the year. Modern Woodmen of America was also underwriting part of the Bojangles meal. “Everybody who comes through is [just] paying three dollars each,” said Dale, who ran a Veterans Day event at Bojangles last year. Dale, RAM executive director Debbie Dennison, and Modern Woodmen all chipped in for the $2000 check.
A Care and Share grant from Modern Woodmen meant Dale also donated personal hygiene items to RAM, which will be distributed to the needy. A pile of those goods occupied one corner of the Bojangles eatery on Giving Tuesday. “People brought in things too,” noted Dale.
“Every penny helps,” said Dennison, who accepted the over-sized symbolic check for $2000 (and the real one presumably) from Dale. “This year a hundred gallons of fuel oil is $365,” she noted. “People that are on fixed incomes – that’s a big chunk out of their paycheck. Dennison has been with RAM since 1985 and became executive director in 2004.
About 135 people a day seek help from the shelter, down from a high of more than 200. Its also “tougher” to raise funds as well in recent years said Dennison, due to a more sluggish economy. The $2000 plus any funds raised by the Bojangles meals will be put to good use. “Every little bit helps,” said Dennison.
Joe Copolo, the minister at Life Church, was also singing Tuesday night with the Lifesong Christian music trio. They were glad to donate their time for the event. “Anything we can do to encourage the community towards giving, helping and taking care of those in need I’m all for it. Our answer is always yes. I’m so proud of RAM House and what they’re doing.”
Call it serendipity: they didn’t plan to run the Bojangles event on Giving Tuesday said Dale, “it just happened that way.”
(Go to roanokeareaministries.org for more information about RAM House.)
By Gene Marrano