Ortonville- Sue Howard always thought she would continue her work with the Ortonville Community Emergency Fund until she was 80-years-old.
She almost made it.
At 78-and-a-half-years-old, and after almost 30 years with the organization that she helped found to feed the hungry in this community, Howard has announced that she is stepping down.
‘You think that you’ll always be able to do what you’ve always done physically and mentally and it doesn’t work out that way,? she said. ‘There comes a time when you know you should read trashy novels and eat bon-bons, rather than all that other stuff.?
For Howard, ‘all that other stuff? has included her tireless work as a dedicated OCEF volunteer. It was 1979 when Ortonville United Methodist Church member Diana Barnett approached Howard and fellow church member Bonnie Reeves about organizing a hunger walk. The trio began planning, and in 1981, held the area’s first CROP Walk. When Church World Service gave 25 percent of the proceeds raised from the event back to the organizers to use for local hunger relief, OCEF was born.
‘We asked the ministerial association what we should do and they came up with the idea of a cooperative food pantry,? Howard said.
The community’s churches formed OCEF, and the pantry was housed at the largest area church? St. Anne.
‘It sounds easy, but it wasn’t,? said Howard. ‘However, this community has always been caring and supportive to take care of those in our midst who need help. One of the things that was difficult in the beginning was publicizing it and making the community aware, and calling for volunteers.?
With the exception of one paid St. Anne staffmember, OCEF is run entirely by volunteers and depends on donations.
Every year was a learning experience, recalls Howard. The first year, OCEF assisted approximately 20 families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the bylaws of the organization, it was stated that OCEF was to provide food, cleaning products and personal care products, but a Christmas loophole allowed help with gifts and special needs. Howard and her fellow helpers asked what people’s needs were and learned that dishes, clothing and blankets were desired. Donors were given gift tags with the wants, but it wasn’t so simple because people would forget or become confused on what they were to get.
‘But you deal with it,? Howard said. ‘We thought, ‘We really can do this.??
To keep OCEF going, Howard and the other volunteers held numerous fundraisers, including the annual big sale at St. Anne in which they sell donated furniture, clothing and dishes in September, and a bake sale at Septemberfest.
The biggest challenge through the years has been how the number of needy people in the community has grown. Last year, 205 families were assisted at Christmas, the largest number ever.
Luckily, Howard says OCEF is ‘getting pretty good after 30 years.?
‘To start out small and get bigger, you have to be flexible and listen to suggestions and give careful consideration,? she said. ‘The number of people who need help is almost overwhelming, but we always find a way.?
Over the years, surprising donations have come in just in the nick of time and Howard is always thankful for all the people who respond to the opportunity to give.
Howard herself has given much of her time and talents to make OCEF a success. She has served as a boardmember every year, has stocked the pantry shelves, done emergency shopping at Christmas, and delivered orders. She has always been there too, for distribution, when clients are given bags of food and/or gifts.
She recalls that at one recent Christmas distribution, clients lined up early outside the church in bitter cold. Because there was no room inside, the OCEF volunteers couldn’t let them in. Howard apologized several times and then was approached by a woman who put her hand over Howard’s and said, ‘We’re just glad you’re here.?
This is the kind of grateful attitude she has heard repeatedly in spite of the difficult circumstances people have found themselves in.
Howard knew this year it was time to retire. She can no longer tolerate the physical demands of OCEF distribution and has mobility issues. One of the things she will miss the most is saying the prayers at the beginning of OCEF meetings and at the start of the distribution, asking God’s guidance and to bless their efforts. She will also miss seeing all the OCEF volunteers, which she calls the best people in the area, as well as the clients, whom she enjoyed talking to and hearing about their lives.
‘Sue has been the heart of OCEF since its beginning,? said Food Pantry Coordinator Judy Henley, who nominated Howard for Citizen of the Year in 2007. ‘She has led us with her strong faith in times that we weren’t always sure OCEF would continue, and she reminded us that God would continue leading us and she was everyone’s rock. Sue was there to help us and always remind us that our first priority was to help people who were hungry. We’ll miss her deeply, but we also know where she lives and I know she will always be there to give us words of faith and encouragement.?
With more free time, Howard is keeping the library busy, reading all the books she can.
‘I can look back and say it’s been a good run,? she said.
‘I think I have a better understanding of people’s concerns and the strength that is in every person. We human beings are pretty resourceful when it comes right down to it.?