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Residents help shelter with wave of donations
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer BROOKSVILLE -- The thought of children waking up Christmas morning without a warm, filling meal was too much for some Hernando County residents to bear. After an article appeared in the Times almost two weeks ago about the Brooksville Youth Shelter's empty pantry, dozens of residents drove to the house on Clinton Boulevard to offer help. Employees from Zip's Steakhouse in Brooksville will take turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie to the shelter on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, several Hernando residents will carry dishes for the children who are away from their families during the holidays. People brought hams and turkeys and handfuls of canned goods. They brought gift cards to Kmart, Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie. They brought boxes of clothing, shoes, toothpaste and deodorant. They brought scented lotions and creams for the teenage girls, who gratefully accepted the items, said Doug Leonardo, the shelter's program manager. Residents also brought checks, from $25 to $500, Leonardo said. In total, the shelter received $10,000 in cash and gift cards during the past two weeks, not including the food. "To see this kind of support in a slow economy when people are losing jobs is just phenomenal," Leonardo said. On Christmas Day, children will rise and have a meal, family style, at a long table in their dining room before settling around a glittering tree to unwrap presents. "Some of these kids have spent time out on the streets, or live with distressed families," Leonardo said. "A lot of them have never experienced a traditional Christmas dinner. This may be more of a Christmas than they've ever had." A $5,000 check was presented to the shelter by County Commissioner Nancy Robinson, who is chairwoman of the shelter's advisory board. Robinson said the funds came from Kids Care, a nonprofit group that was supposed to provide day care for children who were not feeling well, so their parents could go to work. The group never got off the ground, so those involved were searching for a place to donate the money. "The money certainly was timely for some of the shelter's needs," Robinson said. "They're doing a wonderful job, and the community has been so generous." The Hernando Correctional Institution brought six wrapped presents for every child, Leonardo said. The shelter opened in August and has 17 beds to temporarily house children 10 to 17 years old. Operated by Youth and Family Alternatives, the shelter takes in children who have run away from home, been thrown out of houses or are involved in domestic violence cases or other court proceedings. Some of the money will be spent on gifts for the children, Leonardo said. Funds that were not designated specifically for the holidays will be saved for field trips, possibly to museums in Tampa, and other recreational activities, he said. "I've been doing this for 10 years, in Connecticut, in New York," Leonardo said. "I've never, ever seen this type of support for a facility. It's unprecedented. These kids are going to have a pretty good Christmas this year." -- Staff writer Jamie Jones covers law enforcement and courts in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.
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