Bristol Singer’s Call For Gifts Gets Overwhelming Response

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Stacks of brightly wrapped shoeboxes fill April Taylor’s basement garage. A few miles away, even larger piles of colorful boxes overwhelm the tables at the Slater Community Center.

Overflowing with gloves, hats, toiletries, Bibles, candy and other goodies, the boxes are destined for the region’s homeless military veterans.
Some boxes include Christmas cards with encouraging notes, such as “Because of men and women like you, we have our freedom today. I thank you for serving our country. Merry Christmas and may God bless you.”

For Taylor, a rising Twin City country music performer, the mountains of boxes – about 800 in all – represent the true meaning of the holiday season and the culmination of a year-long dream.

“I’ve had a huge passion for military families and the veterans – and it really bothers me that people who fought for our country are homeless,” Taylor said. “I was very familiar with Samaritan’s Purse and I’ve helped for years with shoeboxes for children. Last year, I thought it would be cool if we started doing shoeboxes for veterans around the holidays.”

Working with the Bristol Tennessee Parks and Recreation Department and the Quillen VA Medical Center in Johnson City, Taylor began promoting the new initiative in early November. The public response has exceeded her wildest expectations.

“The goal for the first year was 400 and we didn’t know if we could do that,” Taylor said. “I didn’t do anything but have an idea. The people of the community have done this. I had no idea it would grow this quickly. This has taught me so much, and that it truly is better to give back.”

On Saturday, Taylor, members of her band and the city department plan to deliver most of the boxes to veterans who are temporarily staying at the hospital’s 295-bed domiciliary.

“This is absolutely fantastic,” hospital spokeswoman Judy Fowler-Argo said. “April obviously has a special place in her heart for veterans and that she has been able to collect these items is wonderful. They will certainly be put to use.”

Under the VA program, veterans come in for treatment for dependency or other medical issues, Fowler-Argo said, but many of them are homeless.

“We have a volunteer program for unmet needs. We receive appropriations for medical care, but there is not a lot of money for extras,” Fowler-Argo said. “We are so grateful for her involvement.”

Shoeboxes not distributed Saturday will be part of another special delivery next week, Taylor said.

“Because of the response, a case manager has agreed to take me out on the streets – to the tented communities – so we can deliver these to veterans in person,” Taylor said. “I’m really excited about that.”

The boxes have come from individuals, members of civic clubs, businesses, schools and Scout troops. In some cases, Taylor said, people brought items to her because they couldn’t find shoeboxes to fill.

“We collected boxes and my kids, members of my church and I got together and wrapped about 150 boxes last Saturday. It was amazing,” she said.
Taylor, who records for Plateau Music in Nashville, enjoyed her first chart success in 2006 with a song about the wives of soldiers called “Hero At Home.”

The song struck a chord with the military community, which has invited her to perform at the Pentagon. She has also visited veterans hospitals around the country and performed at a number of military-related functions.

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