Emma Witham, who has lived in Brambleton with her husband Michael, son Conor and daughter Aoife since late 2011, definitely subscribes to the philosophy of “Pay It Forward.” The Withams always look forward to Brambleton events like Red White and Bram and the Fall Festival, not to mention dinners from the restaurants at the Town Center. They know they have it good, like so many others who live in Brambleton. But Emma, her family and friends also know that in times like this when many people in the surrounding area have it bad, you have to keep the fiber of society strong by weaving some good into it.
Every year, for example, Emma advocates – and participates in – the Step Sisters 5K fundraiser for breast cancer research. “As a breast cancer survivor, I’m proud of the tremendous work the group does and the services they provide,” Emma says. “This long time event is a huge part of Brambleton. Not only is it fun, but a great way to give back, too.”
Unfortunately, because of these uncertain times, this year’s Step Sisters 5K was canceled. So, what’s an involved citizen to do to keep that good, giving-back vibe going? Get friends and neighbors involved to help families in need.
We’ll let Emma explain it best:
“When school temporarily closed, I got in touch with Lisa Figueroa, who is the Parent Liaison at Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, to see if a food drive would benefit area families who are in the Backpack Buddy program at school. Initially I just posted about it on my Facebook page, and between myself and four friends we managed to provide a big donation of food.”
“A few days later, I posted on B_Resourceful, a Brambleton community Facebook page, to spread the word. Since then, every week we have received donations of food, household paper products, personal care items, laundry detergent and books.”
What started as a food drive has become food for the soul, as a way for Brambletonians to help needy families in the area to get through these unusually trying times. And the drive to do good for others is picking up speed.
“I post every week about looking for donations both on my own Facebook page and B_Resourceful. I have always made a point of posting photos of the items and to publicly thank those who donated,” Emma says.
To learn how you can contribute to this growing drive to help others, just drive your mouse over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/153331844767557/ – the B_Resourceful page – to learn more about how you can contribute to the greater good for the region’s families in need. Because giving back is the best way for us all to keep moving forward.
