SE KY Empty Stocking Fund president speaks on the non-profit’s impact on local families in need

Empty Stocking Fund President Joe Caldwell

For nearly 40 years, the Southeast Kentucky Empty Stocking Fund has been helping Christmas wishes come true by providing less fortunate children with free gifts, shoes, clothes and other items for the holidays.

Beginning with about 80 kids in the late-eighties, Empty Stocking now regularly provides for 400-500 children, or more, each year. Joe Caldwell, who has served as president of the non-profit organization since the mid-2000’s, says that it is a labor of love.

“I have always loved children,” Caldwell said recently. “I don’t care whose they are. Thanks to the generosity of the community, we have received close to $600,000 in donations that has gone to buy gifts, shoes, socks and other items for local children.”

That figure is a sum total of all the years that Caldwell has been involved with the Empty Stocking Fund, which is almost from the very beginning. This year alone, he says that approximately $40,000 has been spent in order to cover the cost of all the items given away, including a record-setting 110 bicycles for kids between the ages of 6-8.

“We have about as many volunteers as we do kids coming in to get their gifts,” Caldwell said at this year’s giveaway, which took place this past Saturday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Corbin.

Caldwell noted that the event is possible thanks to donations from multiple individuals and businesses, which results in each child getting multiple things.

For starters, the Empty Stocking Fund tries to purchase every child a gift that is at least $25, which is wrapped for them to open on Christmas.

Caldwell said that a new dollar store recently moved into Keavy, which was managed by his granddaughter-in-law.

She had Caldwell put out a donation box and encouraged customers to purchase small gifts for children with many doing so multiple times resulting in about $8,000 in donated items.

Some of the larger gifts were wrapped and others were placed on a table that children could select.

The Empty Stocking Fund also purchased a new pair of shoes from Walmart for each child taking part in Saturday’s event, and a pack or half of a pack of new socks for them too.

Caldwell noted that the socks are almost as expensive as the shoes. The club spent $10,000-15,000 for shoes, and another $7,000-8,000 for socks.

The books largely came from a book fair at one of the schools.

“One of our leaders, Mark Steely, went to pick them up. He said his Jeep was tilted up in the front just from hauling them. Someone else gave us some books from another book fair. Other children brought in two or three books each,” Caldwell said.

This year, Walmart sold the Empty Stocking Fund bicycles that usually sell for $88 for $48 each. It also sold the club bicycles that normally cost over $100 each for $58 a piece.

Volunteers spent Friday night wrapping presents and getting ready for Saturday’s party.

Little Caesars donated pizza Friday night for all of the volunteers, and the Empty Stocking Fund purchased pizza for the children on Saturday.

Caldwell recalls the days when former Governor Paul Patton would visit Corbin while Empty Stocking Fund volunteers were distributing gifts at the old Forest Lanes Bowling Alley. He said that another former governor, Ernie Fletcher, also made several appearances.

These days, special guests will typically include a mix of local elected officials, civic leaders, and representatives from area police and fire departments, among others.

In 2023, over 600 families registered with the Empty Stocking Fund, which was an increase compared to recent years. In 2007, the organization saw its greatest number of registrations to-date, with nearly 800 children being served.

Caldwell has seen and heard about many unfortunate situations during his years leading the charge for the Empty Stocking Fund. “I don’t know how in the world they get by,” he said of those families who are struggling with low income, or no income at all.

Lucky for those families, there are caring folks, like Caldwell, who believe in the credo of “service over self.” Without them, the holidays would surely be much less happy and bright for many in our local community.