Eaton spirit still alive after plant closing threat

By John Green
The Hutchinson News

While awaiting the decision last summer whether Eaton Corp. would shutter its Hutchinson plant, employees were determined about at least one thing: the annual Spirit of Christmas campaign would go on.
On Friday, about a dozen employees loaded their pickup trucks to deliver masses of food and gifts purchased or collected by employees to 44 local families in need, including 115 children.
Employee participation in the effort was up this year, organizers said, though they aren’t sure if that’s because workers recall their own feelings of job insecurity, or because more people were simply asked.
“People out here are really positive about the Spirit of Christmas,” said Sheri Ellis, a senior accountant at the 4th Avenue plant. “Once they’re involved, they really want to look out for these people.”
The program started at the plant in 1950s, Ellis said, long before it was Eaton. The last couple of years, the annual giving campaign has benefited 40 to 50 families each year, Ellis said.
Letters go out in October to churches and schools soliciting the names of families in need.
“It can be for any reason: some are losing their job, some have health issues, it could be a single parent,” she said. “There is no stipulation, just that they are in need.”
There was some expectation, with about 150 layoffs anticipated at the plant in coming months, that there would be greater need internally this year. But only two of the recipients this year are Eaton employees, Ellis said.
“It’s always been that we consider employee needs first,” said Human Resources Director Jim Shantz.
Once a list of names is compiled – this year the list topped 60 people – Eaton volunteers interview each family to find those most in need.
“One rule we have is that we don’t help the same family two years in a row,” Ellis said.
Once families are selected, the children’s names and their gift desires are hung on a tree inside the plant. Employees adopt the children and buy gifts for them.
Money raised through plantwide employee donations and from the corporation, is used to buy the food and food certificates. The budget is about $10,000 annually, Ellis said, of which half goes for food.
“We give them coupons for a turkey, gallon of milk and dozen eggs,” said Jesse Garcia, a master scheduler at the plant and food chairman for the past 20 years. “We put in an assortment of corn, peas, green beans, cranberry, a big box of cornflakes, tomato juice, vegetable juice, peanut butter…. You want me to go on?”
The size of the food box is determined by the size of the household, with enough “for several good meals,” Garcia said. The groceries, also including dish soap and laundry soap, are purchased from Food 4 Less, which discounts many of the items, Garcia said.
“We have a couple of families not even associated with Eaton who go out and buy $500 in toys each year just for our program and donate them,” Ellis said. “A couple schools in the area donate also. Nickerson raised a lot for toys and tricycles this year.”
Bicycles obtained through the annual Reno County Toy Run are also donated to the cause.
“I did notice that of those we helped this year, there were not as many young kids,” Ellis said. “In the past there were a lot more babies through age 5 or 6. This year it was mostly kids in junior high, from 10 to 14 years old. They’re a little tougher to buy for.”
Besides toys, each child gets a gift certificate to Payless Shoe Store, a $10 certificate for use at the Goodwill store and a blanket.
“If there are specific household needs, like towels or sheets or something in particular that they need, we provide that,” Ellis said.
Besides the 30-plus Eaton employees directly involved in the volunteer effort, Prairie Hills Middle School student council and gifted program members and teachers assisted the effort this year, wrapping presents Dec. 16.
“Everybody out here is so generous when it comes to this,” Ellis said. 12/23/2006;