The message on the massive sign along U.S. 31 is direct and hard to miss — “Good Cheer Donation Site.”
Outside the headquarters of Marshall Mechanical near Amity, owner Erik Marshall and his team have set up the large notice asking for donations for the yearly food distribution. The business has volunteered to be a collection site for canned goods and non-perishable food, which will be packaged up and given to families in need throughout Johnson County for the holidays.
Marshall Mechanical has helped with the Good Cheer Fund in different ways throughout the years. But this time, they’ve been compelled to step up even more.
“I love to see our team involvement. Everybody is fired up to be able to give back and help neighbors in need — to literally deliver good cheer,” said Bethany Cox, office manager for Marshall Mechanical.
Since its start, local businesses have served as the backbone of the Good Cheer Fund. They provide donations to purchase food, offer volunteers for distribution and in some cases open their buildings to serve as the staging ground for the event.
Marshall knows this legacy, and wants to help it continue. His company has offered to play a major role in this year’s distribution, from donating $10 from each service call to the fund all the way to being in charge of picking up canned goods from local schools.
The company’s leadership and willingness to do whatever was necessary has been invaluable to the success of the fund, said Jake Sappenfield, chair of the Good Cheer Fund.
“I have known Erik Marshall for many years. He is committed to giving back to his community. Having active volunteers, who have the willingness and ability to take on the difficult tasks that come up throughout the process, is what makes the Good Cheer Fund work,” he said. “It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this work each year and I am thankful we have businesses and individuals who are willing to help.”
Legacy of giving
The Good Cheer Fund is an annual charity drive raising money and food to help the hungry during the holiday season. Donations from the community are used to buy fresh food, such as produce, potatoes, meat, cheese and milk, as well as additional items to ensure families have food to eat for days after Christmas.
All the food for the baskets come from non-perishable items collected by area schools, as well as the fresh food purchased and delivered in the days leading up to the distribution.
The fund was founded in 1921 by Austin Flinn, a local funeral home owner, and the Franklin Evening Star. Organizers appealed to the community’s generosity, particularly in reaching out to families with no other way of getting help.
In a column introducing the fund, the Franklin Evening Star wrote, “In several homes, mothers of young babies are in real need and are dependent on charity for food and clothing. No normal man or woman in Franklin would deliberately go to bed tonight if they knew of some woman or baby who was suffering for fuel, food or clothing.”
That first year, $169 was donated to help feed 110 families. Now, organizers plan to serve at least 900 households this year, Sappenfield said.
“Johnson County is a special place. For those of us who have lived down here our whole lives, we understand that and Good Cheer is one of those annual events that remind us that we take care of our neighbors, that is what we do,” he said. “For those new to the area, this is a symbol of how we live and what makes us different. We are a community that cares about our neighbors.”
‘A perfect fit’
Concern for the people in need throughout the community is what inspired Marshall to start helping with the Good Cheer Fund about six years ago.
He had known Sappenfield for a number of years, and when he was asked to help with picking up donated food from local schools, as well as making deliveries of the baskets, Marshall didn’t hesitate.
“Being from Franklin, it appealed to me to be able to give back,” he said. “This is something that was a little more meaningful to us. It’s a perfect fit as far as a give-back opportunity for us.”
A day or two before volunteers assemble the Good Cheer baskets, Marshall and his technicians close the business and use their trucks to stop at participating schools to pick up canned goods.
In 2021 Marshall and his daughter took time to deliver baskets around Franklin throughout the morning. When word came in that a lack of volunteer drivers threatened the ability to get the food baskets out in Greenwood, they were part of a group that offered to take some of those deliveries as well.
Coming into this year, Marshall has offered his offices as a drop-off place for canned goods. They also wanted to make a financial contribution, and decided to donate $10 for every service call that is made from Nov. 1 to Dec. 12. While on service calls, they also have been asking if their customers want to donate any canned goods or make a monetary donation.
They hope to be able to contribute around $10,000 to Good Cheer Fund, Marshall said.
“I see it as a chain of opportunity, to use the relationships we have to be able to benefit the fund at an additional level that a resident or individual wouldn’t be able to achieve,” he said.
Marshall Mechanical employees have also all volunteered to help sort and then deliver baskets on Dec. 16 and 17.
“The need is there. It’s going to take every one of us,” Cox said. “We all live here. We all work here. It’s great to able to work for a company that is willing to do that for our neighbors in need.”
AT A GLANCE
What: Good Cheer Fund, an annual effort to pass out holiday food baskets to the needy throughout Johnson County. Baskets include a mix of nonperishable foods and fresh items, such as a ham or chicken, eggs, milk and cheese.
How many: About 900 baskets
How to apply: Applications, both in English and Spanish, can be found in the Daily Journal today and on Dec. 3. To be considered for a basket, applications must be received by Dec. 7. For more information, call 317-777-1159.
How to give: Monetary donations will be accepted until the end of December. Donations can be mailed to the Daily Journal, P.O. Box 699, Franklin, IN 46131.
