JoAnn Cayce
Mother Teresa of Arkansas

Hello, angel-lovers. This is not the week for an angel story, but because so many of you have become involved in the Thornton, Arkansas, Christmas giving project, I thought it might be nice to share a letter from Joannie Cayce with all of you. Those of you who helped another charity rather than this one deserve gratitude for caring, and perhaps you’ll enjoy this letter too. Next week, we will be back with our primary function, the distributing of angel stories----and hope.

A bit of background: a few years ago, I told the members of this list about a poverty-stricken area in central Arkansas, and the woman JoAnn Cayce, who had been working among the people there for over forty years. Her daughter, Joannie and grandson, Daniel, were also heavily involved, Daniel from the age of four. A newspaper there had dubbed her the Mother Teresa of Central Arkansas, although she is a Baptist. I had been garage-sale-shopping for children’s clothes and toys for her for many years, and that year I asked this list if any of them would like to join me, at Christmas or any time, because the need goes on there all year.

It was an amazing turnout. We concentrated on sending socks, something needed and easy to mail. The Cayce family received over 25,000 pairs, in addition to lots of coats and other necessities. (The kids often miss school in January and February because they don’t have warm clothes.) From that point on, many of the list members just took off with the Cayce project on their own---we now have an occasional truck that goes down there, church groups pick one project and do it---it’s a lot of fun. Anyway, I just received this wrap up letter from Joannie, and I will edit it a bit and send it on.

Joan Wester Anderson


Dear Joan,

Thank you for all you do for us. We would not have had a Christmas if not for your angels. We helped more children than ever and more forgotten elderly and more families and more of everyone. I was the busiest mom that I have ever been . We had a huge give-away at the same time and had over 2000 people and 3000 pairs of shoes, so nice, your angels had sent. Everyone left with at least one pair and socks, and they were so happy. And for the 1st time ever we had SANTA! Daniel asked his science teacher who is tall, chubby and has a real white beard. Daniel had candy, color books, colors, stuffed animals, and Kohl's had given him stuffed woodchucks, Santa gave it out to the kids and the parents received their bags for the children and we were all so busy!!!! I did not get not one picture. I am not kidding---the first time ever I did not get pictures! The people were all over the place and mom was working as hard as me. Daniel still out-worked both of us but mom is doing so good and she is so happy. We gave away over 2000 pairs of underwear, every child received 2 or 3 pairs. Mom said that was one for wear and, she hoped, one for the wash. We had a doll for every girl for the first time ever. I cried thinking how before Joan Anderson, I only had used dolls and not many of those. While fixing the bags for the kids we ran out of boys' toys; I would do 50 or so children a day and I would run out of boys' trucks, cars, little men, and then I would come home discouraged, and there would be boxes and boxes of boys' toys sent by your angels. I cried everyday rejoicing.

It was a very blessed Christmas. The very best. We had soap, shampoo and Daniel gave away over 2000 tooth brushes, every child received one with tooth paste and the adults did until we ran out. We gave away over 1500 coats, and tons of sweaters and warm clothes. We are getting our cold weather in spells. It is 40 degrees now. The men all had a good Christmas with warm work clothes. Daniel wanted me to be sure to tell you we took presents to jail for the children of the women prisoners. Daniel's Boy Scouts did this and they also took gifts to over 200 elderly in two very poor nursing homes. Oh, they were so sad and the staff kept telling us and the boys how happy the old people were that we came and how we had made their Christmas. They all received some of your angels socks, little baby blankets to go on their laps and blankets from a New York angel, little stuffed animals from your angels and mens' basball hats from some of your angels. It was so funny, when we left every man in the place had on a hat. They were all smiling when we left.

Then the boys and I all go eat somewhere together and they all talk at once about the elderly they saw, and what the old people said to them and how they felt and it always makes the boys’ Christmas so special. Their Moms call me or tell me when they see me how much it means to the boys. So we decided even after the graduation, we will have a Boy Scout reunion every year and go to the nursing home at Christmas and then out to eat and talk and reminisce. It was nice and we also gave food out with the toys and clothes. We had one of the busiest and tiredest Christmas ever but Daniel said it was one of the best he remembers.

We had over 30 of his friends at Thanksgiving helping and less helping at Christmas because of family get togethers, but one of his teachers that helped us said it always makes her Christmas to help. She has helped for five years, her favorite job is to fix bags for the poorest and worst Moms that are too mentally ill to call in ahead or too irresponsible to call ahead of time when we send out notes and information. She (the teacher) and Daniel make the bags and they always depend on your last minute angels to send things, and every year those angels that send us a package at the end are just as blessed or more than the first, because the packages are used to make those bags that almost didn't get made. Those children are forgotten by their parents but not forgotten by us, only because someone you know cared at the last minute and sent a doll or a truck, socks or a sweater. Thank you from the bottom of every childs' heart and from us.

Joannie Cayce

P.S. - To help the Cayces (and many Katrina survivors who have found some help there), you can contact them at 315 South Second Street, Thornton Arkansas 71766. The need goes on all the time, and they will use anything sent; however, I’d like to ask that it be in good condition. Bless you all. You earth angels did it again!