Beacon holds annual Holiday House of Hope
The Beacon of Hope held its 10th annual Holiday House of Hope Dec. 5-7, with the Wells family opening the doors of Tarpon Lodge once again. This year the theme was Vintage 1926, marking the year Tarpon Lodge original settlers built their residence on the property.
“We have three acres here, looking out west over Pine Island Sound,” said Rob Wells III, general manager and one of the owners of Tarpon Lodge, home to Holiday House of Hope for its ninth year.
The Beacon of Hope program, which began as an effort to help people recover from Hurricane Charley, has since become a thriving institution, with Holiday House of Hope, now one of its biggest traditions.
“Hope, stands for helping our people excel, because it’s not a handout, it’s a hand up,” said Beacon board member Elsie Stearns.
“Though there are many other wonderful programs out here, we umbrella the island and do everything from providing diapers for newborns to feeding seniors with our Beacon Bites program, and everything in between,” said Stearns. “Some of our GED students graduate within seven months.
“When the United Way said they wanted to partner with us, we initially assumed we could continue to do everything on our own, but then quickly realized that partnering with the United Way of Lee County would open many doors,” she continued. “It literally opened 144 more agencies to us, from transportation, to people who would come out to the island to meet with someone in an abusive relationship, and many other different things.”
The Beacon of Hope is an ever-evolving organization that relies heavily on volunteers, grants and income generated from its thrift store, the Attic. Even with all the volunteer support, Stearns said they simply could not operate without also employing a staff. The board is very involved with every facet of the program, from tutors for the Center of Excellence in the classroom, to nurses who visit recipients of Beacon Bites. Stearns stresses that every board member brings his or her own expertise to each area of the Beacon. They also partner with local organizations, such as the Matlacha Hookers, who have an annual fundraising event to raise money for the Beacon Bites program. Stearns said that many organizations choose a portion of the Beacon and help support them in that particular program.
The first Holiday House of Hope event was held in Matlacha, and though Stearns admits it was very well attended, it brought in no money. Shortly after, she had a meeting with Wells, who is a long-time family friend, in the hopes of moving the event to Tarpon Lodge. The two began to organize what has now become a well-received tradition.
“That first year we started out with just a single tent,” said Stearns. “They opened the rooms and let our vendors come in. You can take a tour for a $10 donation, and Tarpon Lodge provides hors d’oeuvres. You can also have dinner in the restaurant if you choose. About five years ago, Rob said, we need to do something for families. Now we have Santa come by fireboat with sirens blaring. On family night we have the Pine Island Elementary Choir perform, there’s story time and the library participates. We also have teachers that do crafts.”
In addition to opening the Tarpon Lodge to Holiday House of Hope, Stearns points out that on family night the Wells family also provides a buffet dinner to families who may not otherwise be able to go out to eat.
“The support that we receive from the vendors, the artists, the craftsmen and all the people that are involved is amazing, but the thing I most love is how this has become a tradition,” said Stearns, adding that it’s likely one of the best attended holiday events on the island.
This year’s sponsors included Farmhouse 44, The Reel Chase, CW Fudge Factory, Sanibel Soul Jewelry, Pine Island Attic Holiday Bazaar, Artist Mel Meo, Sweeny’s SOS, Bookelia Craft Co-op, Salty Papa Designs, Pine Island Tropicals and Tagua Jewelry. Featured authors included John Mills, Marty Ambrose, Jeff Mahl, D.L. Havlin and Mary Kaye Stevens.
The Pine Island Art Association decorates the Holiday Tree with individual hand-painted ornaments, before the entire tree is auctioned. Another fund raising endeavor is the Table Top Tree Auction, which is sponsored by local businesses. After all the donations for the tabletop trees are tallied, the winner receives a phone call and retains the right to keep the tree. Stearns said, unlike a silent auction, this allows the trees to be present for all three nights. Stearns added that last year, between the Artist Tree and the Table Top Trees, approximately $17,000 was raised. There is also a raffle, for which each vendor was asked to donate a prize. The ticket holder gets to choose a particular vendor, and places their raffle ticket at that vendor’s table.
With much to think about, Stearns has an invitation committee, a decorating committee and also works closely with the staff at the Lodge to make sure every facet of the event runs smoothly. Due to the extensive preparation of an event such as this, planning for Holiday House of Hope begins as early as July and is always slated for the weekend after Thanksgiving.
To learn more about the Beacon of Hope, visit its webpage at Beaconofhopepineisland.com