Lakewood Ranch resident raises funds again for Stillpoint Mission

It’s late January, so friends of Lakewood Ranch's Bob Smith can expect the email at any time.

It's the one that asks for donations to support Stillpoint Mission in Bradenton.

And don't delete that email, because it is likely you will get another that is even more direct.

Smith, who lives in Waterside, laughs when he talks about his followup emails questioning why he hasn't received a donation. The email often will say, “What the hell? I said the deadline was a week ago.”

Smith is amusing, charitable and humble. He doesn’t see his “Annual Appeal” as the actions of a saint. He’s simply doing what he was told. 

“I’m blessed, so if the Bible says feed the hungry, I pretty well think that you’ve got to step up and feed the hungry,” he said.

Stillpoint Mission bills itself as serving "the poorest of the poor." The mission provides families in need with food, diapers, hygiene products and financial assistance. 

“Our total benevolent donations for 2023, without grants, was $281,215,” President Gene Tischer said. “The Annual Appeal donations of $70,380 (in 2023) was 25% of that. That is an incredibly high percentage of our contributions.”

This is the 13th year of the Annual Appeal, with the previous 12 appeals combining for $306,198 in support for the mission. The first appeal in 2012 collected $1,500 when Smith tapped his golfing buddies. It has steadily climbed from there as Smith pursued more possible donors.

The pressure builds each year as his email campaign raises more funds. From the start, Smith’s goal was to raise at least a dollar more every year. The goal of $1,501 in 2013, the second year of the appeal, wasn’t quite as daunting as this year’s goal of $70,381.

Smith calls himself a sucker for all kinds of charities, but food is the one issue that has always concerned him the most. 

When he used to volunteer at the mission’s food bank, he noticed that the people who were homeless would ask for cans with pop tops. He went out and bought a huge box of plastic forks to go with the cans when he saw the mission didn’t have any.

“If you’re not eating, we can worry about literacy or something else some other time,” he said. 

But when you have young children, diapers can be nearly as essential as food because of the cost. The mission spends about $50,000 a year to give away diapers and wipes. Last year, 293,000 diapers were distributed through its Diaper Program. 

“It is our most expensive program and our most unique,” Vice-President Marge Slepica said. 

The Diaper Program serves over 170 families with children under the age of 3. Once a week, participants pick up a supply to last until their next visit. 

In addition to diapers, Slepica said the mission also has trouble getting grants for its Utility Bill Assistance Program, so some of the donations generated through Smith’s appeal are doled out in $70 increments to help clients keep their water and electricity turned on. 

In 2023, the program paid $183,000 worth of utility bills.