Getting into spirit of giving

The spirit of Christmas -- giving unconditionally to others -- was thriving in Charleston on Saturday as evidenced by two events, one new and one old.

In North Charleston, the members of World Harvest Community Church, which started housing up to 45 homeless people on cold nights since Thanksgiving, invited them to stay, have a home-cooked, hot Christmas meal, watch football and enjoy fellowship.

And in Mount Pleasant, TBonz Foundation and others in Charleston business community held its 19th annual Charity Christmas Day dinner at Liberty Tap Room & Grill in which 300 people, including 200 children, were invited to the restaurant for a meal. The youngsters also got to pick out one gift of their choosing. In addition, volunteers sent meals to nearly 600 seniors.

"I know this sounds cliche, but 'to give is to receive,' " said Jerry Scheer, who along with business partner Mark Cumins, started the charity dinner at TBonz on Market Street in 1992. "We know that every time we've given, we get back 10-fold ... Charleston has been really good to us."

At World Harvest, Pastor Tom Clayton said that his leap of faith in reaching out to the homeless has been met with support from many. Clayton, who seeks out homeless people to bring to the church, has urged other churches to help the homeless in what seems like another unseasonably cold winter ahead by opening their doors at night and feeding them.

Clayton quoted Proverbs 28:27 saying, "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack. He that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse." With a gentle smile, Clayton added, "So that's a proverb I've been living by and, so far, we haven't had any problems."

Clayton's church is the first to work with Tri-County Family Ministries in its new "Shelter in a Bag" program that offers a bag with an air mattress, some toiletries and other necessities.

For the past month, Clayton and other church members have driven vans to pick up overflow from the Crisis Ministries shelter downtown and other homeless hotspots and bring them to the church. There, they feed up to 45 homeless people, let them sleep overnight and then provide breakfast.

The church's generosity has been supported by an array of local restaurants that have provided food for the cause.

Last Saturday, when it was cold and rainy, Clayton told the homeless at the church that they could stay. Later, he asked the group what plans they had for Christmas Day. When all but two of the 44 people said they had no plans, he invited them to spend the day at the church and have Christmas dinner.

The gesture was not taken for granted.

"We were facing spending Christmas outside," said Elaine Scott, who is two months pregnant with her husband, Reggie Scott's, baby. "We had no food and no plans until this church took us out of the cold and fed us.

The Scotts have been homeless since Reggie lost his job as a cook at Myrtle Beach restaurant. Elaine's disabled, though takes on an occasional cleaning job.

Church member Marlon Smalls, who works as a supervisor at Allied Steel, was one of more than a dozen volunteers cooking the Christmas dinner and has been helping with the homeless program by driving one of the vans during a work break, from 8 to 9 p.m.

"It's a motivation that God puts into you when you fall in love with Christ," said Smalls. "He puts something in you and you can't hold it down. You've got to share it."

Smalls brought all five of his children to the event because he wanted to instill giving in their lives.

"I get to teach my kids how to be servers. This is teaching them love people for who they are, as God commanded us to do."

At Liberty Tap room in Mount Pleasant, Scheer said many of their long-time "elves," which guide children through a gift room, have grown up and a "few have even graduated from college."

Some in the business community have learned to be more charitable through the example that Scheer and Cumins have shown through their TBonz Foundation.

"They have helped make me more charitable," said Edward Berlin of Berlin's Restaurant Supply, a supporter of the charity event. "Instead of having boats and big houses, they give it back to the community."

For nearly 15 years, Eric Wade has helped with the event by donating money to buy electronic gifts and other substantial gifts (one year, 300 bikes) to the cause.

"If you do well in life, you're expected to give back ... The Lord has certainly blessed me," said Wade, who added he likes being able to see the delight on the faces of kids rather than giving to a cause where there is no personal connection.