By Christian Potts
Every holiday tradition starts somewhere.
Johnnie Mitchell's has started with quite an impact.
Mitchell, a resident of the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Norman, is making a difference this Christmas with a benefit diaper drive he organized at the center last month. It's one he hopes to make a tradition for years to come.
It was quite a debut. A cart filled with bags and packages of diapers sat under the colorful Christmas tree in the lobby of the Veterans Center Tuesday afternoon. In addition to packages of clothes, socks and blankets were 1,518 diapers to be donated to the Center for Children and Families.
Well, make that 1,548, as a gentleman dropped another package of diapers on the pile even as a short ceremony for Mitchell to donate the items to CCFI was taking place.
"This isn't about me, it's about the people that live here, the patients, families and visitors," Mitchell said.
Mitchell knows a thing or two about giving, having given of himself for family and country. The Army veteran spent three years on a tour in Vietnam. Originally from Oklahoma City, he has been at the Veterans Center in Norman for about a year-and-a-half since transferring from the Ardmore Veterans Center.
Mitchell said he got the inspiration during a therapy session at the VA in Oklahoma City. His therapist had suggested some things he could do to help in the community, which brought his decision to have a diaper drive.
It started with some of the residents at the center helping out. A donation box was put up near the front doors and Mitchell would greet many visitors from his spot on the couch in the lobby, telling them about the project.
"I had more fun, I got a chance to meet a lot of people from the community," he said. "There are so many good people across the community. I think I got more out of it than anyone."
He also got to help organize something that will have a long-reaching effect.
"That's one of the things that really inspired me, is they're not going to be wasted," he said. "Not a one."
"We give away about 30,000 diapers a year," said Erin Barnhart, resource director for CCFI. "So this donation is wonderful. It's perfect timing."
The donation is expected to help about 80 families in Norman.
And it's also helped give Mitchell a new tradition in the Christmas season.
"The only thing I did before is hope I could get my kids something," he said. "Now I know we're going to donate and do this from now on until I leave this world."
Christian Potts 366-3544 cpotts@normantranscript.com
