Breaking into homes, with Free Beer and Hot Wings

Grand Rapids, MI: This morning Brian and I had the opportunity to join the Free Beer and Hot Wings Morning Show on their annual Holiday Break-in. The break-ins started a few years back in Grand Rapids, MI (the home of the nationally syndicated radio show) and have expanded into numerous states around the country. This year there were actually too many to feature live on the air.

Being a big fan of the Break-ins, our team spoke with Producer Joe about tagging along when his crew dropped off their allotment of gifts. Our hope was that we’d be able to get a firsthand account from the FBHW team of how much the break-ins impacted the families, and to experience their team’s reactions. Joe not only granted us our request, but he one-upped us by inviting us along on the gift drop. We were floored and jumped at the opportunity.

We arrived at the studio about 6:15a.m. and met up with the FBHW team. Joe led us to their conference room where the presents were being stored. My first impression was, “Wow, that’s a ton of presents!” When I asked Joe just how many families were going to be blessed by the gifts in this room, Joe laughed, “No, no, we separate the families by room. This is all for one family.” I was blown away. There were boxes and boxes of food, a three year’s supply of dog food, new bedding for each child, and much much more. We loaded up three vehicles and took off to meet up with the gal who nominated this particular family.

With eager anticipation and a car packed to the brim with gifts, Brian and I pulled into the trailer park. Upon arrival, we immediately began emptying the contents of our vehicles into the house. My first reaction upon entering the nominee’s house was, “Hmm, this family has a nicer dining table than me. And hey, this family has a nicer TV than I have in my living room.” I began to judge a bit. In fact, I proceeded to judge right up until the gal who nominated our family began to speak. It was only then that we found out that “our family” was in fact her family.

Her father, a once proud and successful real estate agent, branched out and started his own business to try and curb the ill-effects of the suffering market. After a failed venture, he began a job search where he found himself either overqualified, or under-qualified. He managed to land a couple jobs, but kept being terminated simply because he was always the low-man on the seniority totem pole. He managed to put together a couple good months of work at a local TV shop, only to be let go again. Through that last job, he saved up enough money to provide for his family for six months. They are now in the final two months of that savings, searching and applying for new jobs every single day.

Add to that four kids, and a mother who cannot work because she needs to take care of their eldest child (who is mentally handicapped). One of their two cars has already been seized, and the other will be repossessed within the next few months. A local church recently donated a van to the family, but the tires were old and worn down.

It was at this moment that I was overwhelmed with guilt for having judged this family. Sure, they had a nice table. Sure, they had a nice TV. But these were the remnants of what must have felt like a past life for this family. Their house, foreclosed. Their cars, repossessed. The children are now wearing the same clothes every day to school because shopping at Goodwill now “is a luxury we can’t afford.”

Enter The Free Beer & Hot Wing Show. The generosity shown through this radio team is second to none. Not only did they load up the house with cleaning supplies, food, and fresh bedding, but they provided new tires for the van, three years worth of dog food, a remote car starter, and paid future months of electric bills. The FBHW show, affectionately known for crazy stunts and colorful commentary on idiots around the world, just cruised in and drastically changed a family’s Christmas story. An empty tree is now full. The simple phrase etched above the tree now seemed to glow, “God Bless this House.”

I couldn’t have been more inspired through this experience. Humbled doesn’t cut it, though it’s my best attempt. I was moved by the excitement of Crystal Jacobs (Business Manager of Townsquare Media) as she lit up recounting the planning for this year’s Break-ins, and retold accounts from the past.

The Free Beer & Hot Wings crew will be the first to tell you that they merely facilitate the donations, as much of them come from individuals, groups, and businesses around Grand Rapids (and the country). This distribution is not only changing Christmas for many families, but in most cases providing a critical part of survival, allowing them to rebound, and move forward.

Cheers to The Free Beer & Hot Wings show for their life altering Christmas break-ins. Cheers to all who take the time to positively change a stranger’s story.

Merry Christmas!

Timm

The Elemental Team would like to thank the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show for the honor of being able to assist them with this great cause.

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