Young Easter basket maker gathers donations for Crisis Network
Burnet County resident Nancy Heuss (left) and granddaughter Carrie Guthrie (second from right) presented a $1,500 donation to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network, represented by Rachel and Kevin Naumann. Courtesy photo
When 18-year-old Carrie Guthrie offered to make Easter baskets for her family, she didn’t anticipate requests coming in from across the community.
Filling those extra orders, the Burnet High School senior and her grandmother, Nancy Heuss, ending up making 52 baskets. In return, they asked recipients to make a donation to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network.
On April 15, Guthrie and Heuss presented a $1,500 check to the Crisis Network, a nonprofit that helps people going through crises, whether floods, fires, or pandemics. Currently, the HLCN is making and delivering hundreds of meals a day to residents struggling financially due to COVID-19 restrictions or those who are homebound.
“Basically, they just single-handedly paid for half a week’s worth of meals for 500 people,” said Crisis Network Executive Director Kevin Naumann.
“It was supposed to be really small for my family,” Guthrie said of the Easter basket project. “Then, it grew to this whole big thing. I thought I’d make five or 10 baskets at the most.”
On April 8, she spread the word that she was making the baskets for those who wanted them. As the requests grew, Sandra and Jordan Moore, owners of Capitol Concrete Contractors Inc., stepped in to help by purchasing Easter grass, eggs, candy, and toys.
Guthrie delivered the completed baskets to the families and enjoyed seeing the happy reactions from the children.
“They were so excited,” she said. “Easter is a great time to spend time with each other. Life is crazy right now. I wanted to make sure that parents’ kids were going to get Easter baskets. What’s Easter without a basket? I know it’s part of it. It would feel weird to not have one.”
Guthrie said it was an easy decision to donate to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network.
“I feel really privileged to be able to help people like that,” she said. “I still have everything I need. I’m still going to have everything I need for a long time. I feel like God has really blessed me to help these people where I can.”
For more on how COVID-19 is affecting the Highland Lakes, visit the DailyTrib.com coronavirus resources webpage.