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“Steve was really kind,” Seth's mother, Lindsey Wofford, said. “He would also say hello to the parents as they passed by with their kids, and Seth just really liked him.”
Filled with the curiosity common at that age, Seth asked questions that were difficult to answer.
“Where does Steve live, and where does he go when it's cold?”
Through a difficult conversation, Lindsey Wofford tried to help her son understand, Mr. Steve was homeless. Filled with the pure and dauntless intentions of a child, Seth was determined to help Mr. Steve and others in a similar predicament in any way he could. After months of brainstorming, the answer came from a surprising source — a television commercial.
Capital One was running a campaign called A Wish for Others that asked viewers to submit a wish they had on someone else's behalf, and Seth Wofford had a big one.
A national problem
According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, over 500,000 Americans currently live in a state of homelessness. Homelessness as a national issue originated in the late 19th century, mostly in dense urban areas, and has been a steadily growing issue across the United States ever since. Due largely to a worsening drug epidemic, a steady increase in housing costs, stagnation of wages, the displacement of LGBTQ+ youth and few resources for those with mental illness, the number of homeless people in America has grown exponentially.
As of 2019, an estimated 9,314 homeless people live in North Carolina, about 798 of whom are veterans, and just under 500 live in Cumberland County. With the economic fallout of COVID-19 and the highest spike in prices in over 30 years, the rate of homelessness in America isn't likely to slow down anytime soon.
A wish fulfilled
Armed with a $1000 gift card from Capitol One, Seth Wofford set about to make his wish a reality.
“He was so excited,” Lindsey Wofford shared.
“We picked out stuff for Steve and a couple of others, and we just kept meeting people who wanted to help. We learned as we went, it kept snowballing, and it slowly grew to this,” she said, her arms spread wide to demonstrate the enormity of their work. “Sometimes we look around and say, ‘how did this even happen?’”
From the joy of that first shopping trip, Lindsey Wofford felt the power of her son's wish and has never looked back. After obtaining 501(c)3 status in 2015, Seth's Wish has created a space where people can get the help they need with dignity and kindness. The organization's mission: “To positively impact lives and bring together the community by providing the necessary resources to those facing food insecurity, homelessness and other poverty-stricken crises in Fayetteville,” is at the heart of all they do.
Standing at about 5'2", Lindsey Wofford has a smile and a greeting for everyone who walks into the Day Room of Seth's Wish, now headquartered on South Reilly Road in Fayetteville. Warm and funny in cut-offs and a T-shirt, Wofford treats the people who walk into the white house with the blue shutters like guests in her home. The Day Room, open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is well organized and meant to suggest a shopping experience no different than any other. There are no need-based forms to fill out or embarrassing questions to answer before people fill their carts.
“People come in and say, ‘hey, I need stuff,’” Lindsey Wofford explained, “and if you need it, then you need it. It's yours. We're here to give it, so we're going to give it.”
And while it might seem an opportunity for unscrupulous individuals to swoop in and take advantage of the generosity on display, Lindsey Wofford doesn't worry about that. “For every one person that takes what they don't need, there are a hundred people that do,” she said.
Clothing items are hung on racks that line the walls, while baby items, toys, household goods, entertainment and fresh produce from the garden are laid out on tables in the middle. A pantry off to the side holds a wealth of non-perishables donated from food banks and people in the community, and a refrigerator houses essentials such as milk, eggs and deli sandwiches. Seth's Wish also serves food from their kitchen if anyone wants or needs a plate for the road. Meals like lasagna with rolls and a glass of sweet tea might be the only full meal some patrons have all day. Seth's Wish and the items found therein are donated by people of the community, with clothing items — especially those for children, being the largest percentage of donations.
“Donations are literally how we function,” Lindsey Wofford said. “They're how this room stays full.”
Seth's Wish also partners with Second Harvest Food Bank and receives donations from outlets all over the city, including Walmart. With help from Sustainable Sandhills, Seth's Wish also grows fresh produce in the house's backyard.
“Everyone just comes and plants stuff,” Lindsey Wofford joked.
“I don't even know what's in here.”
The tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers are easily identified in the carefully tended gardens, and it's clear they're grown by a very green thumb. Fresh vegetables, which are often overlooked due to their cost and fragility in times of food insecurity, are a welcome and necessary addition to the organization's pantry. While the Day Room is a space for patrons to fill a basket with what they need, the front of the house, called Seth's Wish Gift Shop, is a space where they can shop for the things they want. Filled with jewelry, paintings, pottery and wreaths, the little boutique is a project of which Lindsey Wofford is immensely proud.
“This is our coolest program ever,” she gushed while walking through the shelves of handmade items.
“People that come in for services who are talented or crafty, we open a file on them and feature their work in the store. When they make a sale, 100% of the money goes back to the artist that created it. It's just a way for them to make some extra money.”
Many of the items are created through donated crafting materials, which keep costs low for the artists and free up space at Seth's Wish.
“We have such great stuff here,” Lindsey Wofford said. “There are just so many talented people.”
A home lost and found
It's hard to argue with the success of Seth's Wish in the community, but that's not to say there haven't been a few setbacks. Originally operating in a building on South Cool Spring Street, the organization, known for its efforts in the homeless community, suddenly became homeless themselves. About two months after COVID-19 gripped the city and the nation, tragedy struck Seth's Wish literally and figuratively when a van crashed through their building, destroying the Day Room. While no one was injured, the building was officially condemned. It was another two years before the organization found a space they could call home.
“We're very definite on the fact that the money that comes in or is donated goes toward services. We don't want to pay $1000 monthly to rent a space when that money could go toward helping people.”
A chance meeting with a gentleman who owned a house used as a food pantry for his church donated the space to Seth's Wish. The rest is history.
“I never thought we'd be able to find something like this,” she said, the gratitude plain on her face. “It was just meant to be.”
A request
Seth's Wish, run by Lindsey Wofford and a smattering of volunteers, is more than grateful for the organization's success and the kindness of the community. And while the Day Room and back room are filled with clothing for people to take home, Lindsey Wofford admits there are at least two things they could always use more of, food donations and time.
“Groceries are so hard right now,” Lindsey Wofford told Up & Coming Weekly. “We'll take anything, but we really need non-perishable items the most.”
Another donation Seth's Wish could use is help from the community.
“We always need volunteers,” she admitted.
People are always needed in the garden and can sign up for tasks via Seth's Community Garden, found on Facebook. Volunteering to water the plants or flip compost are all small acts that go a long way. Everyone is welcome to show up and lend their time every Tuesday and Thursday.
Passion in practice
Seth, now a teenager, often helps his mom in the little house founded on his selfless wish.
“He loves it,” his mom said, beaming with pride.
The new space, with its wide front lawn and big backyard, offers many opportunities for Seth's Wish to engage with its community in meaningful and heartfelt ways. With a back room stocked and ready for the next batch of people in need through Seth's Wish, now in operation for the past seven and a half years, Lindsey Wofford hopes to continue what her son started for as long as they're needed. When asked why she does it, Lindsey Wofford had a simple answer:
“I just like it.”
Seth's Wish is located at 204 South Reilly Road in Fayetteville.
For more information regarding donations, volunteer opportunities, and events, visit www.facebook.com/sethswish/ or call 910-476-6613.