Elizabeth Brothers would give you the coat off her back, literally

When Elizabeth Brothers was a young girl, she hiked Mount Chocorua with her parents one chilly day. At the summit, the family met a boy who had no warm outer layer and told Brothers and her family he was freezing. Brothers asked her parents if she could give the boy her coat.

While Brothers doesn’t remember the details too well, her father tells her the child was instantly happy when he put her jacket on. And she adds that now, her father likes to joke that she’s been giving away coats for as long as he can remember.

That’s because, in her longtime volunteer work for the Lakes Region Santa Fund, Brothers gives away new coats to 500 to 700 children across the Lakes Region each year — the only difference being the new garments likely don’t have a $5 bill in one pocket and a Hershey’s bar in the other.

Halfway down Chocurua, Brothers realized she’d given that boy a few bonus gifts.

Getting involved

A Laconia resident, Brothers works at Meredith Village Savings Bank as a mortgage loan officer. She’s been on the Santa Fund Board of Directors since about 2015, donating not only coats to children in the region but also outwear such as snowpants, boots, hats, scarves and mittens.

A family friend, Andrea Condodematraky, told Brothers about the Lakes Region Santa Fund, and Brothers was instantly interested in the mission of the organization and was immediately voted onto the 12-member board.

“I’ve been a member ever since, and I probably will be for life,” she said.

About the Santa Fund

Formed in November 1973, the Lakes Region Santa Fund Trust provides not only winter outerwear, but offers assistance year-round to families for everything from summer camp tuitions and enrichment activities to sports programs and emergency aid.

“The things we do are unbelievable,” Brothers said, noting she finds it heartwarming to help children access programs that allow them to reach their goals. “Being involved in that and helping children fulfill their dreams and do something exciting and uplifting — who wouldn’t want to do that?”

She adds the organization’s name confuses people; it has nothing to do with Christmas, as many people think, but it is focused on giving — like Santa.

“Our sole purpose is to provide aid to children, get them the basic necessities to get them through the winter months,” she explained. “We make sure no kid is walking down the street cold on the way to school.”

She loves seeing kids' faces, content and proud in their new gear. “I know we’re making a difference,” she added.

Brothers is particularly moved by the emergency aid the Santa Fund provides to families in the Lakes Region who have lived through a trauma — a house fire, unexpected death or other devastating situation they need help navigating.

“We try to help lift some of the burden while they’re dealing with these devastating situations. For me to be able to be a part of that fills my heart,” she said. “That’s why I do it.”

A big part of that is because there was a time when Brothers and her husband, Daniel, were in crisis.

A painful inspiration

Twenty-one years ago, their firstborn infant son, Drake, died. “I remember sitting on the curb at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, thinking, ‘How am I going to bury my child?'” Brothers recalled. “The community wrapped their arms around us. They helped us with food. They helped us pay our rent. They covered our funeral costs. They helped us through this terrible, terrible time and allowed us time to grieve.”

Individuals and businesses alike donated money and held fundraisers to support the couple. “Ever since then, I have been so proud and blessed to be a part of this community, and being part of the Santa Fund is one of those ways I can help other moms in difficult situations. We help parents get through that. We help them with those things, so it takes the stress off their grief.”

Board members have all had their own personal struggles, Brothers said. They understand. “We’re constantly coming to the aid of families who need help,” she said.

Other advocacy efforts

Brothers and her husband now have a 16-year-old son, Landen. When he was in fourth or fifth grade, Brothers and Condodematraky — the same friend who got Brothers involved in the Santa Fund — helped their sons launch a local food initiative.

The two started “Cereal Heroes,” and Landen, along with Condodematraky’s sons, Niko and Lex and several other local boys, shoveled snow in Laconia to raise money for food donations after learning the Salvation Army had run out of cereal.

The boys raised hundreds of dollars and bought several shopping carts full of cereal, breakfast bars and oatmeal. Later, they raised funds for a program at their school that provided food for children from families in need.

The effort grew for several years and became a year-round initiative, until the boys hit high school.

Brothers and Condodematraky were their fearless leaders throughout.

A full-fledged leader

A residential lender since 2007, Brothers has worked for Bank of New Hampshire as assistant vice president of residential lending, and she now enjoys her role at Meredith Village Savings Bank, which has supported the Santa Fund, in a nod to Brothers.

It was MVSB that led Brothers to take part in Leadership Lakes Region recently. “It was eye-opening,” she said, noting she learned about dozens of Lakes Region nonprofits she was not aware of and came away feeling even more gratitude for her region.

“It was a great experience for me, in the sense that I got to network with other leaders as well,” she added. “It exposed me to many opportunities in our communities and ways to get involved and help.”

There may be a time when Brothers gets involved with other child advocacy groups. “I’ll always be children-focused,” she said. “I love helping children.”

•••

The Sunshine Effect is a new series in The Laconia Daily Sun highlighting the people and organizations working to improve our communities through volunteering and fundraising. We believe that telling their stories will encourage others to support their work, and launch new charitable efforts of their own. Have a suggestion for someone making a difference we should feature? Share it with us at laconiadailysun.com/sunshineeffecttip.