PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — For Halloween, the staff of Project ECHO Thrift & Gift Shop didn’t dress up in any regular old costumes. Instead, they all wore masks of one of their own — longtime volunteer Bonnie Branham — who is currently recovering from two heart bypass surgeries.
Project ECHO is a Calvert County nonprofit that provides support for the homeless population, including emergency shelter and supportive housing. The Thrift & Gift store launched in 2015 and is a key part of the organization’s funding. Branham began volunteering there in 2017 and served as the Friday cashier before she was hospitalized.
Development director Teressa Mullen said that Branham started out as a customer and quickly got to know the volunteers — herself included. Branham, she said, was easy to talk to and fit in right away.
“Everybody knows Bonnie,” Mullen said, laughing. “She’s very short, and very loud.”
Mullen and the team quickly formed a meal train for Branham and began fielding the cards and donations that came in from the public. Branham’s daughter, Patricia “Tricia” Branham, also set up a GoFundMe to help with the costs.
Like many people, the Branhams are working people, and community support helps bridge the gaps when families are working around the clock to care for loved ones in a time of tragedy.
“We see the uncertainty all the time in our clientele. Most people are one tragedy away from homelessness. Could be a car accident, heart attack, house fire. So many things are out of our control, that one thing snowballs into a million things,” Mullen said. “But it’s incredible to see the amount of people who just want to help. So many of those people are working families who don’t have much, but still want to give.”
Bonnie was one of those people, and her dedication to the store was infectious. She went in every Friday to make others feel good.
Tricia Branham seconded her mom’s love for Project ECHO and said it was one of the first things she asked about when she woke up for the first time in the intensive care unit.
“To me, that all reflects her values of compassion, community, resilience and joy. She’s taught me that helping others doesn’t have to be big or perfect — it’s about showing up, giving what you can, and doing it with love,” Tricia Branham wrote in an email to The BayNet.
Tricia Branham also wrote that her parents are welcoming and generous and have always had a rotating cast of people and animals in their home because they’ve always wanted to help others. The shop has been a great fit for her, and customers and volunteers have been inspired by her longstanding commitment.
“She loves seeing everyone who comes in, keeping up with their lives, turning friends into family and bringing her fun, spunky energy to the shop,” Tricia Branham said. “When they have a good day, it means so much to her, knowing the money will go to help others.”
Bonnie Branham is a mother of four and grandmother of 13. Currently, most of her care falls to her husband and to Tricia, who says they haven’t left her side since her surgeries.
No matter where people are in the process, families are actively involved in their care. For Tricia Branham and her father, that meant a rotating schedule of work and hospital stays, all-nighters and drives to and from Alexandria before Bonnie was moved to a rehab facility closer to home.
There’s still a long journey ahead for Bonnie and her family, but for both Bonnie’s family and the Project ECHO staff, her spirit and values are serving to remind them that the future, hopefully, will get better.
Tricia Branham says they feel optimistic, but this is the “biggest challenge” their family has ever faced. While they’re hopeful about getting Bonnie home, she’s still recovering, and the family has to tackle several projects — like adding a wheelchair-friendly walkway and patio, and updating her bathroom for safety purposes — and they are lacking the time and resources to get those things done.
“We’ve lost a lot of sleep, but she needs us and being there for her every step is most important. We remind ourselves that this is temporary, and God will give us the strength we need through it all.”
The family is optimistic for Bonnie and hopes she can soon get back to what she loves — because the shop simply isn’t the same without her. She also had plans to work with her daughter in a new store called Beachin Crystal Shop in Parker’s Creek Shops. And of course, Mullen is hopeful to see Bonnie’s smiling face back in Project ECHO soon. Until then, Halloween masks will have to do.
To help the Branham family, visit their GoFundMe or reach out to Teressa Mullen at Project ECHO to send cards or join a meal train.
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