Brandon woman memorializes mom with ministry

Irene Westley loved hats. Hats that made bold statements. Hats that captured the imagination. She had them in a rainbow collection of colors, from the brightest to the subtlest hues, adorned with bows, feathers, buttons, flowers and festive pins. They lined the shelves in all her closets; 132 hats in all.

Her daughter Juanita once commented on her mother's passion for fashionable head coverings.

"It's not the hats you wear," Irene told her. "It's the roles you play every day."

And, indeed, Irene Westley juggled many roles: mother of nine, grandmother of 46, wife, caregiver, bus driver, counselor, cook, community volunteer, church worker. She said every hat was a reminder that she could transform herself at any time.

Juanita Westley took those words to heart.

After her twice-widowed mother died suddenly of congestive heart failure in January 2004 at age 71, she knew she had to do something to honor the memory of the tireless woman who dedicated her life to serving others. Westley settled on a name that fit perfectly: Women of Many Hats Ministry. Its mission would be service-oriented, demonstrating how God uses people to help others.

"I put my foot in her shoe, but it was too big to fill," says Westley, 43, of Brandon. "So I don't try anymore. I look at this group as a way to extend the legacy she already started."

The ministry is designed for busy people who have the desire to help others but not a lot of hours in the day. In other words, people just like Westley, an insurance underwriter for JP Morgan Chase. Having good intentions is one thing; finding time and being able to make a commitment is another.

"I know it's easy to get scared off from being a volunteer, because we're all juggling too much these days," she says. "But I saw what my mother was able to accomplish and I know it's possible. Whether you can give three hours or 100, anything helps."

She organizes a charitable event every quarter. Volunteers give whatever time they can manage, from helping with the planning process to serving on the day of the program. In the last year, Women of Many Hats has sponsored a "Fun in the Sun" day for families served by United Cerebral Palsy of Tampa Bay, a grief seminar at an assisted living facility, and a yard and house cleanup for two low-income homeowners.

Westley doesn't discriminate; men are encouraged to take part. Roosevelt Stephens, 51, a longtime family friend, doesn't mind being a "Woman of Many Hats."

"I liked what she was doing. I came onboard to encourage her efforts and ended up staying," he says. "There's something about doing for others that gives you such a great feeling. I think we benefit as much as the people we serve."

The biggest undertaking, now in its fourth year, comes Christmas morning. Westley's team will host an expansive holiday meal, give out gift bags and haircuts, and offer free portrait sittings to the homeless at St. Vincent de Paul Society's facility in St. Petersburg. She hopes to have 40 to 50 volunteers to serve a crowd that could be in excess of 500.

The Rev. Mark Green, pastor of Travelers' Rest Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, serves as the ministry's spiritual director. He was so taken by Westley's enthusiasm that he canceled his church's Christmas service and is encouraging his congregation to pitch in at the feeding instead.

"It's what Christmas is all about, after all," he says. "I think Jesus would prefer we take the time to care for people who are usually forgotten. That's the best gift you can give on that day."

Westley says the holiday party is a direct reflection of her mother's legacy.

Irene Westley, who loved to cook, opened her south St. Petersburg home every Thursday night for years, inviting friends and strangers alike to stop by for a free meal. Never overlook anyone, particularly the needy, she told her children. "You can always do with less if you have more."

Juanita Westley came up with the idea when she learned that most nonprofits that serve the homeless don't provide a home-cooked hot meal on Christmas morning. That first year, responding to her mother's urging in her ear, Westley enlisted a handful of volunteers to cook up pots of grits, turkey, biscuits and eggs. They loaded up vans and carted food, warming stations, tables, chairs and gifts to the parking lot next to St. Vincent de Paul.

"And we fed 200 people," she says proudly. "Now we've got a reputation on the streets. More people are coming every year. With the economy being the way it is, we know this will be the biggest crowd yet."

This is the first time the Christmas feeding will take place inside the facility. Bill Beecher, St. Vincent de Paul's executive chef, heard about the group that showed up in the parking lot year after year but never had met them. Earlier this year, he and Westley finally connected. He was impressed by her track record and decided to partner with her. He offered his dining area, kitchen facilities and restrooms.

"We get a lot of well-intentioned people who want to volunteer, but they come and they go," he says. "She has a knack for organization. She works hard at finding sponsors to help with costs and recruiting people to help. Her dedication to giving the homeless a family-like, loving experience is the real thing."

For Westley, the invitation from Beecher confirmed what her mother always taught her: Be diligent, be kind to others and keep God first. Your efforts will be rewarded.

"I was always a background kind of person. I wasn't the type to step forward," she says. "But my mother has taught me that any one person can make a difference and leave an imprint in this world. We can wear as many hats as we want."

To learn more about the ministry and how to get involved, go to www.womhministry.com