Blessed to be a Blessing: Tracey Cater gifts hundreds of children with basic necessities

By Catherine Godbey | Living 50 Plus

Surrounded by 40 rolls of wrapping paper and hundreds of packages of T-shirts, socks and underwear, Tracey Cater turns on a football game and wraps boxes. For two weeks every December for the past 12 years, Cater has sorted shirts, socks and underwear and wrapped them in boxes topped with a candy cane for a bow.

“There are so many items and boxes in my living room that you can’t walk through my house,” the 57-year-old Decatur woman said. “It is my favorite time of the year.”

Most of the presents will go to children Cater has never met.

“When you realize what your purpose is in life, you can do amazing things,” Cater said. “I know what my purpose in life is and that is to help children.”

To fulfill her life’s purpose, Cater founded Because We Care.

The Decatur-based nonprofit organization provides a week’s worth of T-shirts, socks and underwear, a toothbrush, toothpaste and gift cards to children in need for Christmas.

“When people think about the holidays, their first thought is to buy a lot of toys. While children enjoy toys and they should have them, the need is greater for items such as warm socks in the winter and T-shirts,” Cater’s friend Mwende Muoti said. “When people hear the name Because We Care they know hundreds of children are not going to have to worry about the impact of the winter season because the need is going to be met by this organization.”

For Cater, Because We Care stemmed from her experiences as a child when, every Christmas, she received a box of necessities.

“Every year, my parents made sure we had T-shirts, socks and underwear. There was always a box with those items in them every Christmas. As a kid, I did not realize the importance and value in that box. At the time, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have those items,” Cater said.

While working at In His Care, a daycare operated by Progressive Christian Outreach Church on Memorial Drive Southwest, Cater realized how privileged she was to have new shirts, socks and underwear every year.

“During the 15 years I worked at the daycare, there were instances where the children would come in with soiled underwear or holes in their socks. There are times we would wash their hair and bathe them,” Cater said. “We began keeping a box with socks and underwear for the children who need them.”

When she began hearing from teachers about students who needed underwear and socks, Cater founded Because We Care.

“I got a phone call from a teacher across the street. She talked about a child who came in, in need. We were able to meet that need. That’s how it got started, with children lacking basic necessities,” Cater said.

Cater credited her parents for instilling in her the desire to give back to others.

“I was raised to help people. One of my family’s sayings is ‘You are blessed to be a blessing,’” Cater said.

Since founding the organization 12 years ago — a year she gave away 40 boxes of necessities — Cater has delivered wrapped boxes filled with necessary items and topped with a candy cane bow to West Decatur Elementary, Frances Nungester, Austinville, Banks-Caddell and Oak Park, the Oak Park Boys & Girls Club and Head Start classes.

Chester Ayers, director of the Oak Park Boys & Girls Club, has seen the impact of the donations firsthand.

“There is a big need for that here. Most of the kids are very appreciative when they receive these gifts and so are their parents. They will write letters to her organization just to say thank you,” Ayers said.

In 2025, Cater plans on delivering 175 boxes to the Oak Park Boys & Girls Club, a class at Frances Nungester Elementary, a class at Head Start and other children in the community. Every year, Cater tries to increase the number of boxes she gives away by 50.

“I didn’t lack for anything growing up. To do without is not something I know anything about. I am so thankful that I am in a position to help those who may be struggling,” Cater said. “To see the kids’ faces light up when they open up the boxes is, well, heartbreaking. It breaks my heart every time because I realize, once again, some of these children really need these items.”

To fill the 175 boxes, Cater searches for sales — “On Black Friday, Walmart has $5 underwear. I wipe them out,” she said. She opts for underwear featuring superheroes and other characters.

“Seeing the kids realize they will have Superman or Spider-Man or another superhero on their bottom is great. It’s like having those special underwear gives them a boost of confidence,” Cater said.

Cater also receives support from the community through financial gifts and donations of items.

“I couldn’t do this without the support of the community,” Cater said. “When people see me in Walmart buying out all the underwear, they ask me what I am doing. I sit there and explain about Because We Care. A lot of them will make donations right there in the store. I am able to live out my life’s purpose of helping children because of this community.”

As a teenager, Cater, who taught Sunday School at her church and always loved interacting with children, realized her “life’s purpose.”

After graduating from Decatur High School, Cater attended Calhoun Community College in hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse. After the death of her first patient — a loss that caused Cater to grieve deeply — she changed her major to childhood development.

To be near children and influence their lives, Cater worked at her church’s daycare until lung disease caused her to retire at the age of 40. Cater also volunteered as a CASA worker, advocating for the best interests of abused, neglected or abandoned children in the court system.

“Tracey has a heart to serve those who need a helping hand and may not want to say it. She serves with humility, patience, love and kindness,” Muoti said.

To donate to Because We Care, contact Cater at 256-227-2730 or via email at catertracey@bellsouth.net.

“I’ll take donations no matter the time of year. People know I do this, so they contact me whenever they need something, not just at Christmas,” Cater said. “I’m the T-shirt, socks and underwear lady. I don’t mind being called that. I will do anything for the babies. I will fight for them however I can.”