Family Of 7 Makes Best Of Circumstances

If you're reading this after a restful sleep in a soft bed - be thankful.

If there's a ham in your oven filling the house with wonderful smells and a pile of presents under the Christmas tree - be thankful.

And even if you have to get up Friday morning and trudge off to work - be thankful.

Circumstances can change in a heartbeat.

"You don't realize what you have until you lose it totally," says Robert Hoffmann.

On Wednesday, Hoffmann, his wife and five children were packed elbow to elbow at a table enjoying a ham dinner. Around them, volunteers hustled by with plates of food and trays of pies oozing goodness.

The din of conversation filled the fellowship hall of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Brooksville. As his kids tucked into their mashed potatoes and gravy, Hoffmann, 39, shared the story that brought him to Jericho Road Ministries' annual free lunch.

At the beginning of November, the Hoffmanns were camping on Silver Lake in the Withlacoochee State Forest. Everyone was comfortable in the big eight-person tent.

That weekend they were evicted from their home. Hoffmann lost his job installing communications wiring a few days later. Suddenly, camping was no longer a weekend jaunt but a way of life.

The past month and a half has been an adventure, to say the least. Hoffmann's brother helped them out with an extra tent. They've made do with the campground showers.

While Hoffmann went out in search of a job, his wife, Diane, 34, took the kids exploring on the walking trails. That ate up a few hours of a day, but the illusion of a hiking trip always ended when they returned home to the tents.

Dad struggles with feelings of inadequacy as he tries to support his family. He feels like a burden when he leans on other people to provide for his children's needs. Mom did her best to make a home out of the nylon walls; she used an old shop vacuum to get the sand out of the tents.

Birthdays came and went for Diane and her 12-year-old daughter, Alecia. There was no cake, much less presents.

They were booted out of the campground on Monday, but a friend was able to give them a house to live in temporarily. Hoffmann also has some hope that his temporary job could become something more stable.

It doesn't feel like Christmas at their house without any lights or a tree. But Hoffmann is upbeat.

"As long as the children are healthy and happy, that's what matters," he said.