New Sharon Woman’s ‘Love Train’ Has Delivered Nearly $98,000 in Help to Families in Need

Ralphi Munson stopped by the Oskaloosa News studio to talk about “Love Train,” a neighbor-helping-neighbor idea that sprang from a single social media post.

NEW SHARON, Iowa – Sometimes, a bit of help with an electric bill, water bill, or other household expense can mean everything to a family trying to make ends meet.

For over ten years, New Sharon resident Ralphi Munson has offered this kind of support to people in the area through her holiday tradition, the Love Train.

A simple Facebook post in 2014 started what is now a community effort that has raised nearly $98,000 to help neighbors cover essential living costs.

Munson recently visited the Oskaloosa News studio to talk about how the Love Train started, who it supports, and why she feels even small donations matter.

A Single Facebook Post Started It All

The Love Train started around Thanksgiving in 2014, when Munson and her husband chose to pay a single mother’s water bill as a Christmas gift.

Munson posted about their plan on Facebook and invited anyone who wanted to help to give just one dollar.

That small act of kindness turned into something bigger than either of them expected.

Munson says the Love Train has collected $97,883 since it started, with every dollar used for necessary expenses for people in need.

The program mainly runs in November and December, offering some financial relief during the holidays.

Munson explained that she usually doesn’t ask for donations. Instead, people who hear about the program and want to help their neighbors send in contributions.

Helping With Needs, Not Wants

Munson’s approach is shaped by her own experience as a young single mother who struggled to pay bills.

She remembered getting a $25 restaurant gift certificate one Christmas. While the gift was thoughtful, she needed help with her water bill much more than a meal out.

That experience stuck with her and helped inspire the Love Train.

Instead of buying gifts or giving cash directly, Munson uses donations to pay essential bills.

Over the years, these payments have covered electricity, water, propane, garbage collection, daycare, school lunches, dental bills, car repairs, and even funeral costs. In one case, the Love Train helped pay for a building permit needed to accommodate a wheelchair.

At first, each recipient got $100 in help. Last year, Munson raised that to $150 to keep up with rising costs. She said there are no administrative costs. She runs the program herself, making calls and arranging payments directly with service providers.

Recipients don’t get cash, and their identities stay private.

Finding Neighbors Who Need a Hand

Munson has built relationships with utility companies and local businesses to help find customers who could use some help.

She often asks providers to identify people who are doing their best to keep up with their bills but could use some additional help.

She focuses on older adults with fixed incomes, families with kids, people facing serious illness, and workers with modest pay.

She also thinks about people who volunteer their time in the community.

Munson keeps a list of possible recipients all year and carefully decides where donations will help most.

Even though she lives in New Sharon, the program helps people beyond her hometown.

She described working with rural water providers in Mahaska and Poweshiek counties. The county company was so impressed by the effort that its employees selected the Love Train to receive money from their workplace charitable giving program.

A Different Kind of Christmas Surprise

One thing that makes the Love Train special is that recipients usually don’t know help is on the way.

Instead, they might find their utility balance is lower than expected or see that part of another important bill has already been paid.

Munson hopes this surprise gives families a bit more money for groceries, Christmas gifts, or winter expenses.

For some families, it just means they can keep up with their bills.

She also wants to connect with more small businesses and in-home daycare providers who can help direct payments to those who need them.

Munson noted that changes in how utilities accept payments could make things harder for the program, since she has usually arranged payments by phone.

How to Help the Love Train

With another holiday season coming up, Munson hopes the generosity that has kept the Love Train going since 2014 will continue.

Those wishing to contribute can mail donations to:

Love Train
P.O. Box 411
New Sharon, Iowa 50207

Ralphi Munson on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ralphi.munson

Munson also takes contributions through Venmo and directly from people in the community.

After more than ten years, the Love Train still runs on a simple idea: neighbors helping neighbors, often without knowing whose lives they’ve made a bit easier.

For Munson, the best reward is knowing that a family going through a tough time might have one less bill to worry about this Christmas.