By Staff
DAY OF CARING Mississippi Power volunteer Carol Hunter, left, and Care Lodge Executive Director Leslie Payne place plants around the Care Lodge Administrative Office on 19th Avenue as part of the United Way Day of Caring. Nine Mississippi Power volunteers came to the Care Lodge as part of the Day of Caring project that kicks off the early Pace-Setter fund-raising campaign. Photo by Carissa McCain / The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
August 3, 2002
One-hundred volunteers labored at a dozen of United Way of East Mississippi's agencies Friday for the organization's annual Day of Caring marking the beginning of the Pace-Setter fund-raising campaign.
Community volunteers, agency directors, representatives from Pace-Setter companies, members of the United Way Board of Directors and United Way staff cleaned, painted, did yard work and clerical work at most of the local agencies that are part of United Way.
At Care Lodge, a family violence intervention program, volunteers from Mississippi Power Co. toiled in the sun, landscaping outside the administrative office building at 1207 19th Avenue.
The use of the administrative building was donated to Care Lodge by Riley Hospital last year.
The volunteers put out various plants and shrubs in front of the building.
Jackie Pace, a lineman for Mississippi Power, is the company's United Way campaign chairperson. He said recruiting volunteers at work was an easy job.
Louis Sutton, president of United Way of East Mississippi and its chief professional officer, checked in on volunteers at most of the work sites during the day. He said everyone was "all smiles."
He called the Day of Caring a good jump start for the Pace-Setter campaign. Pace-Setters are companies that have agreed to begin their annual United Way fund-raising campaigns early to set the pace for the organization's formal fund-raising campaign that is scheduled to begin Sept. 17 this year. Most of the contributions to United Way from Pace-Setter companies come from their employees.
United Way agencies:
Local United Way agencies that benefited from the annual Day of Caring included the following:
Boy Scouts Volunteers from East Mississippi
Correctional Facility stored tents for the winter and helped winterize the camp.
Boys and Girls Club Community volunteers painted the club's sanctuary.
Care Lodge Volunteers from Mississippi Power landscaped the administrative office.
Community of Hope Volunteers from Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center painted, cleaned and did yard work.
Hope Village for Children Volunteers from J.C. Penney Co., moved items from storage into the gym for an upcoming auction.
Meridian Speech and Hearing Center Volunteers from the Boeing Co., cleaned windows, carpets, walls and helped reorganize the center's supply closet.
American Red Cross Volunteers from Mitchell Co., and community volunteers replaced eaves on the office and did some minor sheet rock repairs.
Salvation Army Volunteers from Dillard's
Department Store painted the kitchen and dining room areas.
Wesley House Volunteers from Citizens National Bank organized and stored donated clothing and did some clerical work.
Meals on Wheels Volunteers from Meridian
Coca-Cola did some minor sheet rock repair and painted office cubicles.
Mental Health Association Members of the local United Way board did volunteer clerical work.
Girl Scouts Volunteers from Alliance Health Center painted and did general cleanup, made a flower bed and planted bulbs.