ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, December 22, 1996              TAG: 9612230117
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: 1    EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER


IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMASBUSINESSES, EMPLOYEES GIVE TIME, MONEY TO MAKE HOLIDAY HAPPIER FOR THE NEEDY

BUSINESS is often depicted as the Grinch that steals Christmas.

But that pop-culture stereotype of Ebenezer Scrooge doesn't necessarily give a true picture.

Companies and their employees are important to charitable efforts, according to Capt. Steve Long, Roanoke commander for the Salvation Army. "There's no way the Salvation Army could do Christmas without all those helpers," he said.

Employee groups in Western Virginia are busy this time of year collecting everything from money and coats to toys and dog food in the spirit of helping those less fortunate than themselves.

Take the General Electric Co. in Salem.

GE employees go all out at Christmas to help needy families in the community. They give more than just their money; they donate time as well.

About 300 GE workers devoted a Saturday morning earlier this month, taking time from hectic holiday schedules, to package and distribute food to 300 families identified by the League of Older Americans and the Roanoke County Department of Social Services.

This program is unique among holiday charities because it is targeted at older and house-bound citizens instead of children.

George Belanger, chairman of the project, said some 20 businesses donated $9,000. Because The Kroger Co. sold the food at a discount and food suppliers and manufacturers including Merita, Rainbo, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola donated goods, the value of the food distribution was nearly $17,000.

Written records of the annual food distribution date back 34 years, but Belanger said some workers and retirees recall starting the program as long as 37 years ago.

The workers bring their families to help package food so that the effort involves a wide variety of people from kids in strollers to retirees. "We have a lot of fun with it," Belanger said.

The food program is the largest effort of the season, but it is not the only Christmas project at GE's Salem plants.

Most of these projects are sponsored by the Elfun Society, a worldwide organization of GE employees performing charitable and community services. Warren Kurtz, spokesman for the group in Salem, said members raise money by using an Elfun credit card, which returns part of the profit to the organization.

That 0.5 percent profit on the cards amounts to $2 million worldwide. Kurtz said about $10,000 a year comes to Elfun at the Roanoke Valley plants for their charitable efforts.

The General Electric Employees Association sponsored a dance where toys were collected for the 42 children at the Hurt Park Early Learning Center. The association is the only sponsor for the 3-and 4-year-olds at this school.

GE employees also:

*Volunteered to stock the Community Christmas Store in Salem. The store provided items that needy families can give to each other for Christmas.

*Adopted families at both the Turning Point Shelter for abused woman and children and at the Child Health Investment Program.

*Helped to assemble about 100 wagons for children sponsored by the Salvation Army.

*Rang bells at kettles and did other work for the Salvation Army.

Kurtz said Elfun works with other charities throughout the year, such as the March of Dimes "Walk America" program. Christmas, however, redoubles employee efforts. "It's a busy and fun December," Kurtz said.

* * *

Employees of First Union National Bank of Virginia also take part in many projects in the Roanoke Valley.

The commercial documentation group, for instance, raised $1,300 in cash among themselves. They used the money to sponsor one family with donations of food, firewood, blankets, a lighted tree, clothes and toys. The balance bought gifts for about 70 elderly residents of Lakeview Manor.

The card products division gave gifts to more than 200 children through the Salvation Army, while the customer services division raised $100 for gifts to students in the mentoring program at Andrew Lewis High School.

First Union employees in the customer credit division went caroling to nursing homes and shut-in residents this month.

Other First Union workers held a sweater drive for RAM House and Turning Point, sponsored a bake sale to fill stockings for children at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital and gave gifts to children through a Salvation Army angel tree.

Nor did they forget needy animals at Christmas. Employees in First Union's commercial loan services area collected dog and cat food, bones and other treats for the Roanoke Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A group of employees took time off from work to donate blood at last week's Red Cross "Donorama." Most of the employees were given a half-day off with pay to donate blood, but those in the customer response center had to use half of a personal day.

At American Electric Power Co., employes held a coat drive for the Salvation Army and "adopted" 125 children for gifts through the organization's angel trees at their offices.

The 160 employes at AEP's John Vaughan Center, a service facility on Loch Haven Road, donated $300 to buy and outfit toys. The 12 women who work at the center made clothes for all of the dolls.

The profits from the employees' coffee fund at the AEP customer service center went to needy families. The safety committee sponsored a systemwide drive to collect canned goods for the Salvation Army.

Workers at Newbern-Trane Corp., a Roanoke heating and air conditioning contractor, in past years drew names and gave gag gifts to each other. This year, though, they held a toy exchange instead, giving toys to each other that reminded them of the recipient. Last week, all of the toys were donated to the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army's Long said Kroger and other businesses collected coats from employees and customers for needy families. A Cleaner World on Brandon Avenue dry-cleaned all of the donated coats without charge.

Mike Taylor, owner of the Roanoke laundry, said his shop cleaned 300 to 350 coats for the Salvation Army. If he had been paid, he would have earned about $2,500 for the work.

He said he took on the project because "we think the Salvation Army is a good organization. We just like to give something back to the community."

People who brought coats to his shop were offered tax-deduction receipts. Taylor said most people refused because they were giving just to help others.

Norfolk Southern Corp. workers filled hundreds of stockings for needy children, Long said. WDBJ (Channel 7) conducted an on-air drive to stuff 6,000 Christmas stockings, while WSLS (Channel 10) promoted the collection of funds through Salvation Army kettles.

Many area supermarkets and department stores allow Salvation Army volunteers to collect money in the familiar red kettles at their front doors. Long said countless businesses, such as Advance Stores, gave gifts to children by hanging angels on their office Christmas trees. The paper angels contain the first names and ages of children who would otherwise not have a gift for Christmas.

Long said some businesses, such as Sam's Warehouse, give employees time off to help the Salvation Army distribute gifts at its center.

* * *

"The spirit of Christmas is taking place," Long said. The Salvation Army and businesses are "partners together in spirit."

Carroll Stephens, assistant professor of management at Virginia Tech's Pamplin School of Business, said the view from inside many companies is that businesses perform charitable work to increase company rapport and morale.

But she takes the external view - that charitable work performs a social function. "It not only looks good; it is good."

She said charitable work is more visible during Christmas and the winter holidays, perhaps because the needy are more visible in this time of plenty. Stephens said businesses gain from the opportunity to serve and the visibility.

Some businesses give money for Christmas. The United Co. of Bristol, for instance, just divided more than $1.3 million in corporate gifts among about 50 charities, organizations and schools in its business area of Southwest Virginia.

Others take an off-beat approach. The Packett Group, a Roanoke advertising agency, invited the Salvation Army to send a bell-ringer with a kettle to its front door the night of its annual Christmas bash. The Salvation Army collected $1,647 from guests at this year's holiday party.

The Roanoke Express hockey team and Little Caesar's Pizza were hosts of a holiday party at Carilion Medical Center for Children at Roanoke's Community Hospital.

Team members gave an autographed Express jersey that will be on permanent display at the center. The players also donated $1,355 to the center's cancer program, representing the proceeds from a golf tournament they held last fall.

The children enjoyed pizza and a T-shirt from Little Caesar's, which also sent its mascot. Express players, joined by their mascot Loco, autographed posters for the children and gave each child a miniature hockey stick.

Some businesses give what they have in-kind. Super 8 Motel in Salem is offering free rooms on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for family members and friends of patients in local hospitals and nursing homes. The program is called "Rooms at the Inn."


LENGTH: Long  :  165 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:   Eric Brady. 1. GE workers wait to send out the last 

boxes of Christmas goodies from a Salem warehouse. 2. Sidney Weeks

(left) of Morningside Manor receives a box of food from GE employees

David Bowers (center) and Mike Vanover. color.

by CNB