THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 9, 1994 TAG: 9409090599
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATRICIA HUANG, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
More than anything else, Ricky Mercer wanted to work on the spoons. He had watched and waited and asked for months to be taught to do the job.
Finally, on Thursday, he got his chance during United Way's third annual Day of Caring, which kicks off the organization's 1994 fund-raising campaign.
Mercer, 44, stood by his workplace and pointed proudly to his new task at the Louise W. Eggleston Center, a nonprofit vocational center for people with mental and physical disabilities. Like many others, Mercer had been stuffing plastic Auto Trader bags with fliers to be distributed to neighborhoods and stores. But on Thursday, with the help of a United Way volunteer, he learned how to fill clear plastic bags with about 50 plastic utensils each.
``I like it! I like it!'' he said excitedly. ``But today everyone's distracting me.''
It wasn't a typical day. The Eggleston Center workers were unusually excited; they had visitors they couldn't resist talking to - 25 United Way volunteers who took off time from their regular jobs to lend their services at the center, one of the 102 nonprofit organizations supported by United Way. Their services for the day saved the organization about $3,000.
In all, about 2,000 volunteers left their jobs for the day to do charity work for United Way sites like the Red Cross; food banks; Goodwill Industries; CANDII House, a hospice and child-care facility for children with AIDS; and the Salvation Army.
Volunteer Kathy Twigg, who was packaging gourmet coffee bags in red gift boxes labeled ``The twelve coffees of Christmas,'' took a break from her work at the Eggleston Center. She and three of her colleagues from Bank of Tidewater in Virginia Beach were helping out for the day.
``It's so rewarding to work with the handicapped. I had no idea how hard they worked and how much gratification they get from it,'' Twigg said. ``They're so proud to be earning money. I've heard that over and over today. You just have to get out and see these things. . . . Now when I give my pledge I'll be so much more willing.''
And that's one of the goals of the Day of Caring for the United Way of South Hampton Roads.
``All these people get the satisfaction of seeing where their money goes,'' United Way board member Lee Starkey said.
This year, United Way of South Hampton Roads officials have set a goal of raising $15.2 million by the campaign's end in November. Campaign organizers say the fund-raising challenge grows tougher each year because of economic realities like military downsizing. But volunteers keep coming in droves to help out, said campaign Vice President Chris Lapsley, and the local group has regained the public's trust since the 1992 controversy over the lavish spending habits of former national president William Aramony.
This year, in response to increasing homelessness in the area, the United Way of South Hampton Roads has added two homeless organizations, The Dwelling Place and The Haven Family Assistance Center, to the array of services it supports, Lapsley said.
But United Way is ``not just for the down and out,'' she said. ``One out of every five people are somehow touched by the United Way.''
Most of the group's donations come from payroll deductions, she said, and more than 85 cents of every dollar goes to services in the community.
For example, Children's Harbor, a day-care facility in Norfolk, is able to allow payment on a sliding scale because of the funding it receives from United Way. ``Without United Way, about one-third of our clientele wouldn't be able to afford it,'' said the center's director, Susan Pollack.
Just before lunch at the center Thursday, children screamed with delight while volunteer window washers sprayed soapy water in their direction from outside the windows, which hadn't been cleaned in ages.
``We had our windows washed so people could look in and see what we do,'' Pollack said. She laughed, adding, ``and so the children can look out.''
Later in the day, it was nap time for the 160 children at the center. Volunteer Diane Tumblin took the opportunity to do some work.
``Donating my time is more tangible as opposed to giving pocket change that goes in some jar with someone's face on it,'' Tumblin said as she hung blue striped wallpaper to the walls of a renovated wing for classrooms. ``If I can actually do something, I feel more accomplished.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI/
Harrison Geer, left, with Michael DeQuasie and Drew Lowery at
Children's Harbor in Norfolk, watch from inside the day-care
facility as United Way volunteer Brian Gadsby cleans a window.
United Way funds enable the center to charge on a sliding scale.
KEYWORDS: UNITED WAY by CNB