THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 6, 1996 TAG: 9609060503
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Scott McCaskey
LENGTH: 83 lines
United Way of South Hampton Roads kicked off its 1996 fund-raising campaign Thursday with a ``Day of Caring,'' an annual event in which employees from area companies, military personnel and citizen volunteers help with community and charity projects.
About 1,600 volunteers did various chores for more than 100 nonprofit groups in South Hampton Roads, doing jobs such as painting walls and managing computer files. This year's fund-raising goals were announced at an after-work picnic celebration in Norfolk's Botanical Garden on Thursday evening.
The target for the five major cities in South Hampton Roads and Isle of Wight County is $10,727,000, up from last year's achieved goal of $10.4 million.
``I'm sure we will meet this year's sum,'' said Chris W. Lapsley, vice president of fund raising for United Way of South Hampton Roads. ``We have a lot of confidence in our volunteers that go out and get the contributions.''
The revenues raised will be distributed to 68 local nonprofit agencies that receive funding from the United Way, including the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross. Funds also go to several hundred nonprofit groups not under the United Way umbrella, such as the Union Mission.
Local nonprofit agencies also will share in a $4.3 million goal from the Combined Federal Campaign, a fund of donations from local federal employees. Some revenues from local state employee donations to the Combined Virginia Campaign's goal of $250,000 also will come to area nonprofit groups.
Community action was prevalent during the ``Day of Caring.'' Nearly 100 hungry people had gone through the line at the Salvation Army's soup kitchen at 400 Bank St. in Suffolk. Eight of those helping were United Way volunteers.
In Portsmouth, Public Health Department inspectors Joe Musni and John Eades were part of a nine-person crew cleaning and painting Oasis, a Catholic-based agency that runs a soup kitchen and clothes closet. Musni mopped and Eades put food back on shelves that had been moved and cleaned.
``We'll know next time we come that these shelves have been moved,'' Eades said.
Oasis director Evelyn Screeney spotted Eades kneeling to get the job done.
``Look who's on his knees now,'' Screeney said jokingly.
Seriously, Screeney said the Health Department employees had been ``a godsend . . . They have really made a difference today. I had no idea they would get so much done.''
Employees of Virginia Natural Gas volunteered to help refurbish the storage facility for Volunteers In Youth Services, a group that coordinates community service programs for Chesapeake youths in the criminal justice system.
The facility at 116 Reservation Road on the Intracoastal Waterway in Great Bridge has fallen into disrepair.
Virginia Beach resident Hector A. Arroyo, 30, headed the team from Virginia Natural Gas.
``It makes you feel good doing something for the community,'' he said.
In Virginia Beach, 12 city department heads, led by City Manager James K. Spore undertook a variety of projects at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, on Virginia Beach Boulevard just west of the resort area.
They were joined by another 20 volunteers, including several seniors from Norfolk Collegiate School.
The day's projects included repainting the cafetorium and the first floor of the women's dormitory.
Midway through the project, Spore noticed the paint supply dwindling.
Not wanting the work to stall, he drove to Sherwin-Williams at 1727 Laskin Road where the manager refused to accept his money for another five gallons of tinted paint.
Dick Powell, the center's executive director, and Ron Bollinger, men's program director, made sure the volunteers had plenty to eat.
Pizza Hut at 531 N. Birdneck Road donated pizza, providing plenty of leftovers for the shelter's use. Currently, 50 homeless adults are living at the shelter, which is at capacity.
``What the volunteers did here today really improves the quality of life for the people who spend their time here,'' Bollinger said.
``The new paint just makes things brighter and that will help improve morale. We run on a shoestring budget and things like this allow us to use those precious resources elsewhere.'' MEMO: Staff writers Susie Stoughton, Mark Young and Ida Kay Jordan
contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Color phot by L. TODD SPENCER
Norfolk Collegiate students, Carol Baker, front, Chelsea Dailey,
left, and Katherine Laine, were among those helping fix up the
Judeo-Christian Outreach Center in Virginia Beach.
KEYWORDS: UNITED WAY by CNB