1/3/07

Holiday Hope food drive helps Clarendon County share Christmas
By Eric Goold

ERIC GOOLD/Manning Times

Wateree Community Actions Executive Director Willie Bethune, standing, speaks to a group of citizens at the Alcolu Head Start on Thursday. Bethune, Herman Muldrow (left) and Ricky Dow (right) coordinated the Holiday Hope program.

For the second year in a row, the local Bi-Lo and Wateree Community Actions teamed up to spread a little Holiday Hope.

More than 50 Holiday Hope food bags were dispensed at a gathering of Clarendon County citizens, Wateree board members and employees, law enforcement officers and students at the Alcolu Head Start last Thursday morning.

As part of the program, customers at Bi-Lo throughout November and December were able to contribute towards the purchase of Holiday Hope Bags.

The Bi-Lo grocery bags were filled with goodies and groceries and donated to Wateree Community Actions, which then gave them to needy individuals in Clarendon County.

The good people at Wateree purchased a delicious ham to go along with each Holiday Hope Bag, and then passed out the treats at the meeting on Thursday.

It was a nice community effort to reach out and make sure that people who might otherwise not be able to afford a fine Christmas dinner can now enjoy a tasty holiday meal with their friends and families.

“We want to make sure that the people in this county who need these services, get these services,” said Herman Muldrow, Program Coordinator for Wateree Community Actions.

ERIC GOOLD/Manning Times

Fifty Holiday Hope bags were assembled by Bi-Lo and Wateree Community Actions for the second annual food drive held during the Christmas season.

Representatives from the Manning Police Department and Clarendon County Sheriff’s Department were on hand to collect extra Holiday Hope Bags and took them to be given away to people who need them.

About 60 people came out to the Head Start and were treated to a nice program by Muldrow, Director of Community Service Fredrica Brailsford, and a speech from Executive Director Willie Bethune.

“This is my hometown,” said Bethune. “I really to see you all do well and I want everyone in the county to do well.”

Bethune talked a little about another Wateree program, the Workforce Investment Act, which helps people find better jobs.

A number of door prizes were given away, and then the food bags were given to the families.

“Bi-Lo assembles the bags, and then Wateree buys a ham to go with them,” said Ricky Dow, General Manager of the Manning Bi-Lo. “We started this program last year and we hope to keep doing it. It’s a good way for our customers, our staff and myself to help the community. We’re all about the community, we want to help as much as we can.”

Wateree has a service area of five counties including Clarendon, Richland, Lee, Kershaw and Sumter Counties. The service agency conducts a variety of programs to help less privileged individuals and families.

Wateree serves the community all year round, not just during the Christmas season.

“The mission of the agency is helping people and changing lives,” said Brailsford.

The people at Wateree want to thank the sponsors of the Holiday Hope program who helped make it possible. Those sponsors include Bi-Lo, the Bank of Clarendon, Black River Electric Co-Op, Brenda H. Lee, Dwight and Sherry Stewart, Land, Parker & Welch, P.A. and Santee Leasing.