#KloecknerGivesBack to Our Charity Partners: United Ministries

Kloeckner Metals Greenville recently adopted the #KloecknerGivesBack mentality and participated in a local charity food drive to help out struggling community members. The event was hosted by United Ministries which operates a local homeless day shelter called Place of Hope and provides community assistance programs, in conjunction with local churches such as Lickville Presbyterian Church. The drive collected basic hygiene and food items which were assembled into care packages to be distributed at the local shelter. In total, the drive managed to provide groceries to 2,085 local families.

“Clean socks were on the list, wet wipes, toothpaste, toothbrush, and things like that,” says Kristi McNine, office manager at Kloeckner Metals Greenville. “Also, high-quality nonperishable food items like tuna fish, canned chicken, things that people can eat without having to have a lot of cooking ability. We put it all together in these gallon sized Ziploc baggies, and that included a bottle of water with it and a bottle of juice.”

The event will hopefully help struggling and homeless local citizens who visit the shelter. There, people can shower, rest, and receive assistance. They receive food and other services, and this help, even if it only is for a few days, can make a huge difference.

“Maybe they are trying to get a job, but it is hard to get hired when you walk in and you haven’t showered in three days, or you haven’t seen a toothbrush in two weeks,” Kristi says. “If by providing those basic necessities we can give them that helping hand to give them a little better start, we’re all for that.”

The impetus behind the participation was David Wortham, whose church, Lickville Presbyterian, had issued a challenge to its members. David brought the drive to the attention of Kristi, and together they organized the effort.

“We have a lot of people here who volunteer on the community on their own,” Kristi says. “So when we hear about someone who needs something or a cause that is struggling, it is not a big leap for any of us to say, ‘we can help.’”

Despite its growth, Greenville retains a small town, community atmosphere. Families have been living there for generations. The Kloeckner Metals Greenville branch embraces this community spirit.

“You have that old fashioned, neighbor-helping-neighbor feel to it,” Kristi says. “It’s not that any one person had to shoulder a particularly huge burden, but if each of us could do little things then it can make a huge difference in somebody’s life.”