Woodyard Fund donations tracking ahead of 2016 so far
Midlands residents are coming through in a time of need for some of their neighbors.
Giving through the final week in January to the Salvation Army’s annual Woodyard Fund appears to be tracking ahead of donations for roughly the same period last year.
Donations for the most recent week brought the total to $75,274.87, according to the Salvation Army. In 2016, total giving for the final week of January was about $66,836.50.
The Woodyard Fund helps residents in crisis in Richland, Lexington, Fairfield and Newberry counties pay for utilities. The fund dates to 1816, when the Ladies Benevolent Society provided firewood and coal to families in need. In 1930, The State newspaper’s editor, William E. Gonzales, began publicizing the fund. It became a tradition the newspaper continues every winter.
Donors contributed just under $85,000 to last year’s fund, according to the Salvation Army. That allowed 280 families to get utility assistance. The fund usually runs from late November through mid-March, when temperatures generally are the coldest.
“The biggest challenge is raising Woodyard donations,” Melanie Miller, director of program services for The Salvation Army of The Midlands, said at the start of this year’s campaign. “Telling a family that is facing a utility cut-off in one to two days that we are not able to help is heartbreaking for us. We desperately need donations to continue helping families with utility bills.”
Woodyard Fund
How to give help: Donations can be mailed to the Woodyard Fund, c/o The Salvation Army of the Midlands, P.O. Box 2786, Columbia, SC 29202. Make checks payable to the Woodyard Fund. All donations are tax-deductible.
How to get help: Area residents who need assistance with heating bills can call (803) 462-5093 for more information or to make an appointment for assistance.
Donations to date
David D. and Jenifer A. Kennedy, $250; Cary DuPre Lafaye, $50, in memory of Elise S. McCutchen and John S. Moore; Lykesland Tuesday Afternoon Book Club, $50 ; Mark and Bobbie McCandlish, $150; Robin M. Christmus, $100; Gwen and Don Buff, $100; Lois D. Samellas, $100; Wally and Delores Graves, $200; Miriam S. Fisher, $100; Ted M. and Pam Rentz, $25; Carol L. Williams, $100, in memory of James R. Neese; Willing Workers Sunday School Class at Westside Baptist Church, $50; John F. Folley, $200; Anonymous, $50; Gertelene C. Smith, $35; Sidney S. and Henrietta S. Locke, $100; Main Street United Methodist Church, $200
Weekly total: $1,860
Total to date: $75,274.87
This story was originally published January 29, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Woodyard Fund donations tracking ahead of 2016 so far."