Catholic Charities honors volunteers at annual dinner

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee presents Whirlpool with the first-ever Creating Hope Award for their service to the Samaritan Place, a center for seniors in a housing crisis, during the "Emerald O'ccasion" Annual Dinner on March 8 at the Knoxville Convention Center. Kimberly-Clark and Alcoa, Inc. were honorees for the award for their service to Columbus Home Children's Services. The "Emerald O'ccasion" dinner is Catholic Charities' largest annual fundraiser to benefit its 17 service programs that serve 27,000 people in 36 counties in East Tennessee. (From left to right: Mike Smith, president of the community advisory council for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; Michael Lett, chair of charitable contributions committee; Father Ragan Schriver, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; Alan Ciukowski, representative of Alcoa, Inc.; Tim Massie, senior finance manager at Whrilpool; Shirley Plotts, financial analyst at Whirlpool; Debbie Brown, financial analyst at Whirlpool; Joy McNeil, program manager at Samaritan Place)

KNOXVILLE -- Catholic Charities of East Tennessee celebrated individual and corporate volunteers at the 27th "Emerald O'ccasion" Annual Dinner recently at the Knoxville Convention Center. These volunteers make it possible for the organization to serve 27,000 of the region's poorest and most vulnerable residents each year.

The dinner is the largest annual fundraiser for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's 17 different service programs in 36 counties. The event was hosted by the Reverend Bishop of Knoxville Richard Stika and Executive Director of Catholic Charities Father Ragan Schriver.

This year's dinner featured the first annual Creating Hope Award to honor leading local companies who donate their time and resources to Catholic Charities' programs.

"We couldn't survive without the help and support of the community," said Father Ragan Schriver, executive director of Catholic Charities. "We appreciate all of our volunteers, especially the corporations that send us their own staff and use their work time to help us. We want to celebrate these corporate volunteers tonight."

Whirlpool was the recipient of the inaugural Creating Hope Award for their service to Samaritan Place, a shelter for seniors, age 55 or older, that offers emergency shelter, transitional and long-term supportive housing and overnight and day-stay respite care.

Whirlpool employees have adopted the homeless seniors at Samaritan Place as the personal charity for their employees. They have hosted cookouts, holiday parties and other celebration, as well as gifts and needed items for every guest. The employees have donated their out-of-work and work hours to provide labor for much-needed repairs at the center.

For Christmas, Whirlpool employees donated time, money and supplies to sew by hand more than 40 blankets and covers for elderly guests at Samaritan Place. The employees crafted the blankets during work hours, as well as working many hours at home. Each senior at the center received their own personal blanket, including the resident dog at the shelter, Sandy.

Two other companies were also honored at the dinner for their service to Catholic Charities. Alcoa, Inc. employees have donated their time to the Kids Helping Kids Fun Walk, a family-oriented fundraising event that raises money for Columbus Home Children's Services. Columbus Home Children's Services provides a safe, stable environment for more than 2,000 children and youth each year who are abused, neglected, abandoned or otherwise at-risk to help them achieve a better future.

Kimberly-Clark has also been active in the Kids Helping Kids Fun Walk. Kimberly-Clark is the presenting sponsor of the Kids Walk, and volunteers from Kimberly-Clark have been involved since the event's inception 14 years ago.

Entertainment at the dinner included bagpipes and a live auction. Auctioned items included a week at a vacation home in Hilton Head and a dining experience at Connor's Steak and Seafood with Father Ragan Schriver, former University of Tennessee basketball player Dane Bradshaw, former UT men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and ESPN and NASCAR commentator, Dr. Jerry Punch.

Published March 19, 2012