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See EMPTY STOCKING FUND
by Star News
EMPTY STOCKING FUND from front those at risk or impacted by hearing loss, through education and support, while simultaneously being focused on the community and giving money back to local charities.
“We’re also the administrators and manage the Empty Stocking Fund” said Rebecca Smith; long-time SERTOMA member and Chairman of the fund.
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In 1946, the Carrollton Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) began a project called the Empty Stocking Fund to provide Christmas assistance to needy families. The program has grown over many years from “project” status to its current iteration, as a tax-exempt charitable foundation. Known now as the Carrollton Empty Stocking Fund, Rebecca Smith now heads the charity foundation.
Smith explained that members of the Carrollton Evening SERTOMA Club and other civic-minded folks in the community purchase Christmas gifts with the proceeds from the Empty Stocking Fundraiser. The spending allowance is $100 per child. However, Smith explained that while many may see that dollar amount as small, it goes a long way with the right skilled shoppers, which is what they seek in volunteer shoppers. Both the local school system and the Carroll County Division of Family and Children services provide the club with the names of children in need, their wish lists, and their clothing sizes. Nominations for donations often come from anywhere. Pastors, local police and everyday citizens often call Smith with names of families and children in need.
Smith was born and raised in Carrollton, Georgia. A graduate of the University of West Georgia, she holds her undergraduate degree in accounting, and an MBA from UWG as well. After graduating, Smith went to work for the university for over nine years with their Career Services Department before working for the University System of Georgia for three years, and now returning to UWG, working for Academic Affairs in Newnan, Georgia. Smith is married with two daughters and one grandson. “My family has a long history of giving back” said Smith. First getting involved 2002, Smith started attending SERTOMA meetings and was moved to quickly become involved with the Empty Stocking fundraiser, selling tickets, fundraising and shopping for the community’s needy families and children. Smith joined the club that same year and has continued to serve the community for 17 years now.
“I’m really committed to giving back to the community” she said, going on to say, “I believe everybody can give time back, to service their fellow humankind”.
A true community steward, Smith dedicates on average 8 to 10 hours per week to giving back to her community.
“I just love meeting the families, and I like to connect them to resources” asserted Smith.
There is no doubt that the Empty Stocking Fund has made an impact in the community. Smith upholds that claim, attesting, “We’ve had mothers who have come back after successfully getting themselves out of their situation, actually shop and sponsor children themselves”.
Additionally, she likes explaining the importance of education to families, saying, “I like to educate the parents on the importance of school, and how education, can maybe help them out of their situation”. Due to her higher education background and access to resources, Smith is able to offer sound advice and guidance to parents and high-school-aged children, talking to them about “dual enrollment, who to talk to as their counselor, and if the university is not right for them, the technical college may be right for them” she said.
Ryan Scroggin, a counselor in the Carroll County School System takes charge of getting the Christmas wish list and helps determine the disbursement of gifts. In order to provide services to as many local children as posSee REBECCA SMITH page 8
Rebecca Smith has been a dedicated volunteer for the local “Empty Stocking” fund for nearly twenty years. For 2020, she is the chairman.
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Page 6 November 8, 2020 StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
Hurricane Zeta causes 26,000+ without power in Carroll EMCs’s seven county service territory
Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Zeta tore through Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative’s seven-county service territory before daybreak Thursday, October 29th leaving more than 26,000 Members without power. With saturated grounds and wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, the cooperative’s infrastructure suffered extensive damage including broken poles and downed lines. According to Carroll EMC Chief Operating Officer, Jerome Johnston, the restoration process will be a multi-day event.
“We haven’t seen damage like this since Hurricane Opal in 1995,” said Johnston. “Ice Storm Benji had more immediate outages three years ago, but this storm has caused much more destruction of the co-op’s facilities and equipment. In many areas, it is like a completely new construction job.”
Crews from other Georgia EMCs, private contractors and out-of-state cooperatives began arriving at Carroll EMC by Wednesday evening. As winds subdued, those were fully deployed in the field alongside Carroll EMC crews. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 100 outside linemen and contractors along with Carroll EMC linemen and operations personnel were on-site, with more aid coming.
“Members and stakeholders in the community may not realize the severity of damage to our region,” said James Layton, Vice President of Systems Engineering for Carroll EMC. “Thanks to investments in newer technology, not only are we able to isolate more faults on the grid, but we’re aggregating data to predict workforce needs and manage the restoration process for a more efficient result. Ten years ago, this storm would have taken more than a week to completely repair, whereas we’re anticipating completion in a matter of days.”
Year round, members can report an outage by calling 770-832-3552 (option 1) or by using the Carroll EMC website or Outage Pal app. Once reported, the outage is documented in the system and crews are dispatched to the areas serving the highest number of customers first.
Georgia Insurance Commissioner extends agent license renewals through Dec. 31, 2020
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King released Bulletin 20-EX-12 to all agents licensed by the commissioner’s office announcing that any agent requiring a license renewal will have their license extended through December 31, 2020. This announcement comes in response to ongoing issues with long delays and call wait times from the agency’s outgoing licensing vendor, PSI Services LLC. “The insurance agents working hard on behalf of Georgia consumers across our state deserve the very best customer support,” said Commissioner King. “It is unfortunate that our current vendor is no longer meeting their obligations, but we have full confidence that our incoming vendor, Pearson-Vue, will be an excellent partner and resource for our agents moving forward. In the meantime, I am extending license renewals through the end of the year to ensure our agents can continue making a living while serving Georgians.” OCI’s new vendor for licensing services, Pearson-Vue, took over these functions on November 1, 2020. This extension does not apply to agents in Georgia who are seeking new insurance licenses.
Post Road over Dog River in Douglas County closed until April 2021 for bridge replacement
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) contractors closed Post Road Bridge over Dog River Reservoir in Douglas County on Friday, October 16th for approximately six months for bridge replacement. Post Road Bridge is closed specifically between Jenkins Road and Tyree Road.
During the closure, traffic will be detoured around the 0.19-mile closure. Roadside signage will alert drivers of the closure and detour in advance.
Traffic attempting to travel northbound on Post Road will be detoured westbound on Tyree Road, northbound on Liberty Road, eastbound on Helton Road to access southbound Post Road.
Traffic attempting to travel southbound on Post Road will be detoured westbound on Helton Road, southbound on Liberty Road and eastbound on Tyree Road to travel northbound on Post Road.
Motorists are advised to expect delays, exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones. Before heading out, get real-time information on work status and traffic conditions. Call 511, visit 511ga.org [dot.us13.list-manage.com], or download the Georgia 511 app
Georgia Department of Labor now has online appointment scheduler to address claimant questions
The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced the Nov. 2 launch of a pilot program for an on-line appointment scheduler. This scheduler will allow claimants to request an appointment with a claims representative to ask questions regarding their claim.
Each appointment will be assigned a two hour window in which a representative will call the claimant.
An initial two weeks of appointment slots will schedule almost 3,000 appointments during the pilot period.
Claimants are urged to be ready to discuss his/her claim during the time frame allotted. Additional time slots will be added each Monday for the following week. The appointment scheduler will be available on the GDOL website and will be highlighted under the Spotlight area on the homepage.
Georgians have received more than $15 billion in unemployment insurance benefits since March of this year, more than the past 27 years combined. Since March of this year, over 322,000 Georgians have received payments of some type.
“We have issued over $1.6 billion in PUA benefits in seven months after building a system from scratch in record time for individuals that have never been part of the unemployment system before,” said Commissioner Butler. “This program was able to provide support to over 322,000 Georgians during the pandemic helping to get these individuals back in business.”
Today, over 167,000 jobs are listed online at EmployGeorgia for Georgians to access. These job opportunities have more than doubled since the April 2020 listing of just 73,000 jobs.
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Carroll County has new recreation director: promotes Thad Ferguson
Thad Ferguson, who was interim recreation director for Carroll County has officially been named director by County Commission Chairman Michelle Morgan. As director, Ferguson will be responsible for managing and directing Carroll County’s recreational activities and supervising employees at all recreational facilities.
Ferguson began his career at the Georgia Tech Athletic Association as a marketing intern in 2007 and then was director of recreation for the City of Temple from 20082014 before transitioning to Carroll County as the athletic coordinator in 2014. Ferguson holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from the University of West Georgia and a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Troy University. Ferguson is a Carroll County native and a graduate of Carrollton High School and is proud to serve the community in which he grew up in and is currently raising his children who are highly active in recreational sports.
Ferguson’s transition became official on Friday, October 23, 2020.
Douglas County Courts to provide “Victim NotificationCard” to educate victims on rights and available resources
The criminal justice system can be intimidating, frustrating, and confusing, especially if you are a victim of a violent crime perpetrated by a loved one. Because most victims are unfamiliar with their rights and procedures of the system, Solicitor-General, Sonya Compton, in collaboration with Douglas County District Attorney, Ryan Leonard, and the Prosecuting Attorney Council of Georgia (PAC), are pleased to announce in commemoration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a new Victim Notification Card to educate and assist victims in Douglas County.
These cards will be distributed directly to victims by law enforcement throughout the county and included cities. The cards are designed to help ensure that crime victims are fully aware of their rights. Designed by PAC, the notification cards outline victims’ rights under the Georgia Constitution through Marsy’s Law and the Georgia Crime Victims Bill of Rights. The cards will also provide victims with information on local resources, such as the local domestic violence shelter and services.
In 2018, Marsy’s Law amended the Georgia State Constitution to include a Bill of Rights for victims of violent crimes. The constitutional amendment received broad support and assures rights for all victims. During this important month, let us remember survivors of violence and work together a a community to end domestic violence.
UWG contributed $632.3M to region’s economy in 2019
The University of West Georgia contributed more than $632.3 million to the region’s economy during the state’s 2019 fiscal year, according to the annual economic impact study recently released by the University System of Georgia (USG).
USG recorded a statewide economic impact of $18.5 billion for fiscal year 2019, a 4.5 percent increase from fiscal year 2018, while UWG’s economic impact climbed 4.6 www.starnewsgaonline.com StarNews November 8, 2020 Page 7
percent over last year’s figure of $604.5 mil- impact. ated 2.3 jobs off-campus. lion. Over the past decade, the impact has “Students continue to be the main driving The study revealed every dollar spent by grown 54 percent from $410 million in force behind the economic impact of the USG institutions generates an additional 47 Fiscal Year 2010. University of West Georgia with more than cents for the regional economy, noted USG
UWG President Dr. Brendan B. Kelly 50 percent of the original spending coming Chancellor Steve Wrigley. said he is extraordinarily proud of the uni- from them,” Patron said. “Our students spent “USG and our 26 institutions play a critiversity’s ability to make such a notable more in 2019 than they did in 2018: cally important role in local economies all impact on the region’s economy and quality $206,383,095 vs. $191,656,302, to be across Georgia,” Wrigley said. “At the same of life. exact.” time, a college degree has never been more
“We are grateful and honored to have the Adding to this spending by students, the essential to success in the workforce and for ability to contribute to our regional economy university’s spending on personnel services our state’s economic future. As Georgia’s to such a degree,” Kelly said. “Placemaking and operating expenses, which totaled about public college and university system, USG is something we hold in highest regard, and $186 million, led to the university commu- remains committed to improving on the I’m proud to say the profoundly important, nity directly injecting roughly $392 million state’s investment in higher education and collaborative relationship between UWG into the local economy. carrying out our ultimate mission to prepare and the community is stronger than ever.” Dr. Hilde Patron, professor of economics and director of the Center for Business and Economics Research (CBER), said students play the key role in UWG’s economic In terms of employment, UWG generated 5,405 full time jobs, 30 percent of which were directly on-campus positions, while 70 percent were off-campus jobs. This means that for every on-campus job, UWG generstudents for life and work with a college degree.” To view the full economic impact report and the lifetime earnings report, visit the USG website. Carrollton Empty Stocking Fund
Empty Stocking Fund Carrollton Evening Sertoma Club members & other civic-minded folks in our community purchase Christmas gifts with the Empty Stocking Fundraisers proceeds. The 2019 Carrollton Empty Stocking Fund, Inc. supported 405 children and 7 local non-profit agencies. $50/50 Cash Raffle
November19, 2020 Carrollton Empty Stocking Facebook Live 1st place $50/50 Cash 2nd place $250.00 Cash 3rd place $100.00 cash
Tickets $50.00 May be purchased by calling: Rebecca L Smith 770.546.4998 or James Fulford 770.853.2006
Carrollton Empty Stocking Fund, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is fully tax deductible to the extent of the law.
