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City, residents to 'make a difference' Saturday
volunteer day 2
Louis Foster cuts brush away from a sidewalk on Eunice Road. In the background is Donald Riles. - photo by Photo by Krystal Britton
This Saturday is national Make A Difference Day, which is a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors and communities coming together to complete volunteer project.
In Hinesville, Make A Difference Day is celebrated every day by members of the OMI Community Involvement Team and members of the First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church’s “Working for Jesus” program.
The team voluntarily cleans neighborhoods and cemeteries in the community. Both groups of men are led by OMI Project Manager Gary Gilliard.
“We do what we can,” Gilliard said. “If I see a project or someone calls, we get it done.”
Recently, the group completed a project on Eunice Road. After complaints from citizens about conditions on the road, the team decided to do something.
“The city of Hinesville is absolutely committed to making and keeping our community great, but we must have our citizen’s help,” Hinesville City Manager Billy Edwards said. “These individuals aren’t paid by the city, yet they voluntarily serve our communities — that’s what it’s all about.”
As the men cleared the right-of-way and repaired the fence along the road, they talked about the satisfaction they received from doing something productive.
“I live in Hinesville and I’m a citizen of Liberty County, so I want to help out,” one volunteer said.
As the project came to an end, the difference these volunteers made was visible. Every now and then, passers-by would blow their horn or shout “thank you.”
One resident even came out to see the progress. “Thank you for coming out here and doing something,” Booker Burley, a Eunice Road resident, said to volunteers as they cleared the sidewalk across from his home.
There will always be a lot to do, Gilliard said. “The key is to not just complain about things, but to get up and do something about it.”
To continue the work the community involvement team has started, the city is supporting national Make A Difference Day on Saturday. City employees and volunteers will participate in the Peacock Canal cleanup at the Keep Liberty County Beautiful fourth annual Rivers Alive cleanup. To volunteer or for more information, call 368-4888 or e-mail klcb@coastalnow.net.

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