Oak Ridge Today

ORNL employees, UT-Battelle donate $900K+ to nonprofits

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees gather on the campus quad for the Facilities and Operations Charity Carnival for Kids and Barbecue Cookoff to benefit East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital on June 23, 2021. (Photo credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees and the lab’s managing contractor UT-Battelle donated more than $900,000 to local nonprofit organizations in 2021.

Most of the donations, almost $800,000, came from laboratory employees. UT-Battelle provided an additional $144,000 in corporate contributions, a press release said. That’s a total of $944,000 in donations.

The contributions from ORNL’s employees benefit 169 area and regional nonprofits, the press release said.

Organizations receiving funds include:

[Read more…]

Centrus raises more than $16,000 for United Way

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Centrus Donates to United Way

Pictured above are Lou Ann Lawson, Faye Grantham, Amanda Smith, Lydia Birk (2014 United Way Campaign Chair), Larry Cutlip, Cindy Light, and Gayla Hunter. United Way Committee members not present are Jamie Poland and Lana DiFiore. (Submitted photo)

 

Centrus Energy Corporation, formerly known as USEC, recently announced that they raised more than $16,000 in their 2014 United Way of Anderson County campaign. That’s a 10 percent increase compared to 2013, a press release said.

The release said the increase is vitally important for United Way of Anderson County, helping it recover from the last two years, which have been difficult.

“We are delighted that we are part of the solution,” said Larry Cutlip, a Centrus deputy director. “We know our community has struggled the last two years due to changes in federal funding, so our growth is exciting.” [Read more…]

Animal Shelter: 51 animals euthanized due to distemper; donations needed

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Oak Ridge Animal Shelter

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter on Belgrade Road is pictured above.

Fifty-one animals have been euthanized at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter due to distemper, and donations are needed, Oak Ridge officials said Thursday.

“This has truly been a heartbreaking situation for our staff and volunteers,” the city said in a short statement Thursday afternoon.

The Shelter needs donations of cat litter (non-clumping only), blankets, towels, dry food, and canned food. The donations can be dropped off at the Pet Supplies Plus located at  254 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Adoptable cats and kittens will be also be at Pet Supplies Plus from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.

“Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we try to heal from this devastating blow,” the city said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Guest column: Smith responds to Progress PAC endorsement

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

By Ellen Smith

I was surprised and gratified by the recent news that the Progress PAC (the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce political action committee) endorsed my candidacy for City Council. To my dismay, several citizens have told me that this endorsement indicates that I have somehow “sold out” to the Chamber of Commerce. I am writing to respond to their allegations.

The Progress PAC endorsement was a surprise to me because I have never been aligned with the Chamber, I have strongly opposed some Chamber initiatives in the past, and I am not shy about my support for principles like conservation of publicly owned open space and putting the interests of existing residents and owners ahead of the interests of new business development.

However, I respect the Chamber as the main representative of and advocate for a very important element of our community—and a group whose members and volunteers who are passionate about the future of Oak Ridge. We share many common goals and interests for this community, and if we are going to make progress as a community, it’s necessary for government, the business community, our nonprofit sector, and (ideally) all citizens to try to understand each other’s interests and needs and work together for the benefit of all. [Read more…]

Guest column: Progress PAC helps broaden conversation of community issues

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By Progress PAC

We are very proud that the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has entrusted us to serve as the members of Progress PAC, the multi-candidate political action committee created by the Chamber and focused on our upcoming school board and city council elections. Though we are appointed by the Chamber’s Board of Directors, we operate independently from that same board.

Some people in the community have questions about how Progress PAC will operate, who we might support, and how endorsements might be made. Some have criticized the timing of Progress PAC’s establishment, and we acknowledge it could have been better. However, our primary goal is to have a positive impact in this election cycle.

Now that Progress PAC has been created, we are largely autonomous. The Chamber’s Board may not approve or disapprove of any endorsement decisions we may make; the Chamber’s Board cannot approve or disapprove of contributions that Progress PAC either receives or distributes. The Chamber contributes no funds to PAC operations; we are supported by donations made directly to the PAC and we must report those to the appropriate election commissions. [Read more…]

Fund forming to help family after student’s death as counselors meet with classmates

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Linden Elementary School

Linden Elementary School is pictured above.

Counselors met with students at Linden Elementary School this morning, and a parent-teacher organization is forming a fund to accept donations to help the family of a third-grader who died Tuesday, an official said.

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said there were five counselors from elementary and middle schools, and the school psychologist who serves Linden, at the west-end elementary school this morning.

“They have met with students who appeared upset or anxious,” Borchers said in a Wednesday afternoon e-mail. “I will tell you, though, it has been remarkably calm in my opinion.”

The boy was found unresponsive on a school bus on Wilberforce Avenue at about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday. An ambulance took him to Methodist Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The boy has not been identified, and the cause of his death has not been determined. [Read more…]

DOE employees boost donations to local food bank

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DOE Employees Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank

U.S. Department of Energy employees donate 13,872 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. (Photo courtesy DOE/Lynn Freeny)

U.S. Department of Energy employees donated 13,872 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. The donation was part of the national Feds Feed Families campaign.

This is the fourth year the DOE’s Oak Ridge site has participated in the annual summer campaign, which helps replenish local food banks and raises awareness about the prevalence of hunger nationally. The campaign continues to garner high participation and serve as a cornerstone charitable event for local federal employees, who have tallied more than 11,000 pounds in donations every year. In addition, the program continues to be a success, as this year’s donation total reached an all-time high. [Read more…]

United Way donations down after security breach, contractor changes

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United Way of Anderson County

Tom Hilton, 2012-2013 campaign chair, left, with outgoing United Way of Anderson County Board President Jimmy Stone, who accepted the No. 1 Company Campaign Award on behalf of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy of D. Ray Smith)

Donations to the United Way of Anderson County were down this year, and on Thursday, officials cited challenges in the federal contracting community, including the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex and the later departure of security contractor WSI.

There was also an end to federal stimulus money, a freeze in federal budgets and salaries, and a new consolidated contract to manage Y-12 and the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, which could result in the departure of B&W Y-12, said Rick Morrow, UWAC executive director.

The United Way of Anderson County had hoped to raise $1.4 million in the fiscal year that ended March 31, but volunteers and staff members fell short of that, collecting $1,277,771. [Read more…]

Telephone service, suicide prevention hotline has Saturday fundraiser

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A telephone service and suicide prevention hotline is having an annual Flea Market fundraiser on Saturday, and the organization is accepting donations through Thursday.

The CONTACT Care Line Flea Market is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge.

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Guest column: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts collect food pantry donations

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Scouts Sort Food at Grace Lutheran

Scouts, leaders, and family members from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts troops sort food donations in Grace Lutheran’s Fellowship Hall. (Submitted photos)

Submitted by Scoutmaster Mike McEahern

The need is greater than ever.

As families continue to struggle across the country, local organizations like the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America are striving to make a difference close to home.

On Feb. 9, Boy Scouts from Troop 224 from Grace Lutheran Church; Troop 328 from Kern United Methodist Church; and Cub Scouts from Pack 328 and Girl Scouts from Troop 20737, both from First United Methodist Church, teamed up to collect donations in the annual Scouting for Food drive. Donations were collected from neighborhoods throughout Oak Ridge and delivered to the Grace Lutheran Food Pantry. Additionally, Pack 328 led collection efforts at First United Methodist and Woodland Elementary—rewarding the leading classroom at Woodland with a pizza party.

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Emory Valley Center accepts business, organization donations

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Emory Valley Center Civitan Club Donation

Pictured are Emory Valley Center Day Workshop employees and, in front row second from left, Emory Valley Center Development Director Robin Biloski, Capital Campaign Co-Chair Gene Caldwell, Civitan Club Past President John Seiber, and Clinton Civitan Chapter Treasurer Susan Miller. (Submitted photos)

The Emory Valley Center recently accepted donations from AT&T and the Civitan Club of Clinton.

The Civitan Club’s donation was the final pledge to the Emory Valley Center’s Capital Campaign, a fundraising drive to raise money for a new building on Emory Valley Road, a press release said.

“One of our major emphases in our organization is to be there to assist adults and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and EVC is a perfect partner for us here in Anderson County,” said John Seiber, Civitan past president. “We are so pleased to assist in the campaign to raise funds for the new center.”

The center’s capital campaign is about two-thirds of the way to its goal.

[Read more…]