Pickens County is home to a vibrant array of people who spend time and effort to make things better. Whether dedicated to helping the less fortunate [the hungry, hurt, or hungover (addicted)], to promoting the arts through classes, performances, and shows or to helping businesses here with marketing and promotion, Pickens is blessed with a culture that believes doing good is a good thing to do.
Some of these groups consistently achieve and surpass goals and missions. The Thrift Store is an example of an organization that year after year puts its money where its mouth is. The store backs several other service groups, sharing money gained through efficient management and a solid business plan.
As with businesses, not every non-profit succeeds, despite dedicated leaders and the hard work of volunteers. A note of caution: Groups that fail are generally grand on visions (“Save the environment!”; “Help the children!”) but short on things like budgets, knowledgeable board members, clearly defined short-term goals.
Hard work and good planning aside, there is also an element of good luck in creating any event that catches the public’s fickle fancy. Several years ago, there was an event featuring food and cowboy themes. In year one, a line of folks wrapped the block waiting to get in. In year two, the organization prepared twice as much food. Half the previous number of people showed up. There was no year three.
Almost a decade ago, an employee of this newspaper served on a Marble Festival committee that planned a big and expensive country music showcase for a new night-time activity during the festival weekend. Mother Nature welcomed the inaugural event with freezing temperatures and strong winds. Needless to say, that idea wasn’t repeated, October weather holding a trump card over solid preparations every time.
Failed efforts serve as proof that it does take both hard work and some good luck for organizations that do succeed to succeed despite weather, poor economic conditions, and the loss of key personnel. Groups like CARES, the Good Samaritan Clinic, Prevent Child Abuse Pickens, and our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate continually drive in home runs and solid singles to keep things moving forward hereabouts.
For anyone who has never been involved in a drive, fundraiser, or organizational meeting, it’s nowhere near as easy as groups like Pickens Animal Rescue make it look. There is nothing fun about standing in the road with a boot or bucket or hawking a box of donuts. Group members do it because they see the ultimate purpose it serves. [Side Note: ‘Tis a tad ironic that the chief donut sellers are the athletic groups].
Don Russell, the Don of Non-profits, has said a driving force behind the Thrift Store, Boys and Girls Clubs and other groups he is involved with is the social aspect of people who enjoy the camaraderie of working with other dedicated individuals to accomplish something.
We salute all such groups. We know how difficult it is to maintain the zeal to do good when the day-to-day reality of saving the planet involves picking up empty beer cans on the side of your road as Keep Pickens Beautiful volunteers do.
We hope the rest of the community will join us in recognizing all volunteers for there service here.
[Editor’s Note: For anyone thinking, “My group wasn’t mentioned, and we’ve been doing so much around here for so long,” we apologize. It was nothing intentional, and surely more than one group is missing. This is to salute all volunteers, not a list of every group that does good in the county. In a way, it is a great testament to Pickens County that there are more groups here helping than anyone can keep track of.]
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