Charity could reopen this month

Officials running a Grovetown food and clothing pantry that has been closed for several months for repairs hope the doors will reopen by the end of the month.

//

United We Care was run from a building at the corner of East Robinson Avenue and Newmantown Road for about 15 years.

But when founder and operator Bill Campbell died in March, his wife, Angie, gave up operating the facility.

"After he passed away, it just got too much," she said.

City officials soon closed the building, which the city leases to the pantry.

"The building was in such disrepair, we couldn't allow it to keep going without getting the building fixed up," City Manager Shirley Beasley said.

In August, Grovetown City Council approved $14,000 for repairs to the building, including industrial tile flooring, wiring and paint.

"We're finally getting the repairs done that need to be done," said Jeannie Brissell, a pantry volunteer and chairwoman of the committee that oversees operations. "There was an awful lot of them."

Brissell said she expects the repairs to be complete by the first of October and to reopen for needy families.

Brissell said the pantry has still been providing Brown Bag Day, a monthly delivery of nonperishable food items to seniors, and recently helped a mother and her four children with clothing and other household items after their home burned.

"Even though we have been physically closed down, we have still been helping and doing things," Brissell said.

Brissell said she is trying to organize an open house with city officials and the installation of a picture or plaque honoring the Campbells for their contributions to the pantry.

Brissell said she'd also like to see services expand, especially through the holidays.

"I want to get back on the ground and I would like to see a lot more done at Thanksgiving and Christmas," she said. "Hopefully those dreams, that's really what they are, will work out."