CCU donates $4,000 to Cadiz Salvation Army

The Cadiz Service Unit of the Salvation Army received a $4,000 donation from CCU Coal and Construction Co. Dec. 17, to support local operations. The contribution was the second consecutive annual donation from the company. CCU also donated $4,000 to local food pantry groups.

Cadiz Service Unit Director Tom Kenny discussed the donation Jan. 14.

“We are very pleased with the donation from the CCU Coal and Construction Company for this very generous donation,” Kenny said. “These funds will certainly help to support our local communities. Ed Spiker, representative of the CCU Coal and Construction, has deep roots in this community.”

Kenny said Spiker’s parents, Bill and Carol Spiker, were longtime supporters of the area.

Spiker, a Cadiz High School graduate, said the company values supporting local agencies.

“CCU Coal and Construction Company is pleased to help support local agencies who help our communities,” Spiker said. “By keeping this donation local, CCU continues its decade-long tradition of supporting the Cadiz and surrounding communities.”

CCU Coal and Construction Co. is the former Oxford Mining Co. The company operates coal mines in Harrison and Belmont counties and other eastern Ohio counties. CCU is also involved in cleaning up abandoned mine sites and other earth-moving operations.

Kenny also thanked volunteers and local businesses that support Salvation Army efforts.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has been involved with the local Salvation Army over the years,” Kenny said. He thanked volunteers who staff office hours and businesses that host collection booths, including Sander’s Market, Orme’s Hardware and Riesbeck’s in Scio.

“In regard to our Red Kettle individuals who ring the bell in the cold weather, you are one of the chief parts of our operations,” Kenny said.

Kenny said the Cadiz Service Unit is considering expanding hours for its Scio operations if additional volunteers can be recruited.

The Cadiz Service Unit office is located in the Cadiz Presbyterian Church and is open Tuesdays from noon to 3 p.m. Those interested in volunteering or becoming a bell ringer may call 740-320-4092.

Kenny said the unit also raises funds through solicitation letters to local businesses and individuals, with the campaign typically starting in the spring.

“All money raised in fundraising efforts or from donations stays here locally,” Kenny said. “We operate on a monthly budget in our spending. Our funds are typically depleted by spring and through the summer months — not just through winter and the holidays.”

Kenny also noted the Cadiz Salvation Army’s participation in a coat drive with WTOV-9 and the Cedar Group. This year, the program distributed more than 270 coats locally.