Wal-Mart gives back to the community

The Amelia Wal-Mart Supercenter is giving back to the Clermont County community.

In a check presentation ceremony and celebration at the Amelia supercenter store April 12, representatives of 16 different Clermont County agencies and organizations were on hand to receive checks totalling more than $15,000.

As each agency’s name was announced, they were asked to give a brief description of their organization’s mission before receiving an individual check from Wal-Mart store manager Phillip Nichols.

“From Wal-Mart’s perspective, this is all about community involvement,” said Nichols. “Wal-Mart stores do this for their respective communities every year. Being here in the this community gives us the opportunity to be a good neighbor, and all of us here at the Amelia Wal-Mart are grateful for and embrace that opportunity.”

The Wal-Mart's good neighbor program has been designed as a way for the company to give back by making donations to organizations that provide vital and necessary services that, in turn, also give back to the community.

The worthy county organizations that received a donated check from the Amelia Wal-Mart this year included the Clermont County Park District, Clermont Educational Opportunities, the Clermont Special Olympics, the Pregnancy Center of Clermont, the Boy Scouts of America Dan Beard Council, the Amelia First Baptist Church, Clermont Senior Services, Inc., the Clermont County Public Library, Veteran's First U.S.A., the Clermont County Y.W.C.A., Animal Rescue Fund, the Clermont County Humane Society, the Amelia Area Historical Society, Clermont Counseling Center, and the Bethel/Tate Schools parent teacher organization.

All of the above recipients were awarded the donations because of the important and worthwhile services that they provide in the county; each individual organization was surprised with the special donation this year and no funds were solicited, said Nichols.

"Today is just one of the ways that we would like to show our appreciation for all that these local entities do to better the lives of everyone in the community and to express our gratitude for welcoming us so graciously into the community," said personnel director Melinda Pack.

The Amelia Wal-Mart, which opened in January 2005 and employs 270 people, will make the donated funds an annual endeavor; all individual community Wal-Mart stores participate in the good neighbor program.