WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | USC baseball coach pitches in at Columbia homeless shelter

USC baseball coach pitches in at Columbia homeless shelter

By Dawndy Mercer Plank - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - USC baseball coach Ray Tanner was one of several volunteers at the Oliver Gospel Mission Friday packing boxes for the homeless.

With coach Tanner leading the charge, members of Shandon Baptist Church and other volunteers put together 500 boxes.

"Well, it's just great to be here," said Tanner. "This is a great feeling to be part of such a festive occasion where we're putting together some Thanksgiving Day lunches for a lot of people that are less fortunate."

"There's so much enthusiasm here," Tanner continued. "The volunteers are through the roof. It's an annual event. It's a great day."

The men who stay and eat at the Oliver Gospel Mission also helped. They loaded the boxes into trucks, later delivering the gifts to the needy in the community.

"We're supported by people in Columbia and we've been here 120 years, and normally we just work with the men who come here, it's a way to give to a wider range of needy people," said mission Executive Director Wayne Fields.

Showing it doesn't matter how much you have or don't have, you can always give something.

To help raise money for the Oliver Gospel Mission, Christmas trees will be sold next weekend in the parking lot of Greenhill Baptist Church at 1734 Augusta Road in West Columbia.  
     
Proceeds will go to meet the needs of the homeless.

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