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XRX Pioneer Club
of Rochester, Inc. |
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Community Service Project - 2010 The XRX Pioneer Club is pleased to announce it’s 2010 Community Service Project: Wayne County Rural Ministry / Come-Unity Center, Inc. 4107 E. Main Street/Box 73, Williamson, NY 14589, 315-589-8105, Janis Thomason-Mussen, Executive Director. Most people think there are few homeless people in rural areas. National statistics report that one out of every six homeless persons lives in rural America. The village called Williamson is a very small rural area; who would think of homeless folk living there? Many apple orchards and many growers have gone out of business because of high competition from foreign countries. Those that are left continue to hire migrant farm workers to pick their crops—many of whom are Hispanic. However, the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) of the federal government makes life difficult for the workers by stopping even those who are legal when they leave the camps to go into town. INS also removes / deports those who are undocumented, leaving some farms without workers to pick the harvest. Therefore, some growers are choosing to hire other minorities to pick their crops. There is no shelter in Wayne County. Homeless people contact the Department of Social Services or the sheriff's office, and then are placed in motel rooms. Wayne County Rural Ministry / Come-Unity Center, Inc. serves all of Wayne County. It is a small local "storefront" operation dealing with homeless as well as people suffering in poverty in rural areas. The ministry is rooted in the Christian faith and supported by ecumenical churches. They have operated for more than 50 years without taking government funding and do not participate as a United Way agency. Last year the Center served thousands of food boxes, lunches/holiday dinners; and shoppers donated produce bags, free clothing, blankets, Easter baskets and school supplies for kids, gave financial loans and income tax assistance. The number of people served continues to rise on a daily basis. The XRX Pioneer Club thanks members Sally Kunkle and Dave Rauen for coordinating this year's project! submitted by Sandy Leary
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