Good Deeds

Consumer Stories

Augusta staffing company awards new car to a hard-working employee

Some companies reward positive work performance with a pizza party. But an Augusta-based staffing company recently gave one of its employees a brand-new car. On Wednesday, Jan. 4, Sizemore, Inc.’s President and CEO, Preston Sizemore delivered a 2023 Kia Rio to Maria Juilia Rodriguez, a housekeeping supervisor with the company’s Fulfillment Center in Tampa. Rodriguez has worked for the company since Jan. 2022, according to Joey Warren, Sizemore’s senior corporate communications coordinator. “It was open to all non-administrative employees companywide,” Warren said. “We announced the contest in June.” At that

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Consumer Stories

North Augusta entrepreneurs establish endowment for local technical college students

Jack and Judi Poole understand the value of education, which is why the North Augusta business owners have established a $25,000 endowment at Aiken Technical College to provide scholarships for its students. The college will decide how the money will be distributed to its students, and the couple plans to donate $25,000 annually to the endowment. The Pooles own Vampire Penguin, a dessert shop located at 507 Georgia Ave., Suite A that sells shaved snow treats in a variety of flavors. They bought the franchise a little over a year

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Consumer Stories

Local IT company donates $2,500 to Augusta medical nonprofit

Christ Community Health provides medical services for uninsured and underinsured patients, and many of these patients don’t have reliable transportation. But a donation from a locally managed IT company will help them get the care they need. IntelliSystems, which offers its clients a variety of services, including cybersecurity, IT consulting and telecommunications, has donated $2,500 to Christ Community Health, a local non-profit organization, to provide transportation for its patients. “We are honored to facilitate transportation for people who desperately need medical and dental care, but are challenged by transportation reliability

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Consumer Stories

Two local nonprofits work together to provide food, gifts for military families

Those serving our country in the military sometimes need a helping hand around the holidays. Two local organizations recently teamed up to provide some of that help for service members at Fort Gordon. Golden Harvest Food Bank helps to feed families facing food insecurity in 25 counties throughout the CSRA. The nonprofit has partnered with another local organization, the Fort Gordon Christmas House, to provide food for active-duty military servicemembers and their families. ABD previously ran a story about two local businesses, Elevate Auto Lab and Riley’s Paint + Body

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Consumer Stories

Financial planner has a passion for competitive barbecue

When Kurt Mueller isn’t crunching numbers for clients at Apollon Wealth Management, you can probably find him flipping ribs on a smoker. “I know a lot about a little, including financial planning and barbecue,” he said. You don’t usually hear barbecue and talk of money in one sentence unless you own a restaurant that serves the South’s revered food of choice. “I fell in love with grilling as a kid when my dad taught me to grill on an old-school Weber, the kind found in just about everybody’s backyard. Then

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Consumer Stories

Local business professionals host community lunch, coat drive this week

Many in the CSRA have always had plenty of food and warm winter coats, but this week, two local business professionals are helping those in our community who haven’t been so fortunate. Local Certified Public Accountant, Josue Garcia, and certified financial planner, Kurt Mueller with Atomic City Smokers, a competition barbecue team that also provides catering services, will host a free lunch for the community on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Garcia’s office located at 705 Edgefield Road in North Augusta. All it takes to enjoy the

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Consumer Stories

Local businesses sponsor families at Christmas airport event

On Saturday, Santa Claus came a little earlier than usual for many local children from underprivileged families, thanks to help from the CSRA business community. The Augusta Regional Airport and Richmond County Marshal’s Office hosted the fifth annual Santa’s Fly-In to provide toys for 136 kids from 40 families. “We partner with Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc. and work with local businesses and individuals,” said the airport’s Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Lauren Smith. “This is our biggest year yet, and we hope to continue growing.” Business sponsors

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Consumer Stories

Local business owner sees decline in donations for troops

This year, Operation Handwarmer collected fewer items than it did in previous years, but Burt Sappenfield is still pleased with the community support the cause received. Sappenfield, the owner of Majestic Floor Care, LLC in Evans, said the charity collected about 6,000 items, which will be sent to U.S. troops stationed overseas. “I delivered the items to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, and the chaplains will be distributing those items to the troops overseas,” Sappenfield said. He said he expected to receive fewer items this year and blames much of

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Consumer Stories

Local businesses help make Christmas merrier for others

Chandler Brewer understands the sacrifices military service members make to protect our freedom, which is why the local business owner decided to give back to them this Christmas season. Last month, Brewer, owner of Elevate Auto Lab, along with Eva Cotto with Riley’s Paint + Body in Martinez, donated 27 bikes to the Fort Gordon Christmas House, a nonprofit that helps to provide toys for children in military families. He said the bikes cost $75 to $100 each. “They have a bike drive leading up to the first week of

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Consumer Stories

Evans Walmart collecting items for local military charity today

Burt Sappenfield and Larry Miller established Operation Handwarmer to support U.S. troops stationed overseas. On Tuesday, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners proclaimed today as Operation Handwarmer Day. Each year, Sappenfield, owner of Majestic Floor Care, LLC, and Miller, owner of CENTURY 21 Larry Miller Realty, collect a variety of items, including hand warmers, gloves, bath towels, and protein bars, which are delivered to soldiers in 72 countries worldwide. Sappenfield said over the years, the charity has collected more than 150,000 items. Today, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., donations

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