For their neighborly help in cleaning up North River Road, Tonya Williams, left, co-owner of the Chocolate Factory, provides fruit smoothies and mocha freezes to participants in the Volunteering and Civic Involvement Program sponsored by Southwestern Community College's Student Support Services. From left are, Williams, SCC student Natalie Rich, Student Support Services director Cheryl Contino-Conner, SSS administrative assistant Laurie Butler, SCC students Lisa Laney and Melissa Thompson and SSS counselor Peter Buck. Robert Stevens, not pictured, an SCC student involved in the project and also a part-time worker at the Chocolate Factory, was inside making mochas for a throng of thirsty leaf lookers this week.

As the national Make a Difference Day takes place this Saturday, Oct. 28, Southwestern Community College's Student Support Services has been involved in a Volunteering and Civic Involvement Program. This week, through the Adopt-A-Highway program, participants cleaned a stretch of North River Road running from Webster to Dillsboro.

In a gesture of neighborliness and appreciation, the folks at the Chocolate Factory in Dillsboro support their efforts by providing fruit smoothies and mocha freezes to the group as they finish their project.

"We recognize that it is good for everyone when our countryside looks as beautiful as it can, so we are happy to provide refreshments to this hard-working group," said Chocolate Factory co-owner Tonya Williams.

"Southwestern's Volunteer Enrichment Program helps our students find out what good things are going on in their communities. When they know what is there they can access those resources themselves and help other folks access them, too," said SSS counselor Peter Buck. "The students help out in Swain, Macon, and Jackson counties at soup kitchens, domestic violence shelters, adoption groups, animal shelters, as well as outside cleaning up the environment."

"This section of North River Road is beautiful but, as we've cleaned along the roadside, we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly," according to Cheryl Contino-Conner, SSS director. "We've picked up plastic Sesame Street figurines, Victoria's Secret Shopping bags and old carpet. We can tell you which fast food places people eat at and which brands of beverage folks drink as they drive along the Tuckaseigee River."

Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others - a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Last year, three million people cared enough about their communities to volunteer on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns.

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