Suffolk News-Herald

Think back to all the times over the past year that you stopped by a vending machine somewhere in the city to grab a Diet Coke and a bag of donuts for that morning sugar rush. All too often, it proved a worthy replacement to breakfast, didn’t it?

Every snack that was purchased at those machines, every time that Suffolkians dropped a couple quarters in, meant that 10 local charities got an extra boost this holiday season, and that the city’s employees had their annual luncheon at the Suffolk Armory. Money collected from the machines added up to a $200 donation for each of the selected charities, awarded by the Suffolk Employee Relations Committee (SERC). Meals on Wheels, the Suffolk Literacy Council, Genieve Shelter for Battered Women, Edmarc Hospice for Children, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Suffolk Homeless Shelter, the Children’s Center, Project Lifesaver, and the Cheer Fund all received donations.

&uot;It’s nice for the employees to get a thank you for all the hard work they did all year,&uot; said SERC chairman Mike Brinkley of the Suffolk Fire Department, looking out at the members of the fire, police, parks and recreation, planning, finance, and other city departments enjoying their meal.

&uot;I’ve been coming here ever since it began,&uot; said Sheriff Raleigh Isaccs. &uot;It’s a really nice gesture on the part of the Employee Relations Committee to support the city employees with this lunch. You get to see the folks that you haven’t seen all year.

&uot;An organization can’t run without its employees. If you treat them well, they treat you well.

&uot; If you make (your business) a pleasant place to work and treat them with respect, it makes them want to come to work.&uot;

Seeing as how he’s been the city treasurer for over two decades, that’s not a problem for Ron Williams.

&uot;It’s always a pleasure to do this,&uot; Williams said, handing out rolls as part of the lunch-plate assembly line.

&uot;I get to wish people a Merry Christmas and thank them for their hard work. The giver always gets more than the receiver in events like this.&uot;