By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Aug. 6-7 — Jerry Carter and five volunteers drove 1,059 miles over the weekend while collecting and disposing of 81 newspaper tubes no longer needed all across Page County. The fact that he lives in Carroll County accounts for some of the miles, and serves as a small testament to Carter’s commitment to helping others.
The volunteers with 1ofUs.Care were not paid, nor did they solicit funds for the efforts. Instead of asking “Brother can you spare a dime?”, these volunteers are acting on the question “Brother can you spare some time?”
“Trying to start an effort from the ground up nowadays is much harder than one would think, especially when this one isn’t asking for money but asking for time,” Carter said following the weekend’s project in Page County.
For many years, Carter served as an independent contractor for The Washington Post and Ogden Newspapers (formerly Byrd Newspapers) distributing their products all across the region. Years ago, when print circulations were much higher, the private enterprise proved lucrative for Crystal Clear Delivery, and now Carter wants to give back to the area through his new non-profit movement.
“When it came time for a kickoff event for the [1ofUs.Care] effort, it was an absolute no-brainer for me to want to return to Page County and help clean up the tubes I served for over a decade,” Carter said. “The dead tube issue will continue to grow as newspapers are forced to either cut back or close up shop all together. The opening effort was designed to both give back to Page County and hopefully encourage others to help their community.”
Courier service for all daily newspapers serving Page County ended June 30. The inevitable move by the newspaper industry left an estimated 600 or more, now-obsolete “news tubes” next to mailboxes all across Page County, according to Carter.
Carter was joined by volunteers Alan Knight, Chris Carter, Linda Carter, Christina Mills Carter and Carrie Cochran for nearly 10 hours on Saturday pulling and disposing of newspaper boxes. Carter, and his son Chris, spent another four hours on the project Sunday.
“We were looking for tubes from Northern Virginia Daily, Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Washington Post …the ones we delivered,” Carter said. “We did not interact with a large number of people, but those we did talk with seemed appreciative.”
Carter estimates that hundreds of tubes remain in Page County that “are not going to be serviced again.” If anyone else would like to have a newspaper box (Post, NVD or RTD) removed in Page County, they may send an email to the address listed below, and 1ofUs.Care volunteers will make a final sweep in late September.
Carter plans to extend 1ofUs.Care projects across four areas.
“The focus is on finding the good in the world with an emphasis on four counties…in no particular order…Page, Augusta, Shenandoah and Carroll [counties],” Carter told PVN in an earlier interview. “The country and the world is becoming increasingly more divided and this will be my attempt to make sure that I have done my fair share to make it a better place.”
The second planned project for 1ofUs.Care will also take place in Page County…adding on to a previous grassroots project that Carter spearheaded a few years ago.
“It’s my hope to team up with the folks at PCHS in providing Alan Knight and his softball program a cover, if you will, for the area where the teams batting cages are located,” Carter said. “Coach Knight has been giving of his time for the student-athletes, now into his fifth decade. The facility has been built from the ground up over the years and this is one of the few add-ons left to do. Just as we did just over a decade ago with the fencing for the facility, it’s my hope to gather up some folks willing to donate their time and expertise on a project that will benefit County residents for years to come.”
Money is not the issue — Carter simply wants people to invest their time in their community. Each project put forth by 1ofUs.Care will follow the same philosophy.
“Life has treated me well over the years and I am always looking for ways to give back whenever possible,” Carter told Page Valley News recently, “and it’s my hope to find others that might feel the same way.”
“There are people out there that are good people and that want the world to be a better place, and I’m trying to find them, one person at a time.”
Those interested in getting involved with 1ofUs.Care may send an email to:
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