Consolidated Utility District (CUD) is partnering with area nonprofits and charities to promote giving that benefits residents of Rutherford County. Two of the three opportunities are represented by collection boxes located inside the utility's lobby at 709 New Salem Highway. The third is an effort to support clients seeking temporary help in paying their utility bill.

• Toys for Tots: Now in its fifth year of gathering donations, CUD hosts two collection boxes in its lobby through Monday, December 10. Toys for Tots is a charitable effort led by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, and local campaigns take place in more than 800 communities in all 50 states. Marine Corps coordinators pick up and store the toys and prepare them for distribution with the help of social service agencies and local church groups.

• Food donations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County and Room in the Inn: This is the first year CUD has served as a donor for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Through programs that help young people succeed in school and in life, Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe and constructive environment for children and teens during out-of-school hours. Visitors to the lobby of the CUD building can drop off food donations that will give the children healthy afterschool snacks.

Room in the Inn provides food and shelter for the homeless in Murfreesboro, which is an even greater need during winter. As the city considers building additional shelters and resources, donations of non-perishable foods can help to address immediate needs.

CUD will be collecting food for Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County and Room in the Inn through Friday, November 30.

• Neighbor-4-Neighbor: CUD works with the nonprofit Community Helpers of Rutherford County to help economically disadvantaged residents pay their monthly residential utility bill. This helps CUD clients who are going through crisis situations or financial emergencies.

"Community Helpers clients must be in a low-income situation and be considered a member of a vulnerable population. Each of our clients must be a U.S. citizen, legally documented with a Social Security card and a photo ID to show residency in Rutherford County. Each client is allocated up to $200 in assistance per year," said Lovita Greer, Director of Community Helpers of Rutherford County.

"Community Helpers receives quarterly funds from CUD through Neighbor-4-Neighbor," said Martha Hatfield, a member of CUD's Customer Service Team. "One of our staff members sometimes refers a client to Community Helpers, and they serve as a clearinghouse."

"You can support the program by contributing $1, $2, or $3 to your monthly bill - or you can make a one-time contribution."

"We carry the Neighbor-4-Neighbor form on the Customer Service section of our website at cudrc.com. Customers can include the filled-out form with their payments," said William Dunnill, General Manager of Consolidated Utility District.

Dunnill noted the rapid population growth of the county may lead to increased need for the program as well as a larger base for contributing customers. "Rutherford County is growing remarkably fast. We want to do our part to help everyone benefit from our natural resources. Neighbor-4-Neighbor is an ongoing, year-round program that costs very little for our customers and definitely helps those in need."

At Consolidated Utility District, our mission continues to be to provide safe drinking water for all residential, industrial, and governmental agencies, meeting and exceeding all federal and state standards at the lowest possible cost with high quality, efficiency, and integrity.