Get your spare change out from under the ashtray and the floor mats! Don’t let the road blocks catch you without a contribution to a good cause.

The collection points will be at the intersections of U.S. 61 North and U.S. 84 in Adams County and the second stop light on Carter Street in Vidalia.

From 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, volunteers from United Way agencies, board members and corporate campaign leaders, assisted by local law enforcement officials, will be stopping traffic at these two major Miss-Lou intersections, collecting spare change from motorists and others who may not ever be approached to contribute to United Way.

The road blocks have been organized by United Way partner, First Natchez Radio Group.

Statistics show that there are many, many folks in our area who never are asked to contribute to worthy causes. Now is their chance to just toss in a few dollars. Did you know that just $4 will buy a senior citizen prescriptions for an entire month?

The money that goes to an agency is used to secure matching grants so that a single dollar often turns into five or more.

We all know that everyone is literally pinching pennies these days, but just think how even a few pennies can help. The Miss-Lou has roughly 40,000 people, and if even one half of those people, gave $1 on Thursday, think what a huge difference that could make in our community.

Think a little more and think what could happen if everyone gave $1 every month.

Twelve dollars times 12 months times 20,000 people — you do the math.

Suffice it to say, that the United Way would more than exceed its goal this year.

Our agencies have submitted proposals and the allocations committee will be hard at work trying to meet as many needs as we can.

No donation is too small.

Please call the United Way Office at 601-442-1081 to make a contribution or drop a donation by on your way to check your mail at the downtown post office. And in the meantime, clean out your change for Thursday!

“Someone almost helped someone today” was recently heard as a fundraising ad, and we hope that the roadblock will give that someone a chance to help someone on Thursday.

Jimmy Hibbs is the allocations chair of the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou.