The local DuPont-Pontchartrain resident contractor group known as ECCO, which stands for Engineering, Construction, Contracting Organ-ization, assisted two River Parishes charities this Christmas season with monies generated from 2011 vending machine sales throughout the Reserve plant.

Sharon Hilt and Glenda Wactor, holiday directors of St. John Ministry of Care, were the first recipients of the DuPont ECCO group’s generosity when two local families were “adopted” for Christmas. More than $500 of the vending machine sales money was used to purchase clothing for each member of both families. Understanding the true Christmas spirit of sharing their blessings, many DuPont ECCO employees reached in their own wallets and purchased Christmas toys for the children in these families. A non-perishable food drive was also held, which yielded over 150 pounds of food to be donated to the local families.

DuPont ECCO also took pride in presenting a $2,000 check to a River Parishes battered women’s shelter. The very appreciative beneficiary of this monetary gift was the Alpha Daughters of Zion, a non-profit organization, represented by Gaynelle Coleman. Coleman stated that the donation was truly needed and would help tremendously with costs associated with assisting these families in distress. Although other members of Alpha Daughters of Zion, namely Shirley Sims, executive director and Ivy Williams, program coordinator, were unable to attend the check presentation ceremony, they were sincerely appreciative for the kindness shown to the battered women’s shelter by the DuPont ECCO group.