Wilberforce, CSU given $500,000
Dominion Energy gifts part of the company’s 6-year ‘HBCU Promise’.
WILBERFORCE — An energy company donated a half million dollars to Wilberforce University and Central State.
Dominion Energy donated $500,000 to the local schools as well as to nine other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Dominion Energy, based in Virginia, made these donations as part of their six-year “HBCU Promise.”
This $25 million agenda supports endowments, capital projects, operating expenses and educational programs that support clean energy at HBCUs in Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina and North Carolina.
“We are so grateful to Dominion Energy for this generous donation,” said Natalie Coles, vice president of institutional advancement, in a media release. “Never in our lifetime have students faced such hardships to attend school. Because of this meaningful gift, Wilberforce students will get the tech support they need to successfully attend classes in safe environments.”
This is one of the largest donations Wilberforce has received, the university said.
The half million dollar donation to Wilberforce will finance STEM scholarships and the launch of the university’s inaugural Bayard Rustin Lecture Series on Racial Equality. The lecture series will
“This is our season; we work really hard preparing for the holidays in the beginning of the year. It’s really a bingo-bongo moment for us and everybody is on board to get packages delivered to our customers on time before the holidays,” said USPS spokesperson Nad- dia Dhalai.
Peak season for carries started around Thanksgiving and will continue into the new year. To handle the influx of packages, USPS will extend hours locally at the Beavercreek and Washington Twp. locations. Both locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20.
Despite this year’s unprecedented package volume, deadlines for USPS haven’t changed tremendously from deadlines in the past. The deadline for ground ship- ping to guarantee delivery before Christmas is Dec. 15. Dec. 18 is the last day for first class service, Dec. 19 is the last day for priority and Dec. 23 is the last day to ship for priority overnight services.
“We ask customers to ship as soon as possible and make sure they’re meeting the deadlines because if they do miss a deadline that will possibly delay their package. If you haven’t now visit the post office or if you don’t want to leave your home you can schedule a pick up by your carrier by going online, print the postage, and your carrier will come and pick it up for you,” Dhalai said.
UPS isn’t offering its UPS Next Day Air services on Christmas Eve. Packages picked on that day will be delivered the following Monday on Dec. 28.
While carriers are encouraging people to ship early to avoid delays, Sri Sridhar, CEO of package tracking company Lateshipment.com, said that this year will be the worst on record for holiday shipping delays.
On average 4% to 6% of packages will be delayed throughout the year. “During the holidays that shoots up to like 8% to 10%. This year there are going to be portions of the country the average is going to be 14% to 15% range and there are going to be portions of the country where there will be delays creep up pass 20% of shipments, so that’s one in five packages,” he said.
Since the start of the pandemic, carriers were deemed essential workers and continued to work while stay at home orders kept many in doors. Dhalai said this has worked in their favor to prepare them for holiday season during a pandemic.
“It’s been a rough year for us and for a lot folks around the country. They’ve been working nonstop during the pandemic during the election mail season, and now we have the peak season. I think we have a lot of great folks on our team that continue to push and continue to deliver to ever customer,” she said.
Contact this reporter at India. Duke@coxinc.com.