Make a Difference Day History

Over the past 23 years, Mohawk Industries (2000 - 2014), Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring (2015-2020), Phenix Flooring (2021), Mannington Phenix and Marketing Alliance Group (2022-2023) have partnered with United Way to make a difference in our community. Thank you!

2000: Starting with Project Clean Sweep, 100 volunteers served 65 elderly with light house and yard work.

2001: 235 teens and adults volunteered to spruce up Cheerhaven by painting and landscaping.

2002: 170 volunteers went to Carter Hope Center, Habitat for Humanity, Wal-Mart book and coat drive, and landscaped the Children’s Memorial Park at Northwest Elementary in Murray County.

2003: 135 volunteers landscaped Whitfield Dalton Day Care.

2004: 434 volunteers worked at Dalton Little Theatre, Creative Arts Guild, Family Support Council, Habitat for Humanity, and the Conasauga River Shed Clean-up.

2005: 391 people participated in fall yard clean-up for the elderly, painting at the Creative Arts Guild, landscaping and painting at the Boys and Girls Club, and the Conasauga Rivershed Clean-up.

2006: 301 volunteers installed an outdoor learning lab at Brookwood School, cleaned up the Conasauga River, and landscaped New Hope Middle School. 

2007: 589 participants volunteered at Gladden Middle School, Prater's Mill, Al Rollins Park, Coats for Kids, Valley Point Elementary, Westside Middle School, The Family Crisis Center, the Conasauga River Clean-up, and Cross Plains Community Partner.

2008: 641 volunteers worked at the Raisin Woods Mountain Bike Park, Dalton Green, Antioch Elementary School, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Varnell Springs, Chatsworth First United Methodist Church Saturday Sack program, Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center, Dalton Little Theatre, Oak Haven Second Chance Home, and Conasauga River Clean-Up

2009: 436 volunteers went to Family Promise, Family Crisis Center, Beaverdale Elementary, Crown Gardens and Archives, Dalton State College, Conasauga River, and Roan Street School.

2010: 766 volunteers provided 3,259 hours to Carter Hope Center, the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia, Crown Gardens & Archives, Family Support Council, NWGA Family Crisis Center, Boys & Girls Club, Valley Point Middle School, Cross Plains, Eton Playground, Creative Arts Guild, Conasauga River Clean-Up, Chief Vann House, and Murray County Veterans Park.

2011: 571 volunteered 2,229 hours of service to the Creative Arts Guild, Valley Point Middle, Conasauga River Clean-Up, Boys and Girls Club, Raisin Woods Trail, NWGA Family Crisis Center, and Fort Mountain State Park.

2012: 773 volunteers provided 3,352 hours of service to Salvation Army, Dawnville Elementary, Carter Hope Center, Conasauga River Clean-Up, Boys and Girls Club, NWGA Family Crisis Center, Mercy’s Door, Chatsworth Nature Explorer Classroom, and Fort Mountain State Park.

2013: 938 Volunteers provided 3,185 hours of service to Friendship House, Looper Speech and Hearing Center, Brookwood Elementary, Dawnville Elementary, Creative Arts Guild, Carter Hope Center, NWGA Family Crisis Center, Whitfield County - Dalton Day Care Center, North Whitfield Middle, Dalton Red Carpet Half Marathon, Conasauga River Clean-Up, Oak Haven, Boys and Girls Club, and the Salvation Army.

2014: 973 volunteers provided 3,699.5 hours of service to our community. This is an $83,423.73 impact to the Northwest Georgia area at these locations: Carter Hope Center, Murray County Senior Center, Dawnville Elementary School, Big Brother Big Sisters, United Way of Northwest Georgia, Family Support Council, NWGA Family Crisis Center, Whitfield County – Dalton Day Care, Career Academy, Brookwood Elementary School, Roan Street Elementary School, Blue Ridge Elementary School City Park Elementary School, Boys and Girls Club, Southeast High School, Morris Innovative High School, Little Free Libraries, and the Conasauga River Watershed Clean-Up

2015: 843 Volunteers provided 3,016.5 hours of service to our community. This is a $70,163.79 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries Sponsored 16 projects in the Northwest Georgia area at Dug Gap Elementary School, Murray County Developmental Center, Lakeshore Park, Conasauga River Watershed Clean-Up, Little Free Libraries, Whitfield & Murray Meals on Wheels, Whitfield County Schools, Girl Scouts, Eastbrook Middle School, Northwest Whitfield High School, Carter Hope Center, Family Support Council/Oak Haven, Whitfield County-Dalton Day Care Center, Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center, Coker Elementary School, and Coker Elementary School.

2016: 638 Volunteers provided 2,448 hours of service to our community. This is a $58,262.40 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring sponsored 16 projects at NGRL-Whitfield County Dalton Library, Boys and Girls Club, Blue Ridge Elementary School, NWGA Healthcare Partnership, Murray County Meals on Wheels, New Hope Middle School, Southeast High School, USA Map Art Project-Young Leaders Society, Roan School Garden, Raisin Woods Bike Trail Clean Up, NWGA Family Crisis Center, United Way of Northwest Georgia, Conasauga River Watershed Clean up, Women's Enrichment Center Renovations, and Pleasant Grove Elementary School.

2017: 212 Volunteers provided 1,089 hours of service to our community. This is a $26,560.71 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring sponsored 9 projects in the Northwest Georgia area at Boys and Girls Club Carl Rollins Unit, Boys and Girls Club Chatsworth Unit, Carter Hope Center, United Way of Northwest Georgia, Westside Elementary School, Northwest Family Crisis Center, Salvation Army, and Family Support Council.

2018: 425 Volunteers provided 1,370 hours of service to our community. This is a $34,455.50 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring sponsored 11 projects at Meals on Wheels, Whitfield-Dalton Day Care Center, Highland Rivers, Dalton Greater Works, Morris Innovative High School, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Conasauga River, Carter Hope Center, and United Way of Northwest Georgia.

2019: 231 Volunteers provided 1,192 hours of service to our community. This is a $32,422.40 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring sponsored 9 projects at American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Carter Hope Center, Habitat for Humanity, GreenHouse, Born Learning Trail, Conasauga River, Compassion House, and Shaw Industries at Eastbrook Middle School.

2020: 300 Volunteers provided, 856 hours of service to our community. This is a $24,430.24 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Brown Industries and Phenix Flooring sponsored 6 projects at Born Learning Trail Install, Re-installed a Little Free Library at Valley Point Middle School, Boys and Girls Club, Family Support Council, Friendship House, and Conasauga River.

2021: 394 Volunteers provided, 2,237 hours of service to our community. This is a $66,998.15 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Phenix Flooring was the 2021 Premier Sponsor. In 2021, we also had five Community Project Sponsors: Shaw Industries, Dalton Utilities, United Way of Northwest Georgia's Young Leaders Society, Women's Leadership Council, and Youth United, for 9 projects. Phenix Flooring installed new flooring at Meals on Wheels in Murray County, Dalton Utilities volunteered at Looper Speech and Hearing, Shaw Industries volunteered at Salvation Army in Murray County, Marketing Alliance Group installed a Born Learning Trail at Westside Park, Mohawk Industries volunteered at Salvation Army in Whitfield County, YLS volunteered at Carter Hope Center & Little Free Library Install at Haig Mill Park, WLC collaborated with The GreenHouse to put "Bags of Hope" together, and Conasauga River Clean Up.

2022: 352 Volunteers provided 13,904 hours of service to our community. This is a $442,147.20 impact on the Northwest Georgia area. Mannington Phenix and Marketing Alliance Group were the 2022 Premier Sponsors. In 2022, we also had nine Community Project Sponsors: Dalton Utilities, Engineered Floors, Huali Floors, Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries and United Way of Northwest Georgia’s Together Unidos, Women’s Leadership Council, Young Leaders Society, and Youth United, for 11 volunteer projects. Marketing Alliance Group installed a Born Learning Trail at Joan Lewis Park, Dalton Utilities volunteered at Looper Speech and Hearing Center, Engineered Floors volunteered at Meal on Wheels in Whitfield County, Huali Floors volunteered at Murray County 4-H, Mohawk Industries volunteered at Salvation Army in Whitfield County, Shaw Industries volunteered at Boys and Girls Club, United Way's Together Unidos bought bilingual books and volunteers replenished the Little Free Library at Joan Lewis Park, United Way Women’s Leadership Council volunteers worked on a Little Free Library refresh project, United Way's Youth United volunteers rolled up their sleeves. They cleaned up trash from the river and banks at the Conasauga River at Lakeshore Park location. The Dalton High School JROTC students volunteered at Carter Hope Center. United Way’s Young Leaders Society volunteered at Meals on Wheels in Whitfield County. volunteers pressure-washed the entire building and painted the front porch, front door, and trim.

2023: 340 Volunteers provided 2,507 hours of service to our community. Mannington Phenix and Marketing Alliance Group were the 2023 Premier Sponsors. Marketing Alliance Group sponsored a volunteer project at New Hope Elementary School. This dream team volunteered their time and talents unpacking, assembling, and installing sensory equipment at New Hope Elementary School! Dalton Utilities sponsored a volunteer project at United Way Community Partner, Boys and Girls Club. This project addressed the drainage needs between the playgrounds and the field. Volunteers put river rocks to fill the drainage ditch and prevent any further erosion to maintain the integrity of the surrounding playground and field. In addition to the Make a Difference Day outdoor project from 2022, the 2023 project added to the recent outdoor volleyball court, and volunteers filled the court with new sand and created a surrounding border to hold in the sand. Engineered Floors volunteered at United Way Community Partner, Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center. Engineered Floors volunteers removed the old flooring from the NWGA Family Crisis Center’s bedrooms in their emergency shelter and replaced it with new flooring generously donated by Engineered Floors. Mohawk Industries sponsored two volunteer projects. One at Carter Hope Center, and the other at Cross Plains Community Partner. Volunteers helped with an outside beautification project at the new Carter Hope Center facility. For the Cross Plains project, volunteers hosted a cookout for their participants. Shaw Industries sponsored a project with United Way Community Partner GreenHouse at their new satellite site in Murray County. Volunteers helped with the beautification and maintenance of the property, installed a new front door, and volunteers helped paint and install a new sign for this location. United Way’s Young Leaders Society volunteered to refresh a Born Learning Trail installed in 2019 at Harlan Godfrey Civitan Park. United Way’s Together Unidos group added solar lights and vegetation around the sculpture "Among the Someone" on East Morris Street. United Way Women’s Leadership Council volunteers installed and stocked two new Little Free Libraries at United Way Community Partner, Friendship House, and Whitfield Dalton Daycare Center. The volunteers also stayed to read to the children at both locations. United Way’s Youth United volunteers rolled up their sleeves and cleaned up trash from the river and banks at the Conasauga River at Lakeshore Park location.