By Cliff Bellamy

cbellamy@heraldsun.com; 419-6744

DURHAM -- Motorists who drove down Juliette Drive in Hope Valley Farms Saturday morning might have noticed the pink sign encouraging them to "Stop for good karma." Others might have noticed the rooster mascot for Primrose School at Hope Valley Farms. Other volunteers carried signs with one word -- among them blankets, food, coats.

The volunteers were seeking to draw attention to the first Day of Giving, held in the parking lot of the Primrose School at Hope Valley Farms.

Three local organizations that help the needy in varying ways with food and other basics -- Urban Ministries of Durham, the Durham Rescue Mission and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle -- benefited from the event. Donations for canned goods, clothing, toys and other items, were accepted and divided up and distributed among the three organizations. Volunteers for each organization were on hand to accept the donations, and each organization had a table complete with brochures and information.

Lannette West, whose daughter Grace attends Primrose, came and donated everything from baby clothes to household items to women's business suits to the Durham Rescue Mission. She said it's good for her daughter to see the process of donating an item -- such as a rocking horse that her daughter has outgrown -- that someone else can use. She told her daughter, "I bet there's another little boy or girl who is going to love that rocking horse."

Norma Munguia, who bought the Hope Valley Farms Primrose franchise about a year and a half ago, had the idea for the Day of Giving. Primrose Schools, based in Acworth, Ga., operates a little more than 200 preschools nationally. Each November, the organization sponsors a "canathon" to collect canned goods for charitable organizations. This year Munguia and her staff "felt compelled to do more" and came up with the idea of a "one drop stop" to benefit more than one group, with a focus on children's needs.

Fostering a sense of giving is part of Primrose's curriculum, Munguia said. Her husband, Tony Munguia, said children who attend the school do chores at home for money, which is then donated to community organizations. Emily Reubush, a Primrose employee who also helped produce the signs, said that it's important to impart the need to give at an early age, especially with Primrose being in a fairly affluent area.

Volunteers for some organizations also spoke about wanting to give back. Eric Thompson, a graduate of Urban Ministries' Hope-Belief Recovery program (which helps with substance abuse), and Bobby Meeks, a resident at Urban Ministries, praised what the organization had done for them. Thompson said he was trying "to give back what they've freely given to me."

Kenny Mauney, facilities manager for Urban Ministries, said the number of people coming to the organization is up because of the poor economy, which is "putting a strain on all organizations helping the needy. So events like this are very beneficial," he said.

Norma Munguia said she plans to have a second Day of Giving next November. "I never thought this business would provide me with an opportunity to help so many other people. It's amazing what you can do," she said.