GeorgiaDonnaTillman

Tillman, a service provider with UPS, began her journey into
philanthropy when she taught a volunteer class and stayed for
years. Along the way, she realized that a lot of the elderly didn’t
have any family or anyone to send them gifts, so she started
making gift bags to give to them.

Her efforts developed into a project called “Santa’s Bags.”
Tillman has been a UPS driver for 14 years and an employee of UPS
for 26 years. She said she would keep driving and volunteering.

“The need is out there and it keeps growing,” Tillman said. “I can use all the help
anyone would like to offer.”

Tillman is financing “Santa’s Bags” independently and said that she has spent
almost $3,000 of her own money this year on the discounted items she buys
throughout the year at local department stores. She distributes more than 250 of the
bags each year to children and seniors in the Tifton area.

In addition to the “Santa’s Bags” program, Tillman donates her time and
energy as a Girl Scout leader, volunteer firefighter at Harding Volunteer
Fire Department and as a tutor and caregiver for an autistic child.

“I guess I must have more than 24 hours in one day,”
said Tillman, who is also a single parent.

The award is named in honor of the founder of the Hometown Holiday Celebration.
Mann served on the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association, the United Way Board,
the Fiesta del Pueblo Committee, the Tiftarea Academy Endowment Fund
Committee, the Tifton-Tift County Arts Council, Court Appointed Special Advocates
and was a member of the Tifton Council of Garden Clubs. She moved to Perry three
years ago.

Mann also served on the city's Urban Services Advisory Board and the local chapter
of the American Red Cross and was a primary organizer of Tiftarea Academy's
rummage sale. The Hometown Holidays Celebration is now a day-long festival that
draws more than 35,000 people.