By Jacquelyn Carothers

For The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON — It’s early on a cool Saturday morning, and the city streets are quiet. Most local residents are still in their warm beds.

But others are packing up their belongings and thinking about where they’re going to sleep when night falls again.

Some of the city’s homeless gather downtown by the pedestrian bridge that spans the White River. There, about 7 o’clock, they have a breakfast of bagels, muffins, apples, orange juice, milk and coffee.

Serving the food is a woman named Ashley Wilson, who has short, dark-brown hair, tattoos and an assortment of body piercings.

After breakfast, Wilson offers words of encouragement so her homeless friends can find the strength to keep going throughout the day.

“I don’t do this for publicity,” she said. “I do this because there is a need to help, and I like to help wherever I can.”

Wilson says that she used to be homeless herself, and she tries to reassure people that they, too, can make it out.

Perhaps not everyone has the ability or willpower to serve breakfast at 7 o’clock on a Saturday morning. But Anderson has enough volunteer opportunities that most local residents can find a way to help.

“There are so many different agencies and volunteer programs in Anderson, it’s hard to even guess how many people volunteer,” said Korryn Davidson, office manager at United Way of Madison County.

The United Way tries to make it easy for people of all ages to find service opportunities. Volunteers can work with the young, the elderly, the homeless, families with special needs — and others.

Anissa Hilligoss, who works at Church of God Ministries, recently volunteered her time with a “study buddy” program at Frankton Elementary school.

“It was very rewarding,” said Hilligoss, noting that volunteers are investing in a child’s future.