Today, even on their one-year anniversary, the members of the T.K. Soul Undisputed No. 1 Fan Club will give back to the community.

“We’re trying to give gifts to people who support us,” said club president Barbara Copeland. “They say the more they give the more you receive.”

That certainly seems to be the mantra of the fan-turned-civic club. The eight members sponsor and cook lunch each Wednesday at The Salvation Army and perform other community services, such as donating items to day cares and nursing homes.

The group of women, whose ages range from about 30 to 60, have been friends for about five years. Today, however, they will officially celebrate their one-year anniversary as the T.K. Soul Fan Club.

The membersLoretta BunchDarlene ClaiborneBarbara CopelandJackie FosterWillie Mae JohnsonFelicia StewartSharon ThomasMary WilsonT.K. Soul is a Louisiana-based soul singer who asked the women who frequented his shows to form a fan club.

“We decided on our own to do something for the community,” Copeland explained about the community service club that grew out of the fan club.

Friendships have blossomed and strengthened from the club’s work. Members not only serve together, but they also celebrate birthdays and worship together.

“We laugh together; we cry together; for all our birthdays, we get together. We get a little cake and sit around and stuff,” said Copeland. “We go to different churches, but we’ll go to church together.”

Salvation Army Capt. Patrick Lyons joked, “I think T.K. Soul is just an excuse for them to get together. I’ll sit up in the social work office and listen to them tell stories. They have such good fellowship.”

Their volunteer efforts benefit them, too.

“I get the enjoyment of (seeing) the kids have fun. They just seem happy,” said Willie Mae Johnson.

The club’s Wednesday’s meal at The Salvation Army is a popular one – baked chicken, mustard greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread and cake.

“We very seldom have leftovers,” Copeland said.

Sometimes the club members have to reach into their own pockets to provide lunch; other times, food donations to the Salvation Army cover it. With lean economic times and soaring gas prices, the club has seen some small changes in their Wednesday crowd makeup.

“We see a lot of people walk here, and some of our regulars stopped coming,” Copeland said.

They make the most of what they have, as demonstrated by their motto, “Make it do what it do.”

As the members of T.K. Soul look back over the past year and forward to the years to come, they have some hopes for the growing club -more members and services, maybe even a scholarship fund.

“One of our qualifications for members is that they have to want to work for the community,” said Copeland.

“Maybe, in the future, we could generate more funds – we could do more, spread it out more,” Johnson said. “Maybe, by this time next year, we’ll have done that.”

The T.K. Soul Undisputed No. 1 Fan Club might become a celebrity, in itself.

“I would say I’m their undisputed, No. 1 fan,” said Lyons.