| Advisory Board Members |
Communications Committee Chair
Events Committee Chair
Member at Large
Member at Large
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How exciting it was to see such a big turnout for our Spring Luncheon this year! And how exciting to hear the impact our grants have made in our community.
Please note the information below on the dedication of our house in The Glen. I hope to see many of you there! All of our grants last year helped make positive change in the community.
Later this month you will receive a ballot to vote for next year's grant theme. Please respond as quickly as possible so that the Grants Committee can start their work.
May is membership month and many membership contributions are now due, so please send in your contribution soon. As always, thank you for your contribution and the part you are playing in strengthening our community.
Have a wonderful summer!,
Margaret
Margaret McManus
Chair
Advisory Board
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Annual Meeting Attracts Record Crowd
to Colleton River
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Our May Annual Meeting drew 106 members and guests, an all time record. We elected Marcia Collett to the board and thanked Hester Hodde for her six years of service on the board as she steps down. Our 2017 grant recipients reported on how they used the $80,000 we distributed last year with the theme, "Providing Safe Shelter: Crisis, Temporary and Permanent." Pat Wirth of Habitat for Humanity, Kimberly Hall of Bluffton Self Help, Betsy Doughtie of Deep Well, Lynda Halpern of Family Promise, and Mary Simmons of Women of Faith and Power each shared moving stories of ways in which our funds had impacted lives and our communities for the better.
The presentations were excellent and you can see them on our website
here. Our grants helped families move from homelessness into permanent housing and receive counseling to avoid future homelessness; funded home repairs to enable the elderly and disabled to stay in their homes; helped others pay emergency bills to avoid losing their homes; and built a brand new Habitat house for a very worthy family.
Below is a photo of our nearly complete WIP funded Habitat House. The dedication will be at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, on May 30th in The Glen, just off Marshland Road. We hope many of you will be able to attend to congratulate Barbara Smith and her two sons on their new home. Barbara is a CNA at The Cypress, who often works seven days a week. Originally from Jamaica, Barbara is a widow, who has become a US citizen. Her oldest son is about to graduate from high school.
(See more photos in Pat Wirth's presentation
on our website, link above.)
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New Grants Awarded
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We also awarded $56,000 for our 2018 grants with the theme "Strengthening Options for the Elderly." Here is a description of what those new grants will accomplish:
Second Helpings for Healthy Food Initiative ($5,000):
Second Helpings redistributes surplus grocery food to food pantries and agencies which feed the hungry, rather than having it go to waste. For our WIP grant, they are working with a farmer who can provide fresh produce to be distributed to senior sites at Burton Wells Senior Center-Beaufort, Leroy Brown Senior Center-Beaufort and the Bluffton Senior Center.
Sandalwood Community Food Pantry for Totes for Love for Seniors ($7,000):
Special tote bags will be filled with toiletries and necessities but more importantly, with healthy foods recommended for seniors to supplement dietary needs and to help prevent diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes. These Totes of Love will carry a WIP thank you message.
YMCA of Beaufort County for Senior Shape Up ($8,500)
Senior Shape Up increases positive health, nutritional wellness and safe exercise to develop strength and balance in seniors. This is accomplished with yoga, Pilates, line dancing, water aerobics, shag dancing and other customized physical activities. With this grant the Y is seeking to serve 75 new
senior members.
Lowcountry Legal Volunteers for Senior Legal Assistance ($9,000):
Many low-income senior citizens don't have access to proper legal advice and therefore may be financially victimized. For these older adults important issues include power of attorney for health, general power of attorney, estate planning, simple wills and simple probate.
HELP of Beaufort for Mobile Meals ($10,800):
This organization distributes mobile meals, which are provided by Beaufort Memorial Hospital, to elderly residents in northern Beaufort County. Their clients are referrals from hospice, hospitals, social workers and therapists. This grant will serve 100+ senior clients.
Meals on Wheels for Bluffton/Hilton Head ($15,700):
This well known national organization is very localized to the needs of our community. The all-volunteer Meals on Wheels organization delivers meals five days a week, 52 weeks a year to the elderly, allowing them to remain in their homes. These meals are heart healthy and suitable for diabetics.
Congratulations to the Grants Committee for their work with our 2017 grantees on excellent presentations for this meetings, and to selecting fine recipients for the 2018 awards. And kudos to the Events Committee for creating a beautiful event at Colleton River. The venue was lovely and the food was delicious.
Margaret McManus and Kathi Bateson (back row, left)
with grantees and their boardmembers, including Shannon McClure of Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, Dan Porter of Meals on Wheels, Dr. Nanette Pierson of Sandalwood Community Pantry, Denise Davis of YMCA of Beaufort County, Lili Coleman of Second Helpings and Steve Curless of HELP of Beaufort. Denise Spencer, CEO, Community Foundation
of the Lowcountry is standing on the far right.
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May is Membership Month
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For many years, we have reminded members to make their annual contributions in May because the end of our fiscal year is June 30th. If you have not yet made a contribution in FY 2016-17, please do so now. Technology has been improving, and the membership committee is now able to send reminders to each member on the anniversary of their last contribution. Some of you received those in recent months.
A number of you will be receiving them in May, and others of you in June. We appreciate your being timely in sending in your contributions. You are the reason we have built our $1 million endowment and are able to make these significant grants each year. Together we are making a difference in our community. Thank You!
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15th Anniversary
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Believe it or not, 2018 will be the 15th anniversary of the founding of Women in Philanthropy. It will soon be time for a celebration! Liz Clist has agreed to chair this for us, so stay tuned as a date is set and the plans come together.
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Welcome New Members
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Three new members have joined since our April newsletter. We wish a warm welcome to:
- Janet Porter of Windmill Harbour
- Kathi Roberts of Indigo Run
- Regina Silletti of Sea Pines
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Member Directory
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An updated copy of our new membership directory is available in PDF format and will print just like the "hard copy" paper directory. To access the directory, click
here. If you need to update your contact information, please notify
Debbie Cahoon at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry (843.681.9100).
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Summer is a time when many of our members travel to summer homes, visit family, or take off to explore the world. Whether you are staying around here or venturing elsewhere, we wish you a safe and healthy summer, and look forward to seeing you in the fall when our Women in Philanthropy activities pick up again. Be safe.
Stay healthy, and enjoy!
Susan
Susan Hooker
Women in Philanthropy Communications Chair |
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