Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina awards $112,000 to 47 Caritas grantees

Tuesday, June 06, 2017

Tags: Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina , Foundations

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The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, recently awarded Caritas grants for the spring 2017 grant cycle. These grants bear the name of one of the guiding principles of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, in omnibus caritas, meaning “in all things charity.”

Caritas grants are awarded to organizations meeting basic needs of underserved individuals and families living in poverty in South Carolina. These organizations often act as a lifeline in their communities and provide valuable services to those most in need. In total, 47 organizations were awarded Caritas spring 2017 funding for a total of $112,200 so that they may continue providing services to individuals and families in South Carolina.

The foundation announced partnerships with the following recipients:

Anderson Free Clinic
Committed to providing quality primary care for the uninsured, Anderson Free Clinic’s mission is to serve the health care needs of the underserved citizens of Anderson County through community engagement and partnerships with those who care.  Funding will support the Clinic’s chronic disease management programming including medication, medical supplies, services, and care navigation to counsel patients on self-care strategies. Anderson

Angels Charge Ministry
Angels Charge Ministry offers a transitional housing program, case management, and advocacy to deter recidivism and to facilitate a healthy and productive reentry into the community for women during and after incarceration. Funding will support the Ministry’s Re-Entry Program.  This holistic program includes intensive case management along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, community resource navigation, parenting and social skills, transportation, and obtaining employment. Located in Spartanburg; also serving Greenville, Laurens, Pickens, Cherokee, Union

Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island
As an all-volunteer organization, BPBSI purchases food and backpacks and delivers them to area schools for distribution each Friday.  Children are identified by social workers in the schools as candidates for the program: they are typically recipients of free breakfast and lunch at school and struggle during the weekends when school is not in session. These backpacks alleviate weekend food insecurity as well as improve attendance and classroom behavior. Charleston

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic
The mission of Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic is to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of uninsured, low-income adults who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw and James Islands.  Funding will support their High Risk Disease Management Initiative which includes tracking and monitoring diabetic clinic and lab appointments, providing free diabetic monitoring supplies, and education services through their comprehensive diabetes education program. Charleston

CareFIRST Carolina Foundation
Funding will support CareFirst’s Friends and Neighbors Assistance. This program provides financial assistance for families in poverty facing unanticipated medical costs for specialty care including mammograms, pathology testing, specialty OB/GYN care, eye exams, emergency dental assistance, emergency medications and other services. This grant will serve residents of Lee County.   Located in Darlington; also serving Lee, Chesterfield, Dillion, and Marlboro

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charleston – Piedmont Deanery
Funding will support the Save-A-Smile initiative. The program’s purpose is to assist low-income adults with replacement dentition. For those who are uninsured or unable to see a dentist regularly, lack of care can lead to needing dentures, which many cannot afford and are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.  Covering this cost restores participants’ ability to eat healthy foods, obtain employment, and to simply smile. Located in Greenville; also serving Anderson, Spartanburg, Cherokee, Oconee, and Pickens

Center for Community Services
The mission of the Center for Community Services is to empower families to break the cycle of poverty through crisis assistance, education, and employment readiness. Through intensive case management, CCS helps participants vocalize their goals and then aid them along the pathway to reaching those goals.  Funding will support case managers’ work to provide both crisis and employment programming. Located in Greenville; also serving Laurens

Charleston Jewish Federation
Charleston Jewish Family Services provides financial assistance for medical, housing, and utilities to clients who are among the most vulnerable members of the greater Charleston community. CJFS also provides advocacy, case management, and mental health counseling as well as emergency food assistance through its weekly community Kosher Food Pantry. Funding will help provide these basic needs for families allowing them to remain in their homes and working on a path to self-sufficiency. Located in Charleston; also serving Dorchester and Berkeley

Cherokee County Free Medical Clinic
This clinic is a first-step site for individuals who reside in Cherokee County, are uninsured and low-income and seek medical care. The clinic prides themselves on their ability to provide a comfortable and friendly environment along with excellence in diagnostic examination and consultative time with staff.  Funding will support operating costs of the clinic as they continue to provide care and services to patients. Cherokee

Circle of Hope Ministries
Circle of Hope’s work to assist the homeless in Beaufort is deeply rooted in compassion along with serving God by serving others.  Funds will be used to aid Street Outreach programming to the homeless providing food, clothing, toiletries, backpacks, transportation to services and temporary lodging in emergency situations.  Additionally, funding will support operating costs for Circle of Hope’s new Hospitality House for the homeless.  Located in Beaufort; also serving Jasper and Hampton

Columbia Oral Health Clinic
COHC is the only oral health clinic specifically serving the uninsured HIV/AIDS population in South Carolina, and one of the few in the nation.  Having their oral health restored allows clients to eat a healthy, nutritious meal, which, in turn, makes it easier for them to take their HIV anti-retroviral medication properly. The mental and emotional health of those served is also greatly improved because they have the ability to smile, feel self-confident, and able to secure employment. Located in Richland; also serving Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Spartanburg, and Sumter

East Cooper Ecumenical Network
East Cooper Faith Network is a collaborative network of faith, charitable, and governmental organizations east of the Cooper River.  ECFN focuses on three areas: education, enrichment, and environment.  Funds will support the Network’s “Fix It!” program.  The program provides essential home repairs and wheelchair ramps to help ensure safe living conditions for low income families through the coordination of skilled volunteers and the collaboration of community agencies. Located in Charleston; also serving Berkeley

East Cooper Meals on Wheels
ECMOW serves a largely low income population where poverty is generational. Seniors often become isolated and alone with little family or neighbors to assist. By providing seniors with healthy “food as medicine” meals as well as daily contact with their provider, ECMOW assists seniors to live independently in their homes as well as their families. Low-income seniors are provided healthy meals and are eased of the burden of deciding between food, utilities, or medical bills. Located in Charleston; also serving Berkeley

EmmanuWheel
EmmanuWheel’s mission is to provide wheelchair ramps to mobility impaired individuals who cannot afford the cost of building materials and construction. Staff meet with prospective clients to assess their needs and eligibility for services, design a ramp to fit the client’s needs, and recruit a volunteer team to build the ramp. Funding will go toward the purchase of building materials, tools, and building supplies.  Clients as well as caregivers are able to experience greater mobility, independence and freedom. Located in Lexington; also serving Richland, Aiken, Saluda

Family Promise of Beaufort County Inc.
Family Promise of Beaufort County’s mission is to provide temporary shelter, family stability and permanent housing solutions for homeless families with children by mobilizing resources from interfaith and secular communities.  Funding will support their Leap Forward/Staying on Track Program which assists families with moving expenses, security deposits, utility deposits, and rental assistance once they become employed, allowing them to continue their journey forward to independence.  Located in Beaufort; also serving Berkeley

Family Promise of Pickens County
Together with local congregations and the faith community, Family Promise of Pickens County brings shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services to promote sustainable self-sufficiency for homeless families.  Funding will support operating expenses to reduce barriers for homeless families in Pickens County and ensure that FPPC is able to comprehensively provide for the needs of the families that they serve. Pickens

Food Bank of Greenwood County
Funding will support fresh food items and cold storage at the Food Bank’s “Sowing the Seeds” Program.  FBGC has found that many families experiencing food insecurity are unable to request assistance for a variety of reasons including strong sense of self-sufficiency and diminished perception of need.  With these barriers in mind, this program was designed to invite participants to invest a small amount toward their food security (between $1.50 and $5.00, depending on family size).  Greenwood

Four Holes Indian Organization Edisto Tribal
The Edisto Indian Free Clinic operates out of the Council House of the Edisto Indians in Upper Dorchester County. The Free Clinic is for anyone in the community and surroundings areas who does not have insurance, does not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, or cannot afford health care. Clinic services include lab tests, x-rays, diagnostic testing, mental health evaluations, prescriptions, case management, immunization, and chronic disease management. Funding will support operational expenses. Located in Dorchester; also serving Colleton, Charleston, and Orangeburg

Free Medical Clinic
The Free Medical Clinic serves as a safety net for those who live at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level in South Carolina that cannot afford health insurance and are not eligible for Medicaid coverage. One of the goals of the Clinic is to collaborate with patients in health management, which can lead to employment or improved employment. Funding will be used to provide access to care and medications, at no cost, to patients in need. Located in Richland; also serving Lexington, Fairfield, Sumter, Newberry, Aiken, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Kershaw, Charleston, Greenville, Edgefield, Horry, Clarendon, Laurens, Bamberg, Abbeville, Saluda, Anderson, and Hampton

Golden Corner Food Pantry
The Golden Corner Food Pantry’s mission is to provide emergency and supplemental food to disadvantaged and low income residents of Oconee County, serving over 1,200 households monthly. Funding will support their services and help them continue to provide adequate food for senior clients as well as improved nutrition by providing meat, eggs, milk and other nutritious food items. Oconee

Greer Relief & Resources Agency
The vision and mission of Greer Relief & Resources is to transform neighbors in need to neighbors who thrive. Funding will support their Safety Net Program designed to give in-kind assistance, financial assistance, and case management to neighbors in need. Through intensive case management and referrals, Greer Relief staff go beyond treating the neighbor’s current crisis by helping neighbors in need identify their core barrier and addressing the issue alongside them. Greenville and Spartanburg

Hands of Christ
Funding will support Hands of Christ’s Back to School Program that serves children in need by providing them with the basic necessities to be successful in school. Hands of Christ provides each child (3K through 8th grade) with two sets of school uniforms including pants, shirts, underwear, and socks, plus grade-appropriate school supplies. Each child is paired with a volunteer that helps them “shop” for their school supplies and uniform.  Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Laurens, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg

Harvest Hope Food Bank
Funding will help Harvest Hope’s Back Pack Child Feeding Program. Harvest Hope collaborates with various partners in order provide for children most in need who attend schools with high rates of free and reduced lunch. On Friday of each week, the students receive a backpack of food that contains seven meals and snacks for the weekend. These meals are purchased to maintain consistency, variety, and ease of use for young children. Located in Richland; also serving Calhoun, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillion, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Newberry, Orangeburg, Saluda, Sumter

Help 4 Kids Florence
Help 4 Kids Florence’s mission is to fill the weekend hunger gap for the children in Florence County elementary schools receiving free or reduced breakfast/lunch during the week and who are identified as being “food insecure” on the weekend. Help 4 Kids Florence is in all five school districts and seven Head Start programs, providing bags of food each weekend to 1,957 food insecure children in 34 schools.  Funding will be used for the direct purchase of food for the weekend bags. Florence

Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach
Helping Hand is a short-term crisis intervention and referral agency whose mission is to provide immediate emergency assistance to those in need in the community. Funding will support their direct assistance to clients including food, rent and utility assistance, gasoline, local and long distance bus tickets, prescription assistance, diapers, hygiene items, and referrals to other appropriate agencies. They also assist clients in securing proper identification so that they are able to seek employment.  Horry

ICNA Relief USA, Shifa Free Clinic
The mission of Shifa Free Clinic is to provide compassionate and high quality medical care to uninsured, indigent adult residents of the community regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or national origin and to put into practice the Islamic teachings of compassion, mercy and service to humanity.  Funding will support the Clinic’s “Feed the Hungry” programming comprised of a client food pantry, weekend food program for local elementary students, and Fresh Xpress giveaways. Located in Charleston; also serving Berkeley and Dorchester

Loaves & Fishes
Funding will support Loaves & Fishes’ mission of meeting the challenge of hunger by connecting willing donors of perishable food with local human services agencies that use the food to feed the hungry.  Operating largely in under-resourced areas considered “food deserts,” Loaves and Fishes picks up fresh, healthy, perishable foods from retail partners and delivers it to agency partners on the same day. Greenville

Lutheran Social Services of the Greater Charleston Area
Lutheran Social Services of the Greater Charleston Area provides food, clothing, medical care, counseling, job training and placement, transportation, shelter, financial assistance and other vital services to those in need in the tri-county area. Funding will support their Emergency Feeding Program including a soup kitchen, continental breakfasts, a food pantry, hot lunch program, and homebound meal delivery.  Located in Charleston; also serving Berkeley, Dorchester

Meals on Wheels Bluffton-Hilton Head
Meals on Wheels Bluffton-Hilton Head is a volunteer-driven organization that provides nourishing mid-day meals to homebound low-income clients who would otherwise not receive such a meal.  Volunteers are able to interact daily with clients receiving the meals and often customize meal plans for clients based on dietary and medical restrictions ensuring that their needs are met each day. Beaufort

MedNeed of SC
MedNeed of SC provides durable Medical Equipment to the uninsured and indigent of South Carolina. They accept donations of quality used equipment and deliver these items to those in need who are referred by a network of over fifty agencies.  Funding will support MedNeed’s operational expenses as well as the purchase of new medical equipment for clients in need. Located in Lexington; serving Statewide

Mercy Medicine Clinic
Mercy Medicine Clinic serves adult patients with low income, no health insurance, “working poor” status, and those also living in homeless/transitional shelters, many of whom often cannot afford to buy the life-sustaining medications required for their previously diagnosed chronic diseases.  Funding will support costs associated with patients’ chronic disease management medications, life-sustaining medications, short-term acute illnesses medications, and dental pain and infection medications. Located in Florence; also serving Williamsburg

North Family Community School
North Family Community School is committed to the education and training of adults from beginning with literacy and continuing through GED completion.  Staff identifies and accommodates individual learning needs, learning styles, and obstacles and providing instruction or remediation to raise the level of academic, personal, and employment skills necessary for adults to compete in the workplace.  Funding will support program materials and supplies for adult students working towards completing their GED.  Orangeburg

Oconee Presbyterian Service Fund
The mission of the Oconee Presbyterian Service Fund is to enable individuals in financial crisis to find help by providing financial assistance that applies to an immediate need, providing referrals, and encouraging financial planning for the future. Priority for assistance is given to vulnerable households, which is often those with the lowest income that pay a large percentage of household income for energy bills and rent.  Funding will go towards utility bill and rental assistance for clients.  Oconee

Operation Sight
Operation Sight’s mission is to restore the vision and improve the lives of low-income, uninsured South Carolina residents suffering from cataracts or urgent sight-threatening retinal disorders by providing the necessary medical treatment to these individuals at no cost.  The overall goal is to eliminate the disparity that comes when preventable blindness is a product of poverty. OS provides free cataract surgery, including pre- and postoperative care, restoring the vision and lives of clients. Located in Charleston; Serving Statewide

Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocates
Richland County CASA advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Richland County Family Court by providing quality volunteer and legal representation to ensure every child a safe, permanent, and nurturing home. Funding will be used to support the recruitment and training of over 100 additional volunteer guardians ad litem and serve 500 children represented by CASA volunteers. Richland

Second Helpings, Inc.
Second Helpings is a volunteer-driven organization that rescues surplus food from area grocery stores and delivers it to food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency food banks who in turn distribute it to those in need. All food they collect is distributed the same day.  Funding will support the general operating costs to ensure that Second Helpings is able to alleviate hunger as an effective and efficient distribution channel between food donors and charitable food providers. Located in Beaufort; also serving Jasper and Hampton

Senior Resources
Senior Resources coordinates services, provides resources and encourages the personal choices that allow Columbia’s senior citizens to remain healthy and independent. Along with their other programming, Senior Resources operates Meals on Wheels, providing a hot, nutritious noon-time meal to those who are unable to maintain an adequate, healthy diet due to transportation and financial constraints. Funds will be used to reduce their Meals on Wheels waiting list. Richland

Sistercare
Sistercare seeks to provide comprehensive services and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and their children as well as prevention through community awareness and education.  Funding will be used to support emergency shelter operations, providing homeless domestic violence victims and their children confidential, safe shelter along with fundamental needs like food, clothing, transportation, and multiple direct services to address situational poverty caused by abuse. Located in Richland; also serving Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, and Fairfield

Smith Medical Clinic
Smith Medical Clinic exists to provide free medical care to low-income, uninsured residents of Georgetown County.  Funds will support their Vision Care program, specifically costs of corrective lenses, medicine, and surgery to minimize vision loss and improve eyesight.  This program impacts individuals by preserving sight and preventing blindness, allowing people to keep their jobs, take care of their families, and move towards self-sufficiency. Georgetown

SNAC (Shelter and Nutrition for All Children)
The mission of SNAC is to decrease the number of homeless, indigent, and hungry children in Florence School District One by providing financial aid to families for household bills or hotel and restaurant vouchers in emergency situations. School administrators help identify families in need and help refer them to SNAC. After confidential assessment, SNAC is able to provide an individualized plan of support for families and students.  Funds will support SNAC’s assistance to the families they serve. Florence

Timmonsville Boys & Girls Club
Funding will support their evidence-based SPARK program which began as a Kellogg Foundation pilot program in Hartsville, SC. Program elements include one-on-one afterschool tutoring, year-round reading-related activities, and a family component. This program will intensively help struggling readers in grades K through 2 at Brockington Elementary School in Timmonsville, SC improve until they are ultimately reading at third grade level.  Florence

Union County Carnegie Library
Located within a quarter mile of the Union Housing Authority, Union County Carnegie Library is expanding their facilities and services to have the ability to offer a wide-range of social services to community members for whom transportation is a major barrier. Through partnerships, the Library will help residents by providing better local access to resources. These general operating funds will help the Library with its community needs assessment and identifying partnerships to increase services. Union

United Christian Ministries of Abbeville County
UCMAC is dedicated to serving families in need in Abbeville through their Emergency Assistance Ministry, two food pantries, and a Free Medical Clinic.  Funding will support their Emergency Assistance Ministry which offers financial support to families in times of crisis.  This emergency financial assistance is crucial in preventing evictions, homelessness, power shut-off and loss of utilities during extreme temperatures while also providing families with support during these critical times. Abbeville

Vital Aging of Williamsburg County
Vital Aging exists to promote the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of Williamsburg County’s senior citizens. Services are provided with a framework of love, understanding and respect to allow an opportunity for mature adults to continue their lives with meaning and purpose.  Funding will support expenses associated with Vital Aging’s home-delivered meal program that provides nutritionally balanced meals and daily contact to elderly low-income residents of Williamsburg. Williamsburg

Volunteers in Medicine
VIM has been meeting the needs of the medically underserved who live or work on Hilton Head or Daufuskie Island since 1993.  Their Gift of HOPE Program addresses an injustice in health care among people in need, specifically those that are not able to lead a healthy and productive life in the community due to lack of funds for a necessary surgical procedure. Partnering with physicians in the private sector, surgical centers, outpatient diagnostic centers and Hilton Head Hospital, VIM is able to provide clients with live-saving diagnostic procedures and surgeries. Located in Beaufort; also serving Jasper

Winfield Heights Baptist Church
Winfield Heights is a rural community nestled along the borders of Barnwell County, Orangeburg County and Aiken County. Funding will support the Church’s food pantry (the only food pantry in the Williston area) along with an accompanying wellness program that provides health education, a health counselor, and screenings and a housing program that supplies subsidized rental housing, assistance with landlord/ tenant relations, housing and benefit assistance. Located in Barnwell; also serving Aiken and Orangeburg

York County Free Clinic
York County Free Clinic helps low income people with challenges live a healthy life by providing quality healthcare in a manner that maintains the dignity and confidentiality of the individuals they serve as well as decreasing the risk of health complications secondary to acute and chronic disease.  Funding will purchase glucose monitoring strips and meters, patient medications, and also support costs associated with patient transportation. York