Sponsored Organizations

www.fhfmidlands.org – In 2018 Families Helping Families (FHF) in the Midlands provided assistance to more than 3,200 families in need of food, clothing, and Christmas gifts. The estimated value of this assistance was nearly $1.5 million. Now in its 26th year, FHF provides a business-like approach to organizing holiday giving for the neediest families in South Carolina. By coordinating with local agencies and community assistance programs we can insure that donations and charitable giving are targeted to those who need help the most, and by eliminating duplication of services we can do more for more families. Over the past 25 years, more than 45,600 South Carolina families have been helped at Christmas.

www.myfirstbookssc.org -In South Carolina, it is estimated that one-third of South Carolina children do not have the literacy skills needed to be successful in kindergarten. The single most important activity to prepare a child for a life of learning is to read frequently with the child. Research has shown that children growing up in homes with books get three years more schooling than children from bookless homes, regardless of income or their parents’ education.

Palmetto Place- https://www.palmettoplace.org/ – It is their mission to provide a safe and supportive environment for children and teens who have faced abuse, abandonment, neglect and/or homelessness. Palmetto Place provides housing and wraparound support services to unaccompanied youth, homeless teens ages 16-21 within the Midlands. At Palmetto Place youth are provided comprehensive medical and mental health care while receiving independent living skills in effort to establish permanent housing and self- sustainability. In 2018, Palmetto Place housed and served over 50 unaccompanied youth.

DARE Program at Harbison West and HE Corley Elementary Schools- The DARE program- which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is an ongoing education program that seeks to prevent use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs and violent behavior. To participate, all 5th grade students must sign a pledge not to use drugs or join gangs.

http://www.oifoundation.org/ Optimist Clubs support OIF through unrestricted donations so that programs sponsored by OIF can continue to operate, thereby guaranteeing more support for the youth in our community.

https://homeworksofamerica.org/ Home Works is a Christ- centered nonprofit organization providing home repair services to low-income homeowners while mentoring & discipling youth in the process. Our Club makes a financial donation that roughly covers the material costs of the houses our members work on in the spring and fall.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Optimist donation used to help cover the cost of the event since it is free to the public (food, giveaways, entertainment, etc).

www.katrinaskidssc.com Katrina’s Kids is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing much-needed resources for foster children and children living in group homes. Your support to Katrina’s Kids will help these kids have opportunities and memorable experiences, such as attending summer camp, participating in sporting events, taking an after-school drama or music class, or having the chance to take a horseback riding lesson.

www.icrc.net The Mission of the ICRC Scholarship fund is to provide the ability for children who qualify for financial assistance to participate in athletic programs conducted by the agency. The Optimist Club’s donation provides 27 children the opportunity to participate in a team sport.