Volunteer – Tidelines

A Note of Thanks from Sarah Quinn

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you so much for your magnanimous support of Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) over the last six years. B4H Charleston, a 501 (c) (3) organization, is a local chapter of the global movement to collect used bicycles and ship them to communities in need in Africa.

Experiencing the generosity of our community firsthand and working with all facets of this uniquely tangible project has been truly wonderful. I am going to college and therefore no longer available to collect bikes. The individual taking over is yet to be determined, but in the meantime, please feel free to contact Chris Tate, the head of the Charleston Chapter of Bicycles for Humanity at ctate@portergaud.edu.

Residents of Seabrook Island have donated 2600 bikes, 1000 pairs of shoes, and $42,000. Thank you all again for your continued generosity and support.

Sarah Quinn with some of the hundreds of bikes collected.

Gratefully,
Sarah Quinn

Seabrook Island Volunteering Opportunities

One of the things that makes Seabrook Island so special is the breadth of interests and talents shared by its residents. Fortunately, we have a wide variety of avenues to nurture those interests and talents. Depending on what is important to you and how you like to spend your time, you might want to check out these volunteer opportunities.

Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island (BPBSI)

BPBSI is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity founded in May, 2014. Our mission is to feed hungry children living below the poverty line who attend Charleston County, SC public schools. We provide nutritious food and snacks to those needy children for the weekend (and school holidays) so that they do not go hungry and can return to school ready to learn. We currently purchase and deliver food for 300 students each week at Elementary and High School’s in the area. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering or would like more information.

Contact: Mark Snyder, snydermws@yahoo.com, 919-724-9847.

Website:https://backpackbuddiesseabrookisland.com/

Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network

The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on protecting marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and seals) in South Carolina waters. The Lowcountry is home to approximately 350 year-round “resident” dolphins. These mammals rely on clean, safe, and quiet water to hunt, socialize and rear young. LMMN needs you to help support them in this important cause!

There are an abundance of LMMN programs and volunteer opportunities that can fit many interests including:

Dolphin monitoring programs
Stranding response (to marine mammals along the SC coast)
Education programs (school, in-person and virtual)
Strand feeding education programs (specific to Seabrook and Kiawah Islands)
Summer dolphin camps for kids
General public outreach (tabling at events, festivals, and more)

If you are interested in learning more about any of these activities, please contact Brooke Brown, LMMN Outreach Coordinator, at brooke@lmmn.org or visit our website at www.lmmn.org for additional information.

Meals That Heal – Ronald McDonald House Charleston

The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Meals That Heal program provides breakfasts and dinners to families who are staying at the RMH, who often don’t have the time, funds, or energy to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. After a long day at the hospital, a hot meal is a welcome gift. The Meals That Heal program relies completely on people within the community to keep it up and running.

Sarah and Bill Good have been organizing groups of volunteers from Seabrook to provide dinners monthly. The volunteers work as a group to plan menus, purchase ingredients, and prepare meals in RMH’s fully-equipped kitchen. It’s a fun group activity, all while providing much needed support to families of sick children.

Contact Sarah Good at sarahgood329@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering with other Seabrookers.

Seabrook Island Village, Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Seabrook Island Village (SIV), Neighbors Helping Neighbors, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization totally staffed by volunteers with the goal of helping Seabrookers of any age remain independent and active in the community. The program officially launched in January, 2020 to fulfill SIV’s mission of providing a variety of services to Seabrookers through a group of trained and vetted volunteers. Services include, but are not limited to transportation, companionship visits, reassuring calls, minor home maintenance, and basic help with technology. We especially are in need of volunteers for transportation and those that are interested in planning and attending social events with members.

Click here for the volunteer application form. Contact: Lucy Walton at lswalton6@gmail.com.

Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation

The Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation (SIHAF) is a non-profit organization whose mission is fighting island hunger and providing clean water for the residents of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. SIHAF oversees three programs needing volunteers.

On the second Saturday of each month, the Blessing Basket provides approximately 300 baskets of nourishing groceries, fresh produce, meat, eggs. and bread to residents of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. For an opportunity to volunteer for the monthly packing and distribution of the Blessing Basket food, contact the Volunteer Coordinator: Louise Baucom at louise.baucom@gmail.com.

In the Crockpot Cooking program, volunteers provide hands-on instructions to elementary and middle school students on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands as they learn to prepare healthy, nutritious meals in a crockpot. To volunteer or for additional information please contact Barbara Griffin at griffib@clemson.edu.

The Water Wellness Mission installs new wells and filtration systems for the hundreds of people on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands who suffer from impure water, and dysfunctional wells. For information and to volunteer, contact: John Carpenter, jcarpenter1313@gmail.com, 309-648-8249.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: Clipart Library; BPBSI; LMMN; SIHAF; SIV)

Seabrook’s First Sea Turtle Nest of 2023

The Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol celebrated Mother’s Day very appropriately by finding the first nest on Seabrook Island on Sunday, May 14, 2023. The nest was found between boardwalks 5 and 6 by walkers, Nettie, Neva, Rachel and Marshall Carter, and Valerie and Mark Doane. There were 123 eggs.

To protect the nest from being washed over by tides, it was relocated to a spot higher in the dunes. We’re hoping to get more nests over the next couple of months and everyone can do their part to help. Please remember lights out by 10:00 pm, stay off the dunes and away from nests, fill in any holes and remove all trash and property when you leave the beach.

To learn more about turtles and Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol, go to siturtlepatrol.com

-Submitted by Jane Magioncalda

Cars at Kiawah River Volunteer Registration Now Open

Cars at Kiawah River, formerly known as Cars on Kiawah, will host its sixth annual display of over 200 of the region’s most outstanding automobiles on October 14, 2023, at Kiawah River.

Volunteer registration opens on May 1, 2023

As a nonprofit, Cars at Kiawah River/Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat depends on volunteers to help make this Lowcountry event a reality. If you are passionate about cars or would like to show your support for their beneficiary, the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic, please consider donating a few hours of your time.

For more information about the event or volunteering, click here.

–Tidelines Editors

(Photo credit: Cars at Kiawah River)

Reminder Volunteerism Fair Apr 26

Volunteerism Fair
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Are you interested in volunteering? SIPOA is hosting a Volunteerism Fair on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm at The Lake House.

Many organizations outside of Seabrook Island are in need of volunteers. This fair is an opportunity to learn where your time and talents are needed.

Charitable organizations will be available to answer questions and provide information about their causes.

We hope to see you there!

-Submitted by SIPOA

Ronald McDonald House, Meals That Heal

Click here to learn more about the Meals That Heal program. Please email Sarah Good at sarahgood329@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering with other Seabrookers.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: RMH, Tidelines Editors)

Reminder: SI Turtle Patrol Kickoff for the 2023 Season

The mission of the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol (The Turtle Patrol) is to recruit, train, and organize volunteers in a collective effort to monitor, preserve, protect, and facilitate the propagation of sea turtles on Seabrook Island. This is accomplished through identification and protection of nests, inventory of nests, data collection, and education of island residents and visitors.

Kick-off Meeting for 2023
Thursday, March 30, 6:00 pm
The Lake House

At this meeting, new members will learn what turtle patrol does and will have the opportunity to sign up for beach walking and other assignments and order patrol tee shirts. These tee shirts are mandatory to wear when working with The Turtle Patrol.

New Members: If you are new to turtle patrol and want to join this year, register each person by clicking on the Add Your Name to Volunteer List button found here.

Existing Members: If you were a 2022 member, an email with ordering and sign-up details has been sent to you. If you have not received an email from Bill Nelson, please contact him. We would like all orders from existing members be received no later than March 27, 2023.

More information on various volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Questions? Email us at Hello@SITurtlePatrol.com

-Submitted by Jane Magioncalda

Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol Prepares for the 2023 Season

Kick-off Meeting for 2023
Thursday, March 30, 6:00 pm
The Lake House

New Members: If you are new to turtle patrol and want to join this year, register each person by clicking on the Add Your Name to Volunteer List button found here.

Existing Members: If you were a 2022 member, an email with ordering and sign-up details has been sent to you.

More information on various volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Questions? Email us at Hello@SITurtlePatrol.com

-Submitted by Jane Magioncalda

SI Dolphin Education Program

The Seabrook Island Dolphin Education Program is a field-based program designed to engage and educate beachgoers while reducing human disturbances to the local dolphin population. Under contract with the Town of Seabrook Island, the program is managed by the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network under the direction of Lauren Rust and relies on the support of citizen volunteers. Educators are present at Captain Sams Inlet each day during the peak tourist season to interact with beachgoers and collect valuable data about strand-feeding activities. Many Seabrookers volunteer in this program at North Beach near Captain Sams Spit greeting beachgoers with a smile to share important information about how each one of us can help protect our local dolphin population (Jaws, Koko, Hook, and High Scoops, to name a few).

Each year Charleston City Paper provides the opportunity for people to vote for the Best of Charleston. This year the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN), has been nominated in two categories: Best Local Cause and Best Do-Gooder/Activist for Lauren Rust, Executive Director. If you wish to show appreciation for this valuable resource and its volunteers, you can cast your vote. Voting is open until March 8. To vote for LMMN, click here. To vote for Lauren Rust, click here.

Harassing or disturbing strand-feeding dolphins not only threatens the continued occurrence of this rare behavior, it’s also a violation of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. For guidelines on how to view dolphins from the beach or watercraft, click here.

Residents who are interested in volunteering with the Town of Seabrook Island’s Dolphin Education program may click here to download the Dolphin Education Program Volunteer Application form.

For more information, please contact LMMN by email at info@lmmn.org or by phone at (843) 991-6953.

–Tidelines Editors

COVAR Annual Meeting and Candidate Nominations

Joanne Fagan, COVAR (Council of Villa Association and Regimes) President, is issuing a call for nominations to fill its 4 board positions. According to the COVAR Bylaws, revised September 5, 2017, COVAR officers shall serve one-year terms. Officers may be re-elected, and their terms expire after the first COVAR general meeting of the year.

The description for each board position follows:
• President. Duties include, but are not limited to, public representation of COVAR, chairing all COVAR meetings, preparation of meeting agendas and appointment of all committees or volunteers.
• Vice President. Duties include, but are not limited to, standing in for the President in his/her absence, as well as performing Presidential functions at the request of the President.
• Secretary. Duties include, but are not limited to, notification of all meetings, recording and publishing of meeting minutes to all COVAR member associations and regimes, and securing and maintaining records of all designated representatives.
• Treasurer. Duties include, but are not limited to, notification and acceptance of dues and preparing and publishing an annual financial report.

The 4 current board members are all running for re-election. In addition, if you would like to submit a nomination, please email Joanne Fagan at joanne.fagan@comcast.net.

The Annual COVAR Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 5:00 pm via Zoom. A meeting invitation will be emailed on February 24, 2023 to the current COVAR e-mail membership list.

Please email Joanne Fagan if you would like to be added to the list.

-Submitted by Joanne Fagan, COVAR President

CATR Seeks Volunteers

Johns Island’s Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding (CATR) will be offering two volunteer training classes in anticipation of its spring class schedule which begins next month. Volunteer training will be offered on Saturday morning, January 28, from 9:30 am to noon, and again on Tuesday afternoon, February 2, from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. Interested parties may attend either session to learn procedures for assisting CATR’s students during weekly classes. No previous experience working with horses is required.

For more information or to register for either of the sessions, email kbrookshire@catr-program.org or call 843-559-6040.

CATR, now in its 32nd year of operation, helps adults and children with disabilities to enjoy a more active and fulfilling life in partnership with horses at its 43-acre farm on River Road. It is currently serving more than 150 students with physical, developmental or emotional challenges.

For more information about Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding, click here.

-Submitted by Norm Powers, for CATR

How to Volunteer for a 2023 SIPOA Committee

Do you want to become involved with a SIPOA committee and help make Seabrook Island an even better place for all of us to live? It’s easy to do!

As you know, volunteerism is the backbone of our community. Many of us bring our skills and hard work to committees, schools, churches, medical and social service organizations. Now is the time for property owners to begin thinking about volunteering for SIPOA committees. The SIPOA committees will be organizing shortly after the 2023 SIPOA election of new Board members and the assignments of committee chairs are made.

To help you decide which committee(s) you’d like to apply to, just click here to find a description of all the SIPOA committees and the approximate time commitment for each.

Once you’ve had a chance to review the information, you can click here for the Committee Volunteer Form to submit your application to serve on a SIPOA committee.

-Submitted by SIPOA

(Image credit: Clipart Library)