Volunteer – Page 15

Adopt-A-Highway, Feb 3

If you have recently traveled along Betsy Kerrison Parkway you know that it is a bit of an eyesore. On Saturday, February 3, intrepid and civic-minded Seabrookers will gather at the Lake House to venture forth to clean it up. The weather is expected (by eternal optimists) to be splendid. The Adopt-A-Highway volunteers will meet in the Eagles Nest k3071560 Room of the Lake House to gather supplies and be ready to leave around 8:30 AM so that we will have the rest of the glorious day to enjoy for ourselves. Please come and join us. We really need your help.
If you have any questions contact Rich Siegel at richard.siegel2552@gmail.com or 716-969-4731. Thanks.

-Submitted by
Rich Siegel

Respite Care Charleston Seeks Kitchen Volunteers

Print Respite Care Charleston is a non-profit organization that runs social day programs for people with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. Our mission is to provide an engaging and safe environment for people coping with dementia while also giving their caregivers a break.

Respite Care

We are currently looking for volunteers to help in the kitchen at our John’s Island location. Kitchen volunteers are responsible for preparing and serving provided meals to program participants at lunch time. RCC is also seeking volunteers to donate meals for about fifteen people. The program meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am – 1:50 pm at 3673 Maybank Highway, John’s Island, SC 29455.

If you’re interested in volunteering with Respite Care Charleston, please contact Christine Vinciguerra at christine@respitecarecharleston.org or (843) 813-3051.

Website: http://www.respitecarecharleston.org

-Submitted by Christine Vinciguerra

Thanks for Giving

There is a saying: “Promise a lot and deliver even more!” and Seabrookers did just that! The response to the Holiday Canned Food Drive was overwhelming. In the end, Seabrookers donated close to 6,000 pounds of canned food, which is now in the process of being distributed by the Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation (SIHAF) to local non-profit groups whose mission is to feed hungry families on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands.

Meals on Monday, a program that delivers a hot meal each week to people on Wadmalaw, will utilize all of the larger cans and several other items like soup and canned pasta. Hispanic Outreach received a variety of foods that will feed many local needy children and adults. A large carload of goods was delivered to the Hebron Zion Presbyterian Church on Bohicket Road for clients of their Emergency Food Pantry. And the Blessing Basket, which operates out of a United Methodist Church building also on Bohicket Road and provides bags of canned and other foods to approximately 200 families each month, received enough items to help fill its “baskets” for a few months to come.

We are so grateful for the generosity of all the Seabrookers who donated food to this project. A special thank you to Bruce Kleinman for overseeing the collection and weighing of the canned goods at the Lake House, and to the Lake House staff for their help and support. Thanks also to the many volunteers who assisted in sorting, packing and transporting everything to the various locations.

Please know that your contributions are deeply appreciated and will make a huge difference for many hungry people.

Holiday food drive

-Submitted by Shirley Salvo, on behalf of the Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation

Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol Receives Award…. Again

At the 2017 Year End Turtle Patrol Party sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol received the award for the highest number of reported volunteer hours worked on sea turtle conservation for the second consecutive year!
These volunteer hours are matched dollar-for-dollar in grant money. This money ultimately pays for the genetics project and the DNR support staff who work each summer.
This is the second year in a row that the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol won the award. This year’s award was a hand-crafted Christmas ornament with a sea turtle hatchling charm inside.

As you can see from the following graph, Seabrook Island won by a large margin with 4,773 hours.

The Award was accepted by Terry Fansler, Turtle Patrol Leader, who represented Seabrook Island along with Lori Porwoll and Gayle Evans.
The award is a testament to all the hard work and dedication on the part of our Turtle Patrol Members. Many thanks to the whole Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol.

-Submitted by Gary Fansler

The AARP Tax-Aide Program

AARP TaxAide is looking for Volunteer Tax Counselors for the 2018 tax season. This is a free program that makes it easier for older, low and middle-income taxpayers to file their tax returns.

Local volunteers from Seabrook Island, Kiawah and the Charleston area train as Tax Counselors for the five Charleston sites. Last tax season they assisted more than 1,000 of our neighbors.

Volunteers of all backgrounds and ages are welcome and you do not need to be an AARP member to volunteer, nor do you need to be a retiree. Familiarity with income tax returns is helpful and the availability of a laptop computer is useful but not required.

A two-day orientation will be held in mid-December, and a four-day IRS qualified training program will be held at the Ashley River Baptist Church on Savannah Highway in mid-January, 2018. Tax counselors receive extensive free tax training and become certified by passing the IRS exam. There will also be additional training in computer tax preparation.

Counselors will help customers one-on-one at tax sites. Most Seabrookers help out at the Maybank Public Library, but others are at the James Island Senior Center, Main Library downtown, etc. They are expected to be available for at least 4 hours per week during the February 1 to April 18, 2018 tax season. It’s a great way to learn new skills, assist in helping others, and become more involved in your community.

Please consider joining the team! Contact the Coordinator, Susan Ditterline, at 843-568-0305, or email sditterline@yahoo.com for more information.

-Tidelines Editor

Veterans & Active Military Partner With Habitat

For two days, veterans and active duty military are invited to help build an affordable home for Sea Island Habitat’s newest partner family; Tonya and her two sons, Jalen and Jaden. Tonya served 4 years as a Marine. After years of hard work, Tonya has put herself in a position to afford her first home, through Sea Island Habitat for Humanity.

We will be building on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 (Marine Corps Birthday) and Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 (Veterans Day.) You can work one day, both days or even part of a day.

This special event will pay tribute to veterans, combining their work ethic and passion for helping others with Habitat’s mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Construction experiences build strong bonds between fellow volunteers. These relationships will form the foundation of a strong support network between veterans and active duty military, so that they can help one another transition to and succeed in civilian life. We will start each day by paying tribute to veterans, both those present and those who have fallen or could not make it to the project.

To volunteer, please contact Louis Kines at louis@seaislandhabitat.org, 843-768-0998. You can also register online at http://www.seaislandhabitat.org. Click on Events. Veterans or active duty military only, please.

Volunteer Shift Options:
Fri, Nov 10, 8:30 am to 11:30 am
Fri, Nov 10, 12:30 pm to 4 pm
Sat, Nov 11, 8:30 am to 11:30 am
Sat, Nov 11, 12:30 pm to 4 pm

Not military? Still want to help or donate for materials? Go to http://www.seaislandhabitat.org to find out how.

-Tidelines Editor

WaterProof the Children

Amy Myers is another one of those wonderful Seabrookers who gives of her time and talent to help those in need. I call them ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Amy runs WaterProof, Inc., an organization that teaches kindergarten and first-grade students at Mt. Zion and Edith L. Frierson Schools how to swim. She runs the program in the spring and fall of each year using the Boy Scout Camp Ho Non Wah located in Wadmalaw, which has a great pool. Each session includes 10 days of swimming from 9 am to 12 noon. There are 70 students that are taught how to swim. Continue reading “WaterProof the Children”

Betsy Kerrison Parkway Cleanup

Despite less than ideal conditions, fourteen wonderful volunteers stepped up to help beautify Betsy Kerrison Parkway on Saturday morning, October 7, 2017. Heartfelt thanks go out to Helen McCarthy, Jane Marvin, Lori Leary, Bill Huff, Lucy and Ray Hoover, Frank Stare, Rob Jerome, Caroline Seufert, Jean Feldman, Steve Penkhus, Bill Thomas and Bob Leggett for all their hard work collecting over 40 bags of trash and numerous car parts. They worked tremendously hard on behalf of all of us. Thank you all!

The next pick-up will be in February. We hope to see as great a turnout then.

-Submitted by Rich Siegel

Reminder: Adopt-a-Highway Oct 7

Please come out and help us clean up Betsy Kerrison Highway this Saturday morning, October 7, 2017. We will meet in the Eagles Nest room at the Lake House intending to leave for the pick up by 8:30 am. It is recommended that you wear sturdy footwear. We will supply safety vests, “pick-up sticks” and garbage bags. Thank you all for supporting this worthy effort!

If you have any questions please call Rich Siegel at 716-969-4731 or email at richard.siegel2552@gmail.com.

-Submitted by Rich Siegel

Seabrook Island Adopt-A-Highway Rescheduled – Saturday, October 7

Adopt a Highway Palmetto Pride logo When Irma blew through, we were forced to cancel the September litter pick-up on the Betsy Kerrison Parkway. SCDOT has decided to hold the fall pick-up on Saturday, October 7. We will meet at 8:30 am at Lake House to pick up our equipment. We would love to have you join us to beautify the entry to our lovely island.

If you have any questions contact Rich Siegel at richard.siegel2552@gmail.com.

-Submitted by Rich Siegel

Seabrook Island Adopt-A-Highway – September 9

Seabrook Island Adopt-a-Highway

Four times a year, a band of hardy Seabrookers heads out to Betsy Kerrison Parkway to help beautify this gateway to our Seabrook Island. We meet in the Lake House to arm ourselves with florescent vests, pick-up sticks and gloves and carpool out to the area between Habitat for Humanity and the hardware store. It’s a great opportunity to volunteer for something that is helpful to everyone and a nice way to spend some of the morning outdoors.

Our next excursion is on September 9, 2017. We will meet very briefly at 8:30 am in the Eagles’ Nest Room to break up into groups and pick up our equipment. We are generally done by 10:30 am. Won’t you please join us on September 9 and bring a friend. If you have any questions contact Rich Siegel at richard.siegel2552@gmail.com.

–Submitted by Rich Siegel

Volunteers Needed for Respite Program at St. John’s Parish

As you know, Respite Care Charleston will be offering a social day program for people with dementia on Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. John’s Parish Church. This program provides therapeutic activities for participants, while at the same time giving their caregivers a much-needed break. We are super-excited about the growth of this program and have a number of ways that YOU can be involved!

Print
We are currently looking for a few dedicated individuals who would be interested in joining us on Tuesdays. No experience necessary–just a willingness to have fun and a desire to bring smiles to our participants’ faces! As a program volunteer, you will sit and converse with participants, sing when they’re singing, play when they’re playing, and just be an extra set of eyes and ears for the paid professionals on site.
B45A7472 We are also seeking a couple of kitchen volunteers to assist us on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Kitchen volunteers aren’t responsible for providing meals, just for preparing/assembling them. We offer a morning snack in the am (coffee and a muffin), and a full meal during the noon hour. Having kitchen volunteers allows the staff to focus fully on the participants, which provides for a better overall experience for everyone.

Continue reading “Volunteers Needed for Respite Program at St. John’s Parish”