Anonymous Donors Offer Match to Start Fund to Assist those Impacted by the Government Shutdown
CHARLESTON, SC – January 22, 2019 – I remember being a young 1st Lieutenant on December 5, 1995, during the government shutdown that happened twice that year. Vee and I were just 24 years old and our son Darrin Jr. had turned two earlier that summer. The thing that made the situation worse for me was that I was deployed and was uncertain about how a shutdown would affect my family. It was unsettling, to say the least, and I recall our relief when we realized that military families during the 1995 shutdown were still being paid. But, that fear was palpable and I feel the same angst and trepidation I felt so many years ago, as thousands of our friends, families, and neighbors are being affected by the current partial-government shutdown.
It is the purpose of Coastal Community Foundation to help create vibrant communities by uniting people and investing resources and today, I ask you to join me and an anonymous donor couple who care deeply about all people in our community. Over the last month, a significant number of federal employees in our region have been either furloughed or working without pay. These coastal SC neighbors, friends, and family members include the TSA agents ensuring our safety as we travel from our beautiful coast; our National Park employees who staff multiple locations in our footprint; border and customs workers who protect our interests; and the men and women of the US Coast Guard who protect our shoreline. We also know that organizations that receive federal grant funding will also be impacted, and those organizations are often the nonprofits that provide support for our neighbors who are less fortunate: nonprofit veterans organizations, such as Palmetto Warrior, and shelters, food banks, and transitional housing, such as One80 Place, Lowcountry Food Bank, and scores of others.
Through the generosity of this couple, we can match dollar for dollar gifts up to $10,000. I ask that you consider supporting The Care Fund. The dollars we collect will be directly distributed to agencies and nonprofits who are assisting those in this time of need in the Lowcountry. With more than 10,000 federal employees in our region and uncertainty as to how long this partial shutdown will last, we believe it is our duty to respond to this critical situation.
We feel that disasters like this have real and tangible negative impacts for scores of people. Simply put, we believe in the four traditions of philanthropy. And today, philanthropy as a form of relief is where we can serve an immediate and important need. All in our community deserve the benefit of knowing that they live and work in a place that cares deeply about their success and well-being.
Darrin Goss Sr.
President & CEO
Coastal Community Foundation of SC