More than $38,000 awarded to nonprofits working in Dorchester County
CHARLESTON, S.C. – January 15, 2016 – Coastal Community Foundation’s Dorchester County Fund has awarded $15,000 to local nonprofits addressing a variety of community needs within the county. Thanks to the generosity of donors invested in supporting the county, the fund recently completed its fourth grant cycle.
This year, 23 applications were submitted, and seven nonprofits received funding. HELP of Summerville, which assists families and individuals in crisis by providing immediate short-term needs, received $1,500 for clients’ utilities and rents in order to bring stability. Clients are referred to HELP by social service agencies, churches and schools. In addition to housing bills, HELP also provides money for food, clothing and some medical expenses for qualified clients.
Operation Sight (OS), based in Mount Pleasant but serving Dorchester County, received $2,000 to restore the vision of three low-income, uninsured residents through cataract surgery. OS is Dorchester County’s only nonprofit offering free cataract surgery, thanks to community donations and the donated services of medical professionals.
The Dorchester County Fund is a community-based grant making program established in 2010 by local philanthropists interested in serving the region. Grantees are selected annually by an ad-hoc committee of individuals who live or work in Dorchester County.
For more information regarding the Dorchester County Fund, please contact Sydney Meeks Fowler at sydney@coastalcommunityfoundation.org. To learn more about Coastal Community Foundation’s grant programs, please visit https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/grants/list-of-grants/.
2015-2016 Dorchester County Fund Grantees & Funded Project:
The ARK of SC – Bus services for clients
Clap Your Hands – General Operating Support
Dorchester Habitat for Humanity – First Habitat home on Rambo Drive
HELP of Summerville – Payment of rent & utilities for clients
Meals on Wheels-Summerville – General Operating Support
Operation Sight – Restoring Sight: Improving Lives in Dorchester County
Salvation Army, Dorchester Service Unit – Emergency Assistance Program
About Coastal Community Foundation: Coastal Community Foundation empowers individuals, families and organizations to make a lasting impact through permanent, endowed funds for charitable giving. The Foundation serves Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry and Jasper counties. To learn more, go to www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org or call (843) 723-3635.
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