Stronger Together

This week’s Blackbaud Non-Profit of the Match is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). September is Leukemia and Lymphoma awareness month giving the NPOTM added importance. 

The Battery is auctioning off game-worn, limited edition orange Holy City FC jerseys in an effort to raise money for the LLS. In addition, Rachel Darling will act as honorary captain for the match.

Rachel, 8, was diagnosed with acute lymphomblastic leukemia in March of 2015.  She started chemotherapy at MUSC Children’s Hospital earlier this week and will have to continue treatments for a year and a half. Rachel is a soccer lover and looks forward to returning to the sport and her other favorite activities when she recovers.  

Rachel’s family have praised her for her positivity, grace, and strength through her difficult journey. One of Rachel’s biggest wishes is to help give back and change the world of cancer. Join the Battery in helping Rachel achieve her dream by bidding on Saturday night’s jerseys on Bidr. The auction is now open, click here to get involved. 

Fans can also us the promo code LLS when purchasing tickets online here to donate to the Society. 

Look for Rachel Saturday night as she leads the Battery onto the field for the national anthem. We’re excited to have her be a part of our team this weekend! 

This week’s Blackbaud Non-Profit of the Match is Communities in Schools. Communities in Schools is focused on helping children achieve in school and work towards graduation. 

Productive, healthy relationships are the foundation of the organization. Founder Bill Milken said, “It’s relationships, not programs, that change children. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”

We caught up with Paige Hatley, a Community Engagement Manager at CIS, to learn more about the local chapter. 

CB: What is ultimate goal of Communities in Schools? 

Dropout prevention. Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. 

CB: How is the CIS of Charleston helping the national organization achieve its goal? 

CIS of Charleston works closely with our National Office, and other affiliates, to constantly improve our program models and determine best programs and practices to serve our students and their families and aid in reaching the highest graduation outcomes locally, regionally and nationally.

CB: What types of things does CIS provide for students? 

CIS of Charleston works to connect our case managed students in elementary, middle, and high schools with resources such as basic needs, mentoring and tutoring, counseling, family support interventions and future planning.  All of these services aid in supporting the student in a holistic approach to support them in graduating.

CB: How many children has CIS Charleston served? Which schools is CIS currently serving? Any plans for expansion? 

CIS of Charleston serves 9,000 to 12,000 students annually based on the number of schools that are able to attain our services.  For the 2016-2017 school year CIS of Charleston will have staff in 18 Charleston County Title One School Site and 1 Berkeley County Title One School Site. We will serve more than 9,000 students amongst those site, with 760 of those student being in one on one case management. CIS is always looking to expand!  Charleston struggles with below average graduation rates, the National Average is 80% while the majority of Charleston County Title One Schools fall in the 65 to 70% range.  Our long-term goal is to be in every Title One school in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties striving to increase the Tri-county area graduation rates and strengthen our community. 

CB: How can Battery fans get involved/help CIS Charleston? 

CIS of Charleston is always looking for donors, volunteers and fans!  To help us reach out ultimate goal call us today and learn more about our mentoring and tutoring programs, special event volunteer needs, various community committees and greatest contribution needs.  843-740-6793

This week’s Blackbaud Non-Profit of the Match is the Center for Women, an organization dedicated to the overall advancement of women in the Charleston area. The Center for Women is a 501(c)3 non profit that serves to educate and connect women in Charleston. The organization’s goal is to empower and help women achieve economic success and become leaders in their professional, personal, and community lives.

The Center for Women uses a combination of educational and networking opportunities, training and development workshops, and mentoring programs to achieve its goal. The organization focuses on three areas: Awareness Advocacy, Financial Management and Entrepreneurship, and Leadership and Development.

Awareness Advocacy includes programs that raise awareness and connect women with stakeholders and decision-makers to aid in their advancement professional and personally. Financial Management and Entrepreneurship is connected with the SC Women’s Business Center which seeks to promote and encourage economic security and self-reliance for women through entrepreneurial instruction and financial education. Leadership and Development includes programs and initiatives that provide resources, skill development, and training to help women learn and develop leadership abilities in all stages of life.

The Charleston Battery touched base with one of just seven employees at the Center For Women to learn more about the organization. We spoke to Leigh Ann Garret, the Center for Women’s Event and Program Manager.

CB: What is the overarching goal of the Center for Women? What’s your elevator pitch describing what the organization does to help people in the Charleston community?

Our mission is to help SC women achieve economic success. We provide education and opportunities for working women through programs, events and advocacy.

CB: What types of people is the Center for Women trying to attract? Can anyone join?

Anyone can join! Our programming is designed for professional women and invite women, men and young women to get involved and connect for success!

CB: The C4W offers memberships, what does a membership include?

We offer personal memberships for $50 a year and Business Membership for $500 a year, which include more marketing opportunities through the C4W. All memberships allow for free monthly programs, a network of hundreds of women and a discount for other events or workshops that we host. People can sign up through the C4W website, call us or see us at a program!

CB: It looks like the organization has plenty of ways to get involved, how can Battery fans help?  

Absolutely! We are always seeking volunteers in a variety of ways, mostly field experts or other professional women who would like to be a program speaker for the C4W, serve on a board committee or be a program specific volunteer for something like our ‘Ready for Work’ program, that assists unemployed women find the confidence and skills needed to gain employment. If you are interested in anything, please call, email us or visit us on social media (Twitter, FB & Instagram) to learn more.

Visit http://www.c4women.org/ for more information about the organization and opportunities to get involved!

This week’s Blackbaud Non-profit of the Match is Teachers’ Supply Closet, an organization devoted to serving children in the tri-county area by providing free school supplies to assist with their educational and creative needs. Teachers’ Supply Closet is working towards an overarching goal of providing every child in the area with the school supplies they need to succeed.

TSC targets schools in the tri-county area where 83% of the students are on the free or reduced meals program. There are currently 43 schools in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties that meet the requirement. The leaders of the Teachers’ Supply Closet hope to expand the program to include schools at the 70% poverty line in the near future.

Teachers’ Supply Closet is focused on helping children in the Charleston area; 95 cents of every dollar the organization receives goes directly into supporting teachers and students in the community. In 2015, TSC served over 25,000 students in Charleston.

We caught up with Tracee Clapper, who works with TSC, to find out more about the organization and how Battery fans can help.

CB: What does the organization enable students to do? How does Teachers’ Supply Closet help improve students experiences in school?

Teachers’ Supply Closet enables students in local Title I schools to receive the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom.  According to teacher survey responses, without the supplies that Teachers’ Supply Closet provides for students, those students would go without basic items, such as pencils, paper and other much needed materials that TSC offers.  Students oftentimes don’t have supplies at home to complete homework, so teachers can send supplies they receive from TSC home with their students as well. Without TSC, students would either go without the supplies, or teachers would continue to spend out of their own pockets to provide for their students in need.

CB: What types of supplies does the organization need? 

TSC has a top ten needs list:

• Composition notebooks
• Tissues/hand sanitizer
• Glue sticks
• Crayons (24 pack)
• Scissors
• Liquid glue
• Pencils
• Pink erasers
• Washable markers
• Pocket folders

CB: Where can people go to donate supplies? Right now, TSC is accepting donations by appointment.  Just give us a call and we can set up a time to meet and pick up supplies. 843-714-0234.

CB: How can Battery fans get involved/help with Teachers’ Supply Closet? 

Teachers’ Supply Closet is most in need of volunteers during the scheduled “teacher shopping” times.  We need volunteers to assist the teachers with collecting the supplies listed on our digital shopping sheets. This fall, teacher shopping is scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM. During that time, we need about 12 volunteers per afternoon that can guide teachers through the “store,” helping them select and count the items they choose from the sheets. We also need loaders who will assist teachers in getting their filled shopping carts of supplies loaded into their vehicles. The dates for fall shopping are Tuesday, September 13th – Thursday, November 10th.

Another way to get involved would be to sponsor or register a team for our golf fundraiser, Tee it Up Fore! Kids, which is September 16, 2016 at Stono Ferry Golf Course.  For more information about the golf tournament, click here! 

Tonight’s Blackbaud Non-Profit of the Match is the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston. Ronald McDonald House originally opened its doors 42 years ago in Philadelphia with the goal of providing a home away from home for children who need extensive medical care and their families. Today, the organization has over 350 houses in countries all over the world including Poland, Russia, Japan, and China. 

The Ronald McDonald House of Charleston opened nine years after the original right across from MUSC in the heart of the city. The facility has 12 bedrooms and the ability to serve 32 families 365 days a year. In the 33 years since its opening, RMHC over 50,000 moms, dads, and kids have stayed at the house cost-free. RMHC hosted 806 families in 2015 alone.

In addition to the building located on Calhoun Street, Ronald McDonald has a Family Room at MUSC to provide a sanctuary within the hospital for families to rest and relax while their child heals near by.

The Charleston Battery caught up with the Quince Cody, the President and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston, to learn more about the organization.

CB: What is RMHC’s goal when hosting a family? To help parents and siblings lead a life as normal as possible during their traumatic times without the financial burden of costly hotel and travel expenses.

CB: What types of kids/families do you host at RMHC? Heart surgery is the largest single diagnosis of our families with premature births being second. 

CB: What sets your facility apart from others like it? Our Home offers families comfortable beds, hot meals, a caring staff, and lots of emotional support, all just steps from the hospital.

CB: How many kids/families do you host per year? Last year we helped over 800 families who traveled to Charleston for their child’s medical treatment.  This year we expect to care for approximately 900 families.

CB: How is RMHC funded?  Funding for the RMH is dependent upon support from individuals, families, and corporate contributions.  From poptabs, to leaving change in the donation box at area McDonald’s, to supporting our Lights of Love campaign, it is through the communities support that we are able to continue to help these families during their darkest hours.

CB: How can Battery fans get involved/help RMHC?  We believe that when a child is in time of greatest need, families and communities can come together to create solutions, ultimately changing a child’s life forever.  Come cook a meal for our families; volunteer your time inside or outside the RMH; and our wish list of items is posted on our website: www.rmhcharleston.org.  It costs the RMH $100 a night to host one family.  Help share the cost to ensure that these families are able to enjoy the comforts of their “home away from home”.  Donations can be made on-line or take out your cell phone and text RONALD to the number 33923.