Volunteers Needed in Charleston!

If you live near Charleston and have time available during the work week, we'd love to talk to you about getting involved by volunteering!

Our Coastal is seeking Front Desk Volunteers to provide a welcoming environment for all who come to Catholic Charities for assistance. Located in North Charleston next to St. John’s Catholic Church, we are looking for general office support (answering phone calls, copying, filing, etc.). Available volunteer shifts are weekdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and volunteer days/times are flexible. Training is provided and no experience is necessary. For more information, please call us at (843) 308-9361 or complete the volunteer interest form here.

Other Catholic Charities offices throughout South Carolina are also seeking volunteers. We have a variety of opportunities available in Greenville, Columbia, Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Mt. Pleasant. Learn more about our programs, donation needs, and volunteer opportunities by visiting our website.

Another Successful Collaboration!

For Catholic Charities to be successful, we know that working with other organizations and local business is essential. Our Columbia office recently helped a client through the Save-A-Smile program by partnering with a local dentist and another local non-profit organization. This client received the dentures they needed and also gained a new, brightened attitude. After receiving his dentures, this client was visited by an employee at Supportive Housing Services of Columbia. This is the message we received:

“I just wanted to thank you for helping C with his dentures. I went to his apartment this morning and he was delighted because he had a bright, new smile. He feels extremely lucky to have the dentures. When I arrived he was trimming his beard to so that his new smile would be more visible and I had a hunch he was eager to show them off. It was a great moment for him.
Catholic Charities should be proud of this ministry. It is much needed in Columbia. After seeing how happy my client was this morning, I hope that you will have plenty more opportunities to help people in need. Thanks again!”

As a result of the Save-A-Smile program, this client is once again excited to show off his smile. Thank you to the local dentists, volunteers and donors who make programs like ours successful! To learn more about getting involved with Catholic Charities, please visit our website here.

Save-A-Smile Grant

Coastal Catholic Charities recently received a $25,000 grant from the Wal-Mart State Giving Foundation for its Save-A-Smile dental program. Save-A-Smile provides comprehensive dental health services to low-income, uninsured or underinsured residents of the Tri-County area. These services comprise of education, prevention, treatment, and replacement for individuals who have suffered due to a lack of dental insurance and inadequate access to dental care. As the only resource for low-cost comprehensive dental services in the Tri-County area, Coastal Catholic Charities provides subsidized dentures, dental cleanings, and general dental care for eligible clients. A large proportion of these clients are in desperate need of specialized dental services such as fillings and extractions. Coastal Catholic Charities is fortunate to have seven dental partners in the North Charleston area. This team of dentists offers exams, x-rays, root canals, and extractions, as well as full, single, and partial dentures. Free oral hygiene classes, provided by a volunteer dental hygienist, are mandatory for Save-A-Smile participants.

According to a 2011 PBS Newshour report, only 50% of Americans see a dentist each year due to high dental insurance costs and/or inadequate access to dental providers. Further, there is a "distinct correlation between poor oral health and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and (in women) low-birth weight babies." Findings from a 2010 report by Roper St. Francis Hospital show that 148,511 (23%) of Tri-County residents lack health/dental insurance. The majority of clients sees at Coastal Catholic Charities are either uninsured or have inadequate coverage. Many suffer from chronic, debilitating conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Once they receive a diagnosis, many of our clients still struggle to receive the dental treatments they so desperately need.

Catholic Charities and the Save-A-Smile program are essential resources for our clients, as they provide both the access to quality dental care that clients are in need of while also giving them hope for a holistically healthy future. Thanks to the Wal-Mart State Giving Foundation, Catholic Charities is able to continue offering these services and providing life changing treatments to clients in the Tri-County area.

Prescription Assistance Grant

Coastal Catholic Charities was recently awarded a $2,000 grant from the Ladies' Benevolent Society for our prescription assistance program. In the Tri-County area, approximately 148,511 (23%) residents lack health insurance (Health System Profile for the Tri-County Area, 2010. www.roperstfrancis.com). Additionally, the majority of Coastal Catholic Charities clients are either uninsured or have inadequate prescription coverage. Many of them suffer from chronic, debilitating conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and depression, amongst many other conditions. Once these conditions are diagnosed, the inability to access life-enhancing medications is another obstacle that our clients must surmount. Coastal Catholic Charities is a vital resource for these under served clients. Our free Wellness Program offers our clients comprehensive medical care comprised of prevention, treatment, and health maintenance. Thanks to the generosity of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, we are able to continue funding this crucial program!

Immigration: Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver Presentation

Mily Choy, an employee with our Immigration Legal Services in Hilton Head, has been working with USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) to organize a free, informational event about the new Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver. This event will feature a presentation and discussion by Edly Vliet, the Community Relations Office for USCIS. It is scheduled for Friday, March 8 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Holy Family Catholic Church- 24 Pope Ave. Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. This event is free and open to the public, although space is limited. Edly will be addressing the naturalization application proves, general services offered by USCIS, and the new Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver process that goes into effect March 4, 2013.

This new provisional waiver process will allow the immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver while they are still in the United States and before departing for their immigrant visa interviews abroad. More about this Waiver, including eligibility requirements, application information, and more, may be found on the USCIS website or in the attached document.

Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services offices are prepared to assist all individuals interested in applying for these provisional waivers. If you are interested in contacting someone from Immigration Legal Services and setting up an appointment to discuss this waiver or other Immigration related topics, please visit our website here. If you are interested in supporting the work of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charleston, you may find information about donating, volunteering, or contacting our offices here.

Pee Dee and Piedmont Reflection

            The Pee Dee office was blessed to work with many like-minded agencies and individuals this year. To meet the employees and volunteers that work in the Pee Dee office, please read these posts. One of our clients from the Pee Dee area shared this with us:

“I would like to express sincere appreciation to you and your organization for making it possible for me to have new beautiful teeth. You have done so much for me, and I am sure many others in need. I have no words to express my gratitude. May God continue to bless you as you advocate and serve humanity, and go forth as a wonderful instrument for His goodness.”

The Piedmont office added new programs and gained new employees in 2012. You may learn more about this office and the employees who oversee it here. This office continued to partner with agencies and businesses in the Upstate of South Carolina to meet the variety of needs that their clients have.

“A woman came into our office one day to ask about the Save-A-Smile program. She shared that her body and face were burned in an accident a few years ago and, due to the severity of the burns, she lost her hair and teeth. When she started the process of getting dentures, we found out that she needed a facial dental specialist due to the severity of the damage in her mouth. She was very sad and concerned about finding a way to pay for the procedures. I told her to put God in front of all and let him take care of the situation.  A couple of months later she called and told me that she found a specialist! She was happy and hopeful again. I spoke with our regional coordinator and we decided to financially help her. The doctor was also very generous and helped her make payment arrangements and gave her a discount. After she had the surgery and got the dentures, she came back to the office. It was like a completely different person was in our office! Even her hair was different and the expressions of her face were bright again. She hugged me and started to cry. This was one of the most wonderful experiences I have had since becoming a Client Advocate for Catholic Charities.”

We hope you have enjoyed hearing these stories from our different offices. 2012 was a wonderful year for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charleston, Inc. and we are very excited to see what 2013 has in store! If you would like to learn more about supporting these programs, please visit our website.

Carter May Home and Lowcountry Reflections

            The Carter May Home provides care to the elderly and currently has 23 residents living in it. This home is not only a living facility for seniors, but also provides activities, healthcare services, events, beauty services, and more. Administrator Janine Bauder was introduced in this post and shared this reflection on 2012:

“I am very proud of the WWII Veterans that live at our facility. We have three that were in the Navy and one that was in the Army Air Corp. The stories that they tell are remarkable and they definitely have a connection with one another.  One veteran continues to volunteer at the Yorktown once a week so he is still serving to keep the history alive and real. One veteran who just joined us was a POW for 9 months in Germany, so I look forward to hearing more of his story. Having them at Carter-May Home/ St. Joseph Residence gives us the opportunity to honor them for their service and sacrifice to our country.”

2012 saw a change in leadership in our Lowcountry office. Pam Rice began fulfilling the role of Lowcountry Regional Coordinator. Pam now oversees Our Lady’s Pantry, a food pantry that provides nutritious foods to people of need in South Carolina’s Lowcounty. Pam enjoys getting to know her clients and caring for their spiritual needs as well as their physical needs.

 “A woman came from London, England, to live in Beaufort after marrying a military man from the USA. After he passed away, she came close to losing her. To top off her list of troubles she told us she had just been released from the hospital the day she came to see us. She had no money for food. Naturally, we helped her and I knelt down at her feet, held her hands and prayed for her and all the hardship she had experienced in the past 6 months. When I finished praying for her she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, ‘That was even better than the food you are about to give me. Thank you so much.’ ”

We all feel blessed to be able to do this work and are glad to share these stories with you. These reflections on 2012 will continue on Monday when we hear from the Piedmont and Pee Dee offices. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, offices, and getting involved, please visit our website.