Helping Out for Oct. 30, 2019

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Helping Out highlights some of the many charitable events and activities going on in the Charleston area. ATTENTION: Submissions should now be made using our online form.

The Green Heart Project is officially launching its biggest capital project to date: the Urban Farm at Enston Home (.pdf). The farm, planned at the intersection of King and Huger streets, will offer farm-to-school and outdoor education, youth development, healthy food access and community building.

The farm will bring together three nearby schools — James Simons Elementary, Charleston Catholic School and Charleston Charter School for Math and Science — as well as the downtown community and Enston Home residents, to engage up to 6,500 people annually.

The planning process began after a partnership was formed with the Charleston Housing Authority in 2017 to secure the site. Green Heart worked with SeamonWhiteside to gather community feedback and create the initial plans for the urban farm.

The organization is aiming for a groundbreaking in November as part of Trident United Way’s Day of Caring.

Local investment firm Charleston Commercial has donated $30,000 to the faith-based nonprofit Lifeline Children's Services South Carolina, marking the largest single donation to Lifeline’s foster care program. The donation will fund the organization’s work to secure and support foster families. 

Lifeline has three social workers and 35 foster families, and an additional 200 foster parents are needed in the Charleston area. Lifeline’s goal is to add 40 more foster families to its roster in 2020. 

Lifeline Children’s Services South Carolina is one of 13 state locations of Lifeline Children's Services, which is headquartered in Alabama.

Charleston Commercial has donated more than $50,000 to Lifeline over the years, as well as a car for Lifeline social workers to drive when visiting foster families across the Lowcountry. 

The Charleston Parks Conservancy will hold Light the Lake, its annual tree lighting and winter celebration, from 5-7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Colonial Lake. This year, Publix is the presenting sponsor.

The event will include holiday cookie decorating, a photo booth and letters to Santa station, an ugly sweater contest and the Charleston Model Yacht Club sailing boats on Colonial Lake.

New, unwrapped toy donations will be given to Toys for Tots. The tree in the center of Colonial Lake will be lit by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and the Meeting Street Watoto Charleston Ensemble will perform at the end of the event.

Several food trucks will have food and drinks available for purchase, and a DJ will be playing holiday music. Admission and activities are free, and the event is rain or shine.

The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina was one of 77 nonprofit organizations to receive fall Caritas Grant funding from the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.

The grants are issued to S.C. nonprofits that meet the immediate needs of people experiencing poverty throughout South Carolina.

The grant will fund programming to support the Own Your Life program. Through Own Your Life, the association provides personal independence and vocational rehabilitation training for blind and visually impaired adults in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Local Subway restaurants in the Charleston area are providing lunch and other resources at The Salvation Army for families experiencing homelessness during the Day of Giving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.

In addition to lunch provided by Subway, other services will be available for those in need, including free suits, career services by Goodwill and insurance information from Select Health.

The Blood Connection will also be holding a blood drive on the site, and for every pint of blood gathered, The Blood Connection will donate $10 to the Charleston Salvation Army.

The event will be at 6209 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston.

The Lowcountry Autism Foundation is holding an oyster roast fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Bowens Island.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and may be purchased online.

The menu includes oysters, barbecue, chili and fixings. Tickets also include non-alcoholic beverages. Beer and wine will be available for purchase, along with a margarita truck.

Live music and a silent auction will also be taking place.

Proceeds will go to Lowcountry Autism Foundation.

The nonprofit Charleston Good will officially launch the GoodSharing Network a new, free social media platform.

The GoodSharing Network is free, ad-free, and accessible via the web or the Mighty Networks app. Users can choose their notification settings, controlling their feeds.

The focus of the network is to be local and to individually and collectively make a positive impact on the Lowcountry.

Users can create personal and organizational profiles; customize notifications; connect with friends; post, like, comment and share; send direct messages; create polls and surveys; create groups and events; follow topics, friends, organizations and groups.