https://www.wjcl.com/article/town-of-bluffton-celebrates-ida-martin-day-honoring-founder-of-bluffton-self-help/39631340#
Town of Bluffton celebrates Ida Martin Day honoring founder of Bluffton Self Help
WJCL Updated: 5:50 PM EDT Apr 4, 2022
Riley Miller
Anchor/Reporter
BLUFFTON, S.C. —
In the Town of Bluffton, April 4 marks Ida Martin Day.
In this week’s Lowcountry Living, were celebrating the life and legacy of the woman who founded Bluffton Self Help.
For three and a half decades, Bluffton Self Help has been serving people who live and work in the Lowcountry, providing food, clothing, education and more.
And it was all started by the late Ida Martin who had a heart for helping others.
“She would be so proud that although we’ve grown and we’re able to serve more people, our core values really haven’t changed from the foundation that she established 35 years ago,” said Kimberly Hall, executive director for Bluffton Self Help.
Today the Bluffton community and Martin family gathered to celebrate 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal recipient, including Ida Martin’s granddaughter Candyce Childress who works to honor her grandmother’s legacy as the client intake specialist for Bluffton Self Help.
“It’s just so fulfilling to see what something she started in her garage has turned out to be, and now it’s this huge part of the community that everyone knows about and they know that we’re here for them,” Childress said.
To date, Bluffton Self Help has provided nearly 350,000 meals to hungry neighbors and has given nearly $660,000 to families through emergency financial aid to help them keep their utilities on.
Childress said her grandmother would be very pleased to see how her vison has grown and continued to impact the community.
“She always felt that if you’re in a place to be able to do things to help other people that that’s something that you must do. She would be amazed at the things that we’re doing now,” she added.
If you would like to support Bluffton Self Help’s mission by donating or volunteering, click here.
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