News and Stories

When I look back at accomplishments made in the town of Bluffton, there are many, but one major accomplishment was recognizing one of the most amazing woman I know, and that is Ida Martin. Very rarely are acknowledgements made to the living, and as I have heard often, “we should give flowers to the living as often as we do in memory of others”. So it was a pleasure to recognize and honor a role model for others, on her birthday, with a day in Ida Martins honor. April 4 has been celebrated for many years, and the fact that for some of those years, Mrs Ida was here to see how grateful so many of are, is very special.
Bluffton Self Help is taking off and doing exactly what Mrs. Ida Martin expected. Mrs Ida knew a long time ago to ensure the success and stability of Bluffton Self Help, she would need to expand the circle of supporters to include ‘new’ faces as well as younger faces. This was quickly accomplished and today we see the benefits from the work she did to have a well rounded, diverse board. So many people today don’t have the privilege of personally knowing Ida Martin, and for that I am sad, but the fact that they carry on her mission and continue to honor her on her ‘special day’ fills my heart with great joy. On a personal note, Mrs Ida was one of the first Bluffton residents I met once elected to the town council. She along with several other female leaders in this town took me under their wing, and always kept me on track, while not hesitating to be vocal on issues that they felt I needed to be aware of. Very few of these ladies are still alive today, but I will always cherish and respect them as I continue to be Mayor of this wonderful town. She truly is smiling from above on all Bluffton Self Help and this town has accomplished.

Wendy, a mother with two young children, started coming to the Education and Resource Center in September. Her goals were to strengthen her English and computer skills in order to be able to help her first grade son with his school work. Together, our Education & Resource Center manager and Wendy found a program on the computer that she was able to practice and strengthen both skills at the same time. Wendy became a regular, visiting The Center 2 to 3 times per week, determined to reach her goal. She also became an active member in the English class every Monday held at the Education & Resource Center (ERC). Wendy was so excited about her progress she began telling others about the ERC and encouraged them to attend the ESL classes and ERC to strengthen their skills as well. A couple of her classmates took her suggestion and visited The Center to use the computers. She was eager to teach her friends what she had learned and was enthusiastic to help. Wendy met one older woman who had no transportation but was interested in attending workshops and classes at the Education & Resource Center. Wendy offered to pick her up when she was close by and bring her to The Center to give her the opportunity to take advantage of our programs. Impressed by Wendy’s motivation to learn and share her knowledge, we asked her to become a Bluffton Self Help volunteer- which she gratefully accepted! During the past few months, Wendy has not only become an extremely valuable volunteer of the Education & Resource Center, but she is a valuable volunteer to other Bluffton Self Help programs. During the Christmas Holiday Toy Shop she worked tirelessly to help to keep the toys organized. Between all of her stocking and organizing, she translated and made the whole shopping experience that much more enjoyable for all of our shoppers!

“Seeing first timers’ reactions are priceless. It is such a nice feeling to help take care of kids that otherwise would not be receiving toys for the holidays.” -Rich, Volunteer During the holidays, we collect toys from many of our community partners and local organizations such as Hampton Hall, Collins Group Realty, Hampton Lake, Bluffton Police Department and Fire Department, Water Lily Cove, Berkley Hall, Moss Creek, Colleton River, WSAV, WalMart, Sun City, Dude’s Bike Run and more. It truly is a community effort to ensure every family has something under the tree. Local groups and businesses organize toy drives asking for new toys for children ages up to 12 years old. And our generous community answers the call; delivering toys to their mailboxes, decorated boxes located at their gym, clubhouse or office. They then deliver the donated toys to Bluffton Self Help to stock up our “Toy Shop!” After Thanksgiving, half of Bluffton Self Help’s building is transformed into a toy shop, just like the North Pole. The Toy Shop is organized by age and consists of games, clothing, stocking stuffers and more. A few weeks before Christmas, parents are able to come shop for gifts for each of their children. Our volunteers act as Santa’s helpers and guide the parents through the “Toy Shop.” Each parent leaves joyfully, knowing their children will be have a smile on their face Christmas morning. Thank you to each and every one of you who continues year after year to make our Toy Shop a reality! The businesses, volunteers, police departments, news stations and community members all come together to ensure every child has excitement on their face and in their heart on Christmas morning.

CHRYSTAL’S STORY
After Hurricane Irma, Chrystal Rivera’s home in Tampa, Florida was destroyed. Her family of ten (10), including her mother and husband, were left homeless. She began applying to many organizations for help, but received no answer. Finally, a neighbor told her about Bluffton Self Help and she decided to give us a call. Immediately, we told her to come over.
The Rivera family arrived with no belongings, no employment, and no place to stay. To begin their new life, they were able to use our food pantry, clothing and financial aid. We made it our job to make sure they felt welcomed. Chrystal said, “We arrived in November and it was very cold. My family had nothing to keep us warm. I am grateful Bluffton Self Help was able to provide us with warm clothing, especially for our infant, along with everything else we needed.” Today, Chrystal works at Parker’s and is studying to become a chef. Bluffton Self Help continues to help her family by providing them with food and clothes when they need it. Our community looks forward to helping Chrystal settle down in what we hope will become her forever home. We are overjoyed to see Chrystal and her family looking towards a brighter future.

“Sometimes giving a jacket to someone in need is all it takes to change their lives.” -Kim We are so thankful for each and every single one of you who make the holidays possible at BSH. According to the National Retail Federation, the average family spends approximately $637.13 on gifts, $215.04 on food/decorations and $154.53 on non-gift related purchases–amounting to $1007.42 in total. Struggling families find additional spending nearly impossible during the holidays. No parent wants their children knowing they are facing hard times. Providing aid for these families is so important for parents to get help without sacrificing their dignity. Your support has allowed us to help keep these children and families feel secure not only during the holidays but year round.
We depend heavily on the community, especially during the holiday season; we are thankful for the the cash donations, and the toy and food drives you support. With your help, we were able to serve Thanksgiving dinner to more than 350 this year! We plan to distribute more than 14,000 toys to 1,750 children over the next 3 weeks. Thanks to you we make the holiday season less stressful and enjoyable for our Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton families. We strive to bring long lasting and continual help to the families in our community, not just a temporary fix. It’s an amazing feeling to help families go from crisis to self-sufficiency, and all is possible because of you. Thank you for investing in our community.

“This project gives our 4500 families the opportunity connect and strengthen relationships with our civic community–one toy at a time” -Anne Dietz, Giving Tree Coordinator We became partners with Saint Gregory the Great in 2016 when the Giving Tree Program was reintroduced. Beginning November 17th, Christmas trees are placed in the parish with ornaments that give an opportunity for parishioners to donate toys or spend time with senior citizens during the holidays. The toys are collected the first two weekends of December and half of the toys are given to us for our toy shop. We are so grateful for the generosity of their parishioners that helps us reach out to Hampton, Ridgeland, and Hardeville. These counties do not have the opportunity to create a toy program themselves, and with toys they collect, we are able to provide to their children as well as ours. Thank you, Saint Gregory the Great, for not only bringing families together during the holidays but for your tireless dedication to families in need throughout the year. Your volunteerism and financial contributions are truly making a lasting impact on our community.