News and Stories

SEASON OF GIVING | STORIES OF GRATITUDE
Bluffton Self Help is celebrating 32 years of serving our community and rewriting the story for thousands of families. We have continued to grow and innovate over the years to meet the evolving needs of our neighbors. As the years pass and the seasons change, one thing always stays the same, the generosity of our community. You can always tell when November is here. The business of people’s lives become more intense, the stores create winter wonderlands and children eagerly write their letters to Santa. At times, we may forget that there is so much more to this beautiful season but to the families who participate in our Holiday Hope Toy Shop – they never forget. They hold onto the memories made and the smiles on their children’s faces because of you, our community. These are the greatest gifts you can give.
No matter what holidays you celebrate or maybe don’t, these next two months are meant for giving thanks and giving back to those we love and hold dear.
It is during times like these, when we might become consumed in the hustle and bustle of our own lives that we can easily look past those truly in need. Every day we are grateful to be able to see the difference each of you make in our community. With each day, we become more humbled by the people in our community. Small acts of kindness, small gifts or simply ideas to help our neighbors in need may seem insignificant but often they make the biggest difference. Every family has a story and we are thankful to be a small part of some of those. Thank you for helping us to make an impact on the families and stories like these: “Last year, we received your wonderful gifts and I was really grateful. I never received any help ever and this is really emotional and overwhelming last year. Someday, I will be able to donate to you and make someone’s Christmas just as merry as ours was last year. May your light so shine as bright as the morning star in every place you go and to those you come to meet in your lives. Thank you very much.” – BSH Client “In my life I am always been “the helper”, the one who helped others. It has always given me deep joy to donate to organizations like yours. I could never imagine that one day things would have changed and my son and I were going to be the ones in need. It has been hard to accept this. It has been hard to accept to receive but I am so very deeply grateful with all my heart to all the people that have donated to us from their hearts during the holiday season. You certainly did bring great joy under our Christmas tree, it meant a lot to us. Now that I have been on both sides of the coin, I have a better understanding of the need and giving. Thank you from my heart to all the people who made this holidays possible.” – BSH Client “Thank you for giving us those toys on Christmas. My daughter especially liked the stuffed animal and sleeps with it every night. I really was happy when I was able to get sweaters and coats for my kids because I could not afford it.” – BSH Client “Thank you for kindness and generosity. It’s the most amazing, joyful and unforgettable Christmas for us because of you!! I haven’t seen my son so happy in the last 5 years as he has been last Christmas after seeing all the gifts. Bless yo Bluffton Self Help.” – BSH Client

Here at H.E. McCracken Middle, our hats are off to you, your staff and the volunteers of Bluffton Self Help. Community schools are grateful for the generosity shown with the delivery of an abundance of school supplies and health risk prevention items. Contributions of this magnitude make a tremendous difference in the lives of so many students throughout the school year. Students not having required school supplies are battles teachers no longer must fight. Additionally, they no longer have to spend precious instructional time calling or sending notes requesting materials. Now, the issue of students not having school supplies is an easy fix, because school supplies are readily available, thanks to the continuous efforts and commitment of you and your dedicated staff at Bluffton Self Help. When the need arises, students are sent to the School Social Worker with a note stating their needs. Seeing the faces of students when they receive needed backpacks, pencils, spiral notebooks, 3 ring binders, loose left paper and/or composition notebooks is simply pure delight. In addition to the generous donation of school supplies, you have taken caring to a whole new level, by graciously providing snacks! Here are just a few of the many responses received from teachers as they expressed their sincere gratitude toward the staff of Bluffton Self Help for your thoughtfulness and the kindness shown toward educators. “Thank you so much! It is such a treat to have snacks provided to help with the very busy days of teaching but even more that the community is supporting usJ
Chelsey Whitman | 8th Grade Math Thank you kindly for your generosity. Most importantly, friendly partnerships with the community are critical to our success.
Daniel A. Mcmorrow | 6th Grade Social Studies With kindest regards, Lindsey Skirtich
Principal Isabella S. White
School Social Worker

For many, living in the Lowcountry feels much like being on vacation every day; the beautiful views, quaint town, friendly people, mild weather, and easy access to the beach, what more could we ask for. These are the same reasons many flock to our little town several times a year, our streets become busy and local business booms. Tourist season is open. Many neighbors who work in the hospitality industry rely on this very distinct tourist season to get by and are grateful for the busy season. However, during the off season things die down and it can be hard to bring in a consistent paycheck. Eleanora found herself in this scenario and needed help. As the season started to slow down at a popular restaurant where she works she found herself getting behind in her bills. Since her husband’s contracting work was slow as well, this made it very difficult to bring home more than $600 in a month. Her family, like many living paycheck to paycheck, had no extra money for savings to get her through a difficult time. She requested financial assistance for her electric bill. The Financial Assistance through Bluffton Self Help has helped this family get caught up with their bills and has allowed Eleanora to complete the extensive dental work she is in need of. We are so happy you came in Eleanora, we know sometimes asking for help is the hardest part!

Kimberly Hall | Executive Director of Bluffton Self Help

After 20 years, Tina decided take her young children and leave an unhealthy marriage. At this same time, her job of 15 years was eliminated. Going from married with two incomes, Tina was now a single parent with no income and added legal expenses. Exhausting her savings and struggling to maintain any sort of normalcy for her children, Tina came to Bluffton Self Help (BSH) to meet the most basic need, food, in order to feed herself and children. Once she engaged with BSH she learned of other programs we offer that could help her and her children through this difficult time. Tina applied for financial assistance to help pay her rent. She also utilized services provided by the Education and Resource Center to create a resume and apply for jobs. In the 30 days Tina was involved with Bluffton Self Help she was able to receive support with basic necessities and the tools she needed during a difficult time in order to make a fresh start for her children. Tina was assisted with her rent which prevented eviction and the possibility of facing homelessness. One eviction can many times push families into homelessness, landlords refuse to rent to those with past evictions further reducing the already small pool of affordable rentals. Bluffton Self Help also allowed Tina to cut expenses and drastically stretch her budget through regular visits to the Wellness Food Pantry, shopping for food and clothing at the Confidence Clothing Closet. She has also received a full-time employment position and began working again through the support offered at the Education & Resource Center. Tina reported that the assistance provided by BSH has helped lower her stress and allowed her to follow through on daily activities. She and her husband are now divorced, he is paying child support and again involved with their children’s care. Tina has started working and loves her new job! She feels a huge sense of relief knowing she is close to being caught up on her bills. Tina and her children are adjusting to their new normalcy.

SUMMER HUNGER | A Letter from our Executive Director Hunger in our area is changing and affects all walks of life. Even with an economic upswing and low unemployment – stagnant jobs, rising cost of living and unemployment all play a factor in the changing face of hunger. Many of us are just one crisis, one job loss or health issue away from food insecurity. Families that live paycheck to paycheck can become food insecure overnight, meaning they may not know where their next meal is coming from. These families are forced to make difficult decisions, deciding between putting food in the fridge and healthcare; gas to get to work and breakfast for their kids; a healthy balanced meal or paying an electric bill. South Carolina has established a self-sufficiency standard. This is the cost for a family to make ends meet in our community, also known as livable wage. According to a study by South Carolina Association of United Way, the livable wage in Beaufort County for one adult and one preschooler is $18.32/hour. This wage changes based on the size of the family. It’s estimated that approximately 50% of our Bluffton population is working at or below this livable wage, putting families and children at risk for food insecurity.
Summer can cause an increase in costs for families seeking childcare as well as a decrease in support for families receiving free and reduced lunch at area schools. Last summer, Bluffton Self Help supported 95 kids on average, every month. We are on a mission to break the cycle of poverty in our community and more importantly compact food insecurity for families, seniors, children and adults. Fortunately, the rate of food insecurity continues to decrease because of donors and supporters like you. We depend on the Bluffton community for support to operate our Wellness Food Pantry with financial donations, volunteers and food drives. Thanks to you more than 2,100 residents in Bluffton had access to healthy, fresh, nutritious food. Keep supporting our mission and share with others because together we ARE making a difference in our community.